Last-Minute Diwali Sweets: Paan Custard & Homemade Nougat

If you’ve been busy, but you still want to place a homemade sweet on your Diwali table, we have your back

While we’d love to ease into the festive season, it can also be fraught with personal errands and work commitments. If you’ve been too busy to make your usual quota of homemade treats, or even if you’ve been hit by a last-minute urge to make something at home, these recipes from renowned chefs Varun Inamdar and Sabyasachi Gorai are made for you.  And they come infused with the goodness of walnuts, to add texture, bite and a richness to the recipes.

Paan Custard
Chef Varun Inamdar

Ingredients
2 cups walnut milk
2 tbsp agar-agar powder
2 betel leaves, crushed
A drop of rose extract
5 tbsp sugar

For the garnish:
Fresh pomegranate arils
Roughly-chopped walnuts

Method 

1. Heat the walnut milk in a pan.
2. Stir in the agar-agar and boil for a minute until the granules disintegrate completely.
3. Stir in the crushed betel leaves and rose extract along with the sugar, and cook until the sugar dissolves.
4. Remove the mixture from the flame and divide into small ramekins.
5. Chill for an hour.
6. Demould and serve topped with the pomegranate arils and crushed walnuts.

Homemade Nougat with Chocolate and Walnuts
Chef Sabyasachi Gorai

Ingredients
3 slices of rice pancakes
1 handful walnuts
2 chocolate bars
½ cup walnut butter (see note) 

Method 

1. Chop the rice pancakes and walnuts. 
2. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler and add the chopped pancake and walnuts to it. 
3. Add the walnut butter and mix well
4. Place in a rectangular container lined with parchment paper (or in a silicone container) and allow to set in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours.

Note: To prepare the walnut butter, preheat the oven to 150°C. Place 2 cups of walnuts on a small baking sheet and toast in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool. Transfer to a food processor and process to a thick paste. Add 1 teaspoon vegetable oil and a pinch of salt and process again until smooth.

Recipes and images: California Walnuts

Also Read: #FeastingWithHealthntrends: Cocktail Samosas With Walnuts