Happy Deepavali!

Today is the Festival of Lights and I am in a jubilant mood!

I miss the festivities that come from being at home with family and friends - the abundance of food, the scent of incense permeating throughout the house, the non-stop flow of visitors popping in for a visit..

Lest the day felt like any other Wednesday, I woke up earlier than usual to whip up some Kesari - a sweet dish my mum would make at every festive occasion. I picked this over the many other sweets one would have today for its fool-proof recipe, much welcome if I am going be "toiling away" in the kitchen, half-awake at 7am.  

Said the ghee to the yellow colouring: "Nice hat."

Ingredients:

• 1 cup semolina (rawa) (available in health food stores and Indian grocers)
• 1/4 cup ghee (aka clarified butter) (available in health food stores and Indian grocers)
• 2 and 1/2 cups of boiling water
• a pinch of yellow coloring
• 1 cup sugar
• one tablespoon cardamom powder 
• 12 cashew nuts (cut into halves, to be pre-fried in ghee)
• 12-15 raisins (to be pre-fried in ghee)

Cashews and raisins drenched in ghee

Method:

• Pre-fry cashew nuts and raisins, taking care not to burn them like I nearly did!
• Heat ghee and lightly fry semolina on low-medium heat until fragrant and light brown
• Remove semolina from stove and set aside
• Pour boiling water into a separate pot with a pinch of salt and a few drops of yellow coloring
• Add sugar to the pot and let it melt, followed by the cashews and raisins
• Lastly add the semolina gradually into this pot, stirring continuously over a low fire until it thickens, ensuring that the mixture does not clump
• Transfer into a greased tray, to about an inch-thick and give it some time to firm up
• Cut into squares and enjoy!

I didn't wait for the kesari to firm up so the squares look distorted but goodness it tasted awesome and was a hit with the co-workers!

It's customary to dress up in new gear for Deepavali and this green skirt was the perfect thing to put on today! 

  

H&M skirt, Leifsdottir silk blouse

Anthropologie necklace, Banana Republic belt

Glitter clutch from Zara - which only came out to play after 6pm

That was the extent of my cooking for the week (month?)! We ended the day with dinner at our favourite thosai/dosa place followed by plenty of skyping with loved ones. 

Hope your Wednesday was as fun as mine!