Raksha Bandhan 2024: 7 delicious recipes for a memorable celebration

Celebrate Rakhi with delicious homemade snacks that will add a special touch to your festivities. From creamy and rich sweets to savory delights, these recipes are perfect for honouring the bond between siblings. Whether you want to impress with a mango rasmalai cheesecake or indulge in a comforting almond halwa, these dishes will add flavour and joy to your Raksha Bandhan celebration. Explore these recipes to make your celebration truly memorable.

Mango Imarti (Aam Ke Kangan) Recipe by Deepak Bhan, Executive Chef, Mementos Jaipur

Ingredients:

– 1 cup soaked urad dal

– ½ cup soaked yellow moong dal

– 1 liter of ghee

– ½ cup warm water

– A pinch of saffron (optional)

– Fresh mango pulp for serving

– 2 cups of sugar

For the syrup:

– 2 cups of sugar

– 1 cup of water

– 1 tablespoon of cardamom powder

– 1 pinch of saffron

Instructions

1. Prepare the dal paste and add water gradually until it forms a soft dough.
2. Let the batter rest for 24 hours and add the mango pulp before frying.
3. Heat the ghee in a deep pan and form the dough into spirals.
4. Fry until golden and soak in the syrup.
5. Serve with mango flavoured Rabri.

Note: Traditionally, imarti is made using fermented dough, which gives it a unique taste and texture. If you want to try the fermentation method, you can do so.

Almond Halwa Recipe Godrej Home Appliances

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup almonds
• 1 cup hot water
• ¼ cup toasted rava
• 1½ cups milk
• 4 tablespoons of ghee
• ½ cup chopped nuts
• ¼ cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons of soaked saffron milk
• ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder

Method:

1. Soak the almonds in hot water to remove the skin. Grind them until you obtain a coarse mixture.
2. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the ghee, almond paste, roasted rava, milk and sugar. Mix well.
3. Cook on high power (P-100) for 4 minutes. Add the dry fruits, saffron milk and cardamom powder. Cook for another 4 minutes.
4. Serve hot or cold.

Mango Rasmalai Cheesecake Recipe by Diwas Wadhera, Executive Chef, Eros Hotel

Ingredients:

• Cheesecake:
  • 480 g cream cheese
  • 150 g of sugar for breakfast
  • 300 g whipped cream
  • 10 g of agar agar leaves
  • 100 g of mango pulp
  • 150 grams of rasmalai sauce
  • 80 g of mango gelatin
• Cookie base:
• 120 g shortcrust pastry biscuits
• 30 g melted butter

Method:

1. Melt the agar agar in 10 ml of warm water. Mix with the cream cheese and sugar. Add the whipped cream and mango pulp.
2. Cookie recipe: Mix the icing sugar, melted butter and flour. Roll out to ½ cm thick, bake at 170°C for 10 minutes and leave to cool.
3. Cookie base: Crush the biscuits and mix them with the melted butter. Press them into a tart pan.
4. Spoon the cheesecake and rasmalai mixture onto the biscuit base. Freeze for 24 hours.
5. Cover with mango jam, cut into slices and decorate.

Rasmalai Recipe

Ingredients:

• ½ can of condensed milk
• 4 cups skimmed milk
• 300 g paneer (crushed)
• 8-10 saffron threads
• ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
• 10-12 pistachios, chopped
• 1 liter of water
• 300 g of sugar

Method:

1. Grind the paneer into a soft dough. Boil the sugar and water to make the syrup.
2. Form the paneer dough into balls, flatten them and cook them in syrup for 10 minutes. Allow to cool.
3. Boil the milk and condensed milk until reduced by half. Add the saffron and cardamom powder.
4. Add the cooled rasmalai balls to the saffron milk. Garnish with pistachios and serve chilled.

Bharwan Gucchi Paneer Recipe by Diwas Wadhera, Executive Chef, Eros Hotel

Ingredients:

• 100 g of gucchi (morels)
• 50 g of khoya
• 450 g of paneer
• 25 g cashews
• 10 g pistachios
• 10 g raisins
• 20 ml of oil
• 10 g cumin seeds
• 7 whole red chilies
• 30 g chopped ginger
• 30 g minced garlic
• 400 g chopped onion
• 400 g chopped tomatoes
• 15 g of green chili
• 50 g cashew paste
• 4 g of turmeric powder
• 7 g chili powder
• 7 g of methi kastoori
• 7 g of jeera powder
• 5 g garam masala
• 40 g fresh coriander
• 30 g of cream
• 30 g butter

Method:

1. Boil and wash the gucchi. Grind the paneer and mix it with grated khoya and cardamom. Stuff the gucchi with the mixture.
2. Cut the remaining paneer into cubes and season with salt and red chilli. Set aside.
3. Heat the oil, add the cumin seeds, onions, ginger and garlic. Cook until golden brown, then add the tomatoes and cook until soft.
4. Add the spices and cashew paste. Cook until the oil separates.
5. In another pan, sauté the marinated paneer in butter. Add the stuffed gucchi and mix it with the sauce. Cook on low flame.
6. Decorate with cilantro leaves.

