Embrace the light with foods for Diwali

(A woman potter makes earthen lamps for the Diwali festival in Allahabad, India. AP photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Cultural celebrations are always fueled by food, and the variety of dishes served tells us much about its people and traditions.

Indian fare is one of my favorite cuisines, so when I realized Diwali falls on Oct. 17 this year, I started searching for recipes. India’s best known festival, which marks "the victory of good over evil and light over darkness," is celebrated with sweet and savory snacks.

There is a feature in today's Busy Cook in the Poughkeepsie Journal about Diwali with recipes for Spicy Shankarpali, fried little crisps that come in both savory and sweet versions, and Cereal Chiva, a salty, spicy mix that is India's equivalent of Chex Mix. This recipe has many variations, as personal as a family's method of making garam masala, a powdered combination of spices and seasonings that is unique to each cook.

As with most holidays, Diwali is also a time for visiting with family and friends, making big batches of treats and exchanging them with each other.

The word Diwali comes from the Sanskrit word "dipavali," which means “row of lights.” There are many customs associated with this special holiday that vary by region, but people of all faiths in India line their windows and doorways with small clay or silver oil lamps and festoon their doorways with twinkling lights. I love the AP photograph, above, with the woman preparing the clay lamps for the festival.

I was glad to see the recipes adapted by The Associated Press were gleaned from food blogs, which are certainly plentiful and span so many cuisines. Here are a couple more Indian recipes adapted by AP, one from a blog and the other from Raghavan Iyer’s “660 Curries.”

No matter what religion or culture you are, we can all embrace the notion of light over darkness and good prevailing over evil.

(Thattai, a South Indian treat, are best served fresh from the frying oil. AP Photo/Larry Crowe)

"The name for these fried treats, thattai, may have been taken from the Tamil word meaning 'flattie' or 'pattie.' These South Indian treats sometimes are found in shops, but connoisseurs swear by the fresh taste of homemade."

Thattai

Start to finish: 1 hour
Servings: 8

4 cups rice flour
1/2 cup urad dal flour (or chickpea flour)
2 tablespoons yellow split peas, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
10 curry leaves, roughly torn (optional)
Salt, to taste
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, cut into small pieces
1 1/2 cups water
Vegetable or canola oil, for frying

Arrange a large sheet of waxed or parchment paper on the counter near the work area.
In a large bowl, combine both flours, the yellow split peas, cayenne, sesame seeds, curry leaves and salt.
Using a pastry cutter or 2 knives, cut in the butter.
Add 1/4 cup of the water and begin making a dough.
Add water 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture has the consistency of pie crust.
Working on the waxed or parchment paper, form the dough into 1-inch balls, then use a rolling pin to flatten each into a disc about 1/4 inch thick.
Set the discs on the paper, then use a knife to cut the discs into quarters.
Using a fork, prick each piece in several places.
In a large, deep skillet over medium, heat about 1 inch of oil.
To test the oil, place a small piece of bread it in; it should sizzle.
Carefully slip the quarters into the oil.
Do not crowd the skillet.
Turn them occasionally with a slotted spoon, frying until golden brown.
Transfer to paper towels to drain.
When completely cool, store in an airtight container.
Will keep for several days.

(Recipe adapted from the blog Food in the Main)

(Freshly ground blends of pan-roasted chilies and coriander seeds provide a burst of flavor in this curry. AP Photo/Larry Crowe)

"This curry, which can be served as a side or main course, is traditionally prepared in India as an offering to the goddess of learning during the Hindu celebration of lights called Diwali."

Chickpeas in Coconut Sauce

Start to finish: 25 minutes
Servings: 8

1. 5 teaspoons sesame oil or canola oil
2. 2 tablespoons yellow split peas, picked over for stones
3. 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
4. 2 to 4 dried Thai or cayenne chilies, stems removed
5. 2 cups water
6. 1 teaspoon tamarind paste or concentrate
7. 1 teaspoon black or yellow mustard seeds
8. 3 cups canned or cooked chickpeas, drained
9. 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt or sea salt
10. 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
11. 1/2 cup shredded dried unsweetened coconut, reconstituted
12. 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

• In a medium saucepan over medium-high, heat the oil.
• Add the split peas, coriander seeds and chilies.
• Cook, stirring constantly, until the split peas and coriander seeds are reddish brown and the chilies have blackened slightly, about 1 to 2 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the heat. Using a slotted spoon, skim off the spices and transfer them to a plate to cool for about 5 minutes. Do not discard the oil.
• Once the spices are cool, put them in a spice grinder and grind until the texture resembles that of finely ground black pepper.
• In a medium bowl, combine the water and tamarind paste. Whisk to dissolve the tamarind.
• Return the saucepan to medium-high heat. When the oil is warmed, add the mustard seeds. Cover the pan and cook until the seeds have stopped popping (similar to popcorn), about 30 seconds.
• Stir in the chickpeas, salt and turmeric.
• Stir to coat the chickpeas evenly with the spices.
• Pour in the tamarind water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the chickpeas absorb the flavors, 8 to 10 minutes,
• Stir in the ground spices, coconut and cilantro.
  

(Recipe adapted from Raghavan Iyer’s “660 Curries,” Workman Publishing, 2008)