Raksha Bandhan 2021: These Expert Dessert Recipes Will Make Your Brother And Sister Bond Even Sweeter

Festive season is incomplete without a lavish feast and dessert is only part of that. Come Raksha Bandhan and we are all geared up to kick off the festive season with a feast. Bingeing on traditional mithais is a sinful indulgence that cannot be helped. You might be a loyal fan of delicious cakes and crunchy meringues but we are sure that these good ol' classic traditional desserts will satiate your sweet tooth cravings for the festive season. Whether you love your calorie count or you are a heath freak, you don't have to feel guilty about your desserts this time. From healthy bars to traditional ladoos and more, try out these chef-approved recipes this Raksha Bandhan.

Satiate Your Taste Buds With These Lip-Smacking Festive Recipes For Raksha Bandhan 2021

1. Ghevar

(Recipe by Chef Saby)

Ditch the nearest sweet shop this year and put your culinary skills to use because you have to make this old favourite sweet at home. This traditional Rajasthani sweet is a staple for the festive season, and we just cannot miss out on this!

Ghevar

Ingredients:

1/2 cup ghee

2 1/4cups refined flour

1 tbsp gram flour

5 ice cubes

lemon juice

salt as per taste

For Syrup

2 cups sugar

1 cup water

1 to 2 strands saffron

2 pods elaichi

Lemon juice

Method:

1. To make sugar syrup, in a pan, add sugar and water and let it cook till it thickens up and add crushed cardamom, saffron and lemon juice to clarify sugar syrup.

2. Remove the scrum on the top and cook till 1 thread consistency. Cream ghee and ice together till frothy and it turns white. Now, separately, mix flour, gram flour and salt and then chilled water to the batter until it is thin and flowing in consistency.

3. Heat ghee in a deep flat base pan. Place the ring mould in it. Slowly drop the thin batter to oil and let it fry. Then add another layer on it and fry. Keep stirring from the centre to make a hole. Repeat till the desired thickness is reached.

4. Fry until golden brown and with the help of a ladle, take the ghevar out. Drizzle sugar syrup on ghevar as per required sweetness. Garnish with rabdi, dry fruits and rose petals.

2. Cashew & Makhana Ladoo

(Recipe by Anil Sharma, Executive Sous Chef, JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu)

Festive season is all about a melange of food. Enjoy your festive evenings with the goodness of cashews and makhana, rolled in some traditional flavour.

Cashew & Makhana Ladoo

Ingredients:

150 gm makhana

150 gm cashewnut

50 gm peanut (skinless)

50 gm pistachio

50 gm grated coconut

20 gm sesame seeds (black and white)

150 gm jaggery

150 gm ghee

1 gm saffron

Elaichi powder to taste

Method:

1. Heat ghee in a pan, add the nuts one by one and toast on low heat until roasted well- keep aside. Take another pan and heat it, add makhana and sauté it until crisp. Keep aside.

2. Toast coconut and sesame seeds in a pan on low heat until fragrant and set aside. Combine all the toasted nuts and makhana and grind in a blender until fine.

3. Heat ghee in a pan, add crushed cashew and makhana, toasted coconut and sesame, and cook together. Set aside.

4. For the syrup, boil jaggery and water in equal quantities and allow to simmer until it achieves a syrupy consistency. Mix the jaggery syrup and cashew and makhana mixture together and then add elaichi powder and saffron threads and mix them together.

5. Make small ladoos and garnish with saffron.

3. Cardamom Panna Cotta

(Recipe by Chef Tanvi Goswami, Executive Chef, SAGA Gurugram)

Cardamom Panna Cotta

Ingredients:

300ml full fat milk

300ml whipping cream

10gm cardamom seeds

70gm castor sugar

Gelatine leaves (3 leaves)

Method:

1. Put the milk, cream, cardamom seeds and sugar in a heavy-based pan and bring to a boil. Afterwards, remove from heat and set aside for 30 mins to infuse.

2. Meanwhile, cover the gelatin in cold water and leave to soak for about 5 minutes, until soft and pliable. Return the pan to the heat and warm the milk and cream mixture until almost boiling.

3. Remove the gelatin from the water, squeeze out the excess and add the gelatin to the milk mixture. Stir until dissolved, and then strain through a fine sieve into a bowl.

4. Place the bowl over a bowl of ice to cool rapidly, and then pour it into 8 silicone or plastic moulds. Place in the fridge for 3 hours, until set.

5. Turn out the panna cotta, place them in the centre of 4 plates and spoon the rose coulis around them.

4. Healthy Bar

(Recipe by Chef Dane Fernandes, Executive Chef, The St. Regis Mumbai)

For all those fitness freaks or healthy fanatics, you don't have to miss out on the festive extravaganza as we have this wonderful healthy dessert recipe to make festive binging also a healthy one.

Healthy Bar

Ingredients:

250 gm dates, chopped

150 gm dry cranberry

125 gm apricots, chopped

75 gm honey

120 gm roasted pistachio

Method:

1. In a pan, heat honey and boil it for some time.

2. Combine all the ingredients together with the help of a spatula.

3. Take the desired round ring and press the mixture.

4. Allow it to set for 6 hours at room temperature.

5. Subz Ka Halwa

(Recipe by Chef Gagan Sikka, Masala Art, Taj Palace, New Delhi)

No festivity is complete without the classic halwa, and we have the perfect recipe for you to up your festive mood.

Subz Ka Halwa

Ingredients:

100 gm chopped bean

100 gm chopped carrots

100 gm chopped cauliflower

100 gm chopped green peas

300 gm khoya

200 gm jaggery

1 tsp crushed cardamom

50 gm chironji

50 gm shredded almonds

50 gm chopped pistachio

A pinch of saffron

200 gm ghee

Method:

1. In a pan, melt ghee and add the chopped vegetables. Sauté well.

2. Add the khoya and cook it along with the vegetables.

3. Add the jaggery, along with green cardamom powder and cook till ghee separates from the halwa.

4. Finish with almonds, pistachio, chironji and saffron.

5. Served hot garnished with nuts.