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The festival of DEEPAVALI is a time for lamps,sweets,gifts,new clothes,families get together and of course the famous Sivakasi fire crackers.It is celebrated in different ways in different parts of our country.In South India bursting crackers is a custom and is connected with the killing of the demon Narakasuran by Krishna.After the killing,Krishna freed all the women who had been held captive by Naraka.Hence,the custom of waking up before dawn,bursting crackers and having oil bath of purification.
In North India the festival marks the return of Rama to Ayodhya.The people of Ayodhya light up the route with rows of oil lamps to welcome the prince.So the festival bears the name of Deepavali or the'line of lamps'
Goddess Lakshmi is also worshipped during Deepavali and new account books are opened with a prayer that the business makes profit during the year ahead in North India
With all these legends let's celebrate Deepavali with sweets which is synonymous with this festival of lights.I'am listing down some interesting at the same time easy and to some extent healthy too which you can relish for this year Deepavali

DRY FRUIT MAGIC
Ingredients
Walnuts-1cup
Dried figs-1cup
Raisins-1cup
Pitted dates-1cup
Orange rind-1tsp
Orange juice-2tbsp
Sugarfree powder-for dusting
Coloured paper-for packing

Method
Grind the dry fruits coarsely
Add the orange rind
Use the orange juice to knead the mixture into a thick dough
Shape into small rounds
Roll or dust lightly in the sugarfree powder
Pack individually in coloured paper
Arrange in gift box and send as Deepavali gift

SOYA CHOCOLATE BURFI
Ingredients
Gram flour-70gm
Soya flour-30gm
Cocoa powder-40gm
Sugar-70gm
Cardamon powder-1/2tsp
Ghee-2tsp

Method
Melt the ghee in a pan
Add the gram and soya flours and roast them,stirring continuously till the colour darkens slightly
Remove from heat and set aside
Make one string syrup with sugar by adding 1/4cup of water
Add the cardamon powder,remove from heat and add the roasted flour mixture to the sugar syrup
Add the cocoa powder stirring continuously to avoid lump formation
Pour out into a greased plate,allow to cool and cut to desired shapes

SOYA POLI
Ingredients
Channa dal-3/4cup precooked
Soya granules-1/3cup
Jaggery-11/2cup
Coconut-1/4cup
Cardamon-5
Ghee-100gm
Maida-11/2cup
Oil-2tsp

Method
Soak the soya granules in hot water for 10 min and drain
Grind together cooked chana dal,drained soya,coconut,jaggery,cardamon powder to paste
In a kadai add the ghee and mix in the paste and stir till thick to make rounds
Make a soft dough with maida with little oil
Make like chapatis with soya stuffing
Cook on both sides in a tawa with ghee as required

OATS LADDU
Ingredients
Oats-1cup
Cashews-20
Milk-21/2 cup
Sugar-11/2cup
Ghee-as required
Cardamon powder-1tsp

Method
Roast oats and cashews with little ghee
Allow to cool and powder in mixie
Powder the sugar also
Boil the milk stirring continuously till thick khoa consistency
Mix the powdered oats,sugar and cardamon powder to the khoa
Add ghee as required to make laddus
Unsweetened khoa can also be used instead of milk

OATS HALWA
Ingredients
Oats-1cup
Milk-3/4-1cup
Sugar-3/4cup
Cashews-6
Cardamon powder-1tsp
Ghee-3tbsp
Kesari powder-a pinch

Method
Roast cashews in little ghee and keep aside
Roast the oats and powder it
Mix the powdered oats with the milk and cook in a kadai
Add sugar after the oats is cooked and stir till just thick,remove from heat
Add cardamon,kesari powder,cashews and the rest of the ghee and mix well

PANEER RASAMALAI
Ingredients
Paneer-250gm
Sugar-3/4kg
Milk-1 litre
Saffron-a few strands
Cardamon-2tsp

Method
Boil milk till it becomes half the quantity
Cool this with cardamon,saffron and little sugar
This is the rasmalai
Loosen the paneer and knead to a soft dough
Make small rounds and set aside
Take sugar in a kadai and pour water to the sugar level and boil
Add the paneer rounds to the boiling syrup
When cooked the paneer will float
Remove the cooked paneer rounds from the syrup
Arrange the required paneer in bowls and pour on it the already made rasamalai
Serve cooled

MALAI LADDU
Ingredients
Paneer-250gm
Milkmaid-1/2 tin
Yellow food colour-a few drops
Kewra essence-2-3 drops
Cardamon-2 powdered
Silver leaf-1

Method
Mash paneer well
Add the milkmaid and cook on slow fire,stirring continuously
Cook till the mixture thickens and start leaving the sides of the kadai
Add the essence and colour and mix well
Remove from fire and pour on a plate and allow to cool
Make laddus out of the malai,sprinkle cardamon powder and serve decorated with silver leaf on top

This post is also my entry for Vee's JFI:DIWALI AND Viji's RCI TAMIL FESTIVALS