Holidays here start with Diwali, which is early this year, meaning October.
So far I’ve made a tester Shrikhand Tart and a full Mishti Doi Panna Cotta Tart for gatherings, a tester of a cheat recipe for Boondi Laddoo using couscous (whaaat!!!), and a trial blancmange for a different take on the panna cotta tart for a different event.
Goodies are still pending, both sweet and savory family favorites.
On the sweet side, Shakkarpara, lightly sweetened and cardamom-scented cookies (old pic here) are top of list. I may buy the first batch if I run out of time, in which case I’l make the homemade ones later (they taste vastly better). The other sweet snack only I like, so I may wait till later.
For savory, masala puris (fried flatbreads, so good with tea, but usually scarfed down on there own in a race to the finish, lol) and chakri (multigrain, spiced, crunchy spirals).
It’s not a coincidence that ALL these goodies are fried. I’ve tried increasing the fat in the dough and baking instead, but they are a poor substitute. For a couple of bites once a year, I’ve decided fried is just fine.
I’ll make some actual sweets too, still trying to figure out what, though. Only certain one is magaj / besan laddoos.
'Tis the season of suspending calorie counts 
