Cooking is an art not difficult to master, only if you know how. The three recipes below, are easy to follow and the result is guaranteed to tantalise your taste buds. From vegetable jalfrezi served with fluffy rice, to the fusion dessert, gulab jamun cheesecake, and finally, the indulgent malai puri, we have something for everyone. On this Diwali — the festival of lights — try the following recipes. They will not disappoint!

Photo: Collected

Vegetable jalfrezi with rice

Ingredients

For the paste —

2-3 tbsp oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp ginger (sliced)

1 tbsp garlic (chopped)

1 cup onions

4-5 green chillies

6-7 cashew nuts

For jalfrezi —

½ cup oil

2 cup tomato puree

1 cup prepared paste

½ tsp turmeric

Salt to taste

2 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp garam masala

1½ tsp black pepper

2 tbsp soya sauce

1 tbsp hot sauce

2 tbsp vinegar ketchup, as required

2-3 tbsp cream carrots, thinly sliced as required  

Capsicum, thinly sliced as required  

Baby corn, as required

Fresh beans, as required

Cauliflower, as required

Green chillies, as required

Coriander for garnish

For rice —

1 tbsp butter

1 tsp garlic (minced)

1 cup rice (boiled)

1 tsp black pepper

Salt to taste

Method

For paste —

In a pan, heat oil, sauté cumin seeds, ginger, garlic, onion, green chillies, and cashew nuts. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until onions are translucent and the cashew nut changes colour. In a chopper blend all these ingredients well, make a fine paste and set aside.

For jalfrezi —

Heat oil in another pan, add prepared paste and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add turmeric, salt, red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, black pepper, garam masala, and mix well. Then add tomato puree and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Now add all the veggies and mix it well. Then add soya sauce, vinegar, ketchup, cream, hot sauce and cook a bit. Then sprinkle coriander on top and it's ready to serve.

For rice —

In a pan melt butter, add garlic, and sauté until golden brown. Now add boiled rice and mix it well. Add black pepper, salt, cover the lid and let it simmer for 5 to 6 minutes.

Photo: Collected

Gulab Jamun Cheesecake

Ingredients

For biscuit base —

10 digestive biscuits

¼ cup melted butter

For cheesecake filling —

½ cup cream cheese (room temperature)

¼ cup heavy cream

½ cup condensed milk

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 tsp milk with saffron

6 gulab jamuns

Chopped pistachios

Method

For Biscuit base —

Preheat the oven to 170° C. Line a cupcake tray with cupcake liners or grease it with butter. Mix the digestive biscuits in a food processor until crumbs are formed. Add melted butter and mix it again. Pour around 2 tablespoons of crumbs in 6 liners and press it against the base using the back of a spoon.  Refrigerate it for 15 minutes and set aside.

For Cheesecake filling —

Beat the cream cheese in a large bowl with a hand mixer. Add heavy cream and condensed milk and mix again until fluffy. We will not use sugar. You can taste the batter and accordingly add or skip sugar as per your preference.

Add lemon juice, vanilla essence, and milk with saffron. Mix only until the ingredients combine. Do not over-mix. Transfer the batter equally into 6 liners on the biscuit layer. Place a gulab jamun in the centre of the cake. Bake for 20 minutes at 165° C. Switch off the oven and let the cake sit inside for about 30 minutes after baking. In gas, it will take 30-35 minutes.

Refrigerate for 2-3 hours. Garnish with chopped pistachios. Enjoy creamy and delicious gulab jamun cheesecake.

Malai Puri

Ingredients 

1 cup all-purpose Flour

1 cup milk, as required

4/3 cups Sugar

1 cup water

Saffron one pinch

½ tsp cardamom powder

Pistachio, for garnish

Almonds, for garnish

Method

In a bowl, add flour and gradually add milk until you get a normal consistency. Keep it aside for 20 minutes. Heat water in a pan, add sugar, cardamom powder, and saffron and mix it well until your sugar syrup is ready. Heat oil in a pan, and pour the flour mixture with a cup to make round puri. Shallow fry them. Dip the puris in the sugar syrup for at least 30 minutes until they are soft.

Garnish with pistachio, and almonds and serve.