Peppered Lamb with Murukku Recipe by Diwas Wadhera, Executive Chef, Eros Hotel

Ingredients:

• 500 g boneless lamb
• 5 g black peppercorns
• 1 green chili
• 3 teaspoons crushed garlic
• 2 teaspoons of ginger
• 2 onions
• 1 tomato
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 2 teaspoons red chili powder
• 3 teaspoons of coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon fennel powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 sprig of cilantro leaves
• 10 curry leaves
• 20 ml coconut oil
• Salt

Method:

1. Grind black peppercorns, garlic, ginger and green chilli into a paste. Marinate the mutton with this paste, salt and curry leaves. Let it sit for at least 1 hour.
2. Heat the oil and sauté the onions until they caramelize. Add the tomatoes and cook until soft.
3. Add the spice powder and mix. Cook until the oil separates.
4. Add the marinated lamb and curry leaves. Add 2 cups of water and cook until the lamb is tender.
5. If necessary, trim off excess gravy. Serve over murukku and garnish with curry leaves.

Citrus semifreddo with lemon cream and coconut-lime yogurt from The Lalit

Citrus curd

Ingredients:

• ½ cup powdered sugar
• ⅓ cup cornstarch
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ cup orange juice
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 eggs

Method:

1. Mix sugar, cornstarch and salt in a saucepan.
2. Whisk together the orange juice, lemon juice, lime juice and eggs in a bowl. Mix into the sugar mixture.
3. Simmer, stirring constantly until thickened.
4. Strain through a sieve and pour into 8 mini silicone hemisphere molds (1 tablespoon per mold).
5. Freeze until firm, about 2 hours.

Citrus semifreddo

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole milk
• 20 lemon verbena leaves
• 8 lime leaves
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons orange zest
• 2 teaspoons lime zest
• 4 large egg yolks
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 120 g white chocolate
• 3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon orange liqueur
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup whipped cream

Method:

1. Combine milk, lemon verbena, lime leaves, lemon zest, orange zest and lime zest. Let sit for 1 hour at room temperature.
2. Strain half of the milk into a saucepan and bring to a simmer.
3. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar, then strain the remaining milk into this mixture.
4. Slowly add boiling milk while whisking. Heat to 180°F (82°C).
5. Remove from heat, add white chocolate, orange liqueur and salt. Whisk until melted. Allow to cool to room temperature.
6. Whip the cream until soft peaks form and fold into the citrus mixture.
7. Spoon mixture into eight 5-ounce muffin cups (½ cup per cup).
8. Partially freeze for 15 minutes. Insert frozen citrus curd into center. Freeze until firm, about 8 hours.

Lemon curd

Ingredients:

• ½ cup powdered sugar
• ⅓ cup cornstarch
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup lemon juice
• 2 eggs

Method:

1. Mix sugar, cornstarch and salt in a saucepan.
2. Whisk together the lemon juice and eggs in a bowl. Mix into the sugar mixture.
3. Simmer, stirring constantly until thickened.
4. Strain through a sieve and allow to cool. Pour into a squeeze bottle or pastry bag.

Coconut and lime yogurt

Ingredients:

• ⅔ cup coconut milk yogurt
• 1 teaspoon lime zest
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• ¼ cup powdered sugar

Method:

1. Mix together the yogurt, lime zest, lime juice and icing sugar.
2. Transfer to a squeeze bottle or pastry bag.

Lemon candy

Ingredients:

• 1 lemon (curled into curls)
• ½ cup water
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Method:

1. Blanch the lemon zest curls in simmering water five times.
2. Boil ½ cup water and sugar. Add lemon zest and cook for 4 minutes.
3. Strain the zest and dry it on parchment paper.

To serve:

1. Place the semifreddo in a cold bowl. Let it rest for 10 minutes to soften slightly.
2. Around the semifreddo, place alternating dots of coconut-lime yogurt and lemon curd.
3. Garnish with lemon candy curls and small yellow and white daisies.

Goat cheese and zucchini tart from The Lalit

Crust Ingredients:

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
• 5 tablespoons of ice water

Filling ingredients:

• 200 g goat cheese
• 1 small zucchini
• 1 small yellow squash
• 1 small potato
• 1 red onion, sliced
• Olive oil (as needed)
• Salt and pepper (to taste)
• Melted butter (for brushing, optional)

Method:

1. Prepare the dough:
   • Combine flour and salt in a food processor. Add cold butter and process until crumbs form.
   • Sprinkle with ice water while whisking until dough forms a lump.
   • Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, shape into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
2. Preheat the oven:
   • Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F).
3. Prepare vegetables:
   • Slice the zucchini, yellow squash, and potato into thin slices (about 1/8 inch) using a mandoline or knife.
4. Assemble the cake:
   • Roll out the dough on parchment paper into a circle about 12 inches (30 cm).
   • Spread the goat cheese over the dough, leaving a border.
   • Arrange the chopped vegetables on top of the cheese, overlapping them. Sprinkle the onion rings on top.
   • Fold the edges of the dough over the filling, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Brush the edges with melted butter if desired.
5. Bake:
   • Bake for 33 to 35 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Use a pizza stone or place parchment paper directly on the oven rack to achieve a crispy crust.
6. Attend:
   • Cut into slices and serve hot or at room temperature.