Diwali party, minus the panic

Diwali invitations are flying around every WhatsApp group, there seems to be a party in every other house this week, and somewhere a host who loves a full house but can barely boil an egg is staring at the kitchen in mild panic. Our food desk has a few easy answers, four dishes that need no frying and no oven and still look like someone slaved over them, which leaves the host free to join the card table and the crackers along with everyone else.

Mathri Nachos

Store-bought mathris, the kind that usually sit around with the evening chai, get dressed up like nachos with all the usual chaat toppings, and the platter is ready in ten minutes flat. Serves 6

Ingredients

·       20 mathris

·       1 onion, 1 tomato and 1 small cucumber, finely chopped

·       1 green chilli and a handful of coriander, chopped

·       Lemon juice, chaat masala and salt

·       ½ cup beaten curd

·       Green chutney and imli chutney

·       Sev and pomegranate seeds

Method

·       Toss the chopped vegetables, chilli and coriander with lemon juice, chaat masala and salt.

·       Lay the mathris on a big plate, heap the mix on top, pour over the curd and both chutneys, scatter sev and pomegranate and serve straight away before the mathris go soggy.

Coconut Laddu with a Chocolate Heart

Plain old coconut laddus, except each one hides a heart of dark chocolate inside, and once the children find out after the first bite the plate does not last long. Makes about 15

Ingredients

·       2 cups desiccated coconut, plus some for rolling

·       300 g condensed milk

·       1 tbsp ghee

·       A pinch of elaichi powder

·       15 small squares of dark chocolate

Method

·       Roast the coconut in ghee on a low flame for 2 minutes, pour in the condensed milk and stir for 5 to 6 minutes till it leaves the sides of the pan, then add the elaichi.

·       Let it cool a little, flatten a small ball on the palm, press a piece of chocolate in the middle, roll it shut and coat with coconut.

Achari Paneer Skewers

The oily masala at the bottom of the aam ka achaar jar, the part everyone in the family fights over, makes a ready-made marinade for paneer. Serves 6

Ingredients

·       400 g paneer, cubed

·       1 capsicum and 1 onion, cut into squares

·       3 tbsp thick curd

·       2 tbsp mango pickle masala

·       1 tbsp mustard oil

·       1 tsp ginger-garlic paste

·       1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder

·       Very little salt, since the pickle is salty enough

·       Toothpicks, chaat masala and lemon

Method

·       Mix the curd, pickle masala, oil, ginger-garlic paste, chilli powder and salt, coat the paneer and vegetables in it and leave for 20 minutes.

·       Thread onto toothpicks, cook on a hot oiled tawa for 2 minutes a side till the edges catch, and finish with chaat masala and a squeeze of lemon.

Gulab Jamun Cheesecake Jars

A few gulab jamuns from the corner halwai go into small glasses with a no-bake cheesecake, and these can be made in the morning and forgotten in the fridge till evening. Makes 6 small glasses

Ingredients

·       12 Marie biscuits, crushed and mixed with 3 tbsp melted butter

·       200 g cream cheese or hung curd

·       150 ml cold whipping cream

·       3 tbsp powdered sugar and a pinch of elaichi powder

·       6 gulab jamuns, halved, and 2 tbsp of their syrup

·       Chopped pista

Method

·       Press the biscuit crumbs into six small glasses.

·       Beat the cream cheese with the sugar, elaichi and syrup, fold in the whipped cream and layer it in the glasses with the gulab jamun halves.

·       Chill for three hours and sprinkle pista on top before serving.