How to make crispy green lentil chakli at home instead of store-bought sweets for Diwali

With the arrival of the holiday season, many different sweets appear in homes. Although you have probably tried white rasgullas, having colorful and fluffy rasgullas on the festive table will delight everyone, from children to adults.

Commercial colorful sweets often contain harmful chemicals and dyes, which negatively affect health. Therefore, it is recommended to make rasgullas at home using fresh milk to obtain pure chhana and coloring them with natural dyes to get safe and fluffy treats. The simplest instructions and secret tips for preparation are presented below.

For preparation, you will need: 2 liters of whole milk (for making chhana), 3-4 tablespoons of lemon juice or vinegar, 3-4 cups of sugar (for syrup), 4-5 cups of water, a few drops of natural food coloring (light pink, yellow, or green), as well as cardamom powder or kewra water for flavoring.

The main secret to getting soft rasgullas lies in the technique of kneading the chhana: it must be kneaded with the back of your hand for at least 7-8 minutes until smooth. The correct stage for adding color is as follows: after thoroughly kneading the chhana, it is divided into 2-3 parts, and 1-2 drops of different natural food colorings are added to each of these parts, mixing gently so that the color is evenly distributed when forming the balls.

First, 2 liters of milk are brought to a boil, and then curdled using lemon juice. The curdled milk is strained through cheesecloth and rinsed with clean water to remove acidity. Excess moisture from the chhana is squeezed out and placed on a plate, then kneaded by hand for 7-8 minutes until it becomes smooth like butter.

Next, the smooth chhana is divided into portions, the desired natural color (pink, yellow, green) is added, and small, smooth balls are formed. In a large, wide pot, 3-4 cups of sugar are heated together with 4-5 cups of water until boiling. When the syrup boils vigorously, the colorful rasgulla balls are dropped into it one by one. The pot is covered with a lid and cooked over medium or medium-high heat for 12-15 minutes. You will see the rasgullas increase in size, becoming twice their original volume.

After this, turn off the heat and let the rasgullas cool completely. After cooling, they are ready to serve.

During the holiday season or any other joyful occasion, one often wants to treat themselves to something sweet, and rasgulla invariably takes the top spot. However, there is a concern about additives or excess chemicals in store-bought packaged rasgullas, which can negatively affect health.

If you want your family to have absolutely pure, fluffy, and melt-in-your-mouth rasgullas for the celebration, it is best to make them yourself from fresh milk instead of buying ready-made ones. Just 2 liters of milk and some caution will allow you to create rasgullas as magnificent as those made by a professional pastry chef. Below is the simplest instruction and secret tips for preparation.

The following ingredients are needed for preparation: 2 liters of whole milk (for the cheese), 3-4 tablespoons of lemon juice or white vinegar (diluted in water), 3-4 cups of sugar (for the syrup), 4-5 cups of water (for the syrup and washing the cheese), and cardamom powder or kewra water for aroma.

The main secret to obtaining fluffy rasgullas lies in the cheese processing technique: it must be kneaded thoroughly. The cheese should be kneaded with the palm of your hand on the back side for at least 7-8 minutes until it becomes perfectly smooth and soft, like butter.

It is also important to maintain the syrup temperature: rasgullas should always be dropped into boiling syrup so that they immediately increase in size. At the same time, the syrup should be slightly liquid, not thick like a thread.

First, bring 2 liters of milk to a boil in a thick-bottomed pot. After boiling, turn off the heat and let the milk cool for 2-3 minutes. Then, gradually add the water mixed with lemon juice to the milk. As soon as the milk curdles and a greenish liquid appears, turn off the gas.

The curdled milk product must be strained through cheesecloth or cotton fabric. After this, the cheese should be thoroughly washed with cold clean water to remove the acidity from the lemon. Then, hanging the cloth, squeeze out the excess moisture, but it is important that the cheese remains slightly moist, not completely dry. The raw material is placed on a plate and kneaded with the palms for 7-8 minutes until smooth.

Small, smooth balls without cracks are formed from the cheese dough. Separately, 3-4 cups of sugar are heated with 4-5 cups of water in a wide pot until active boiling. When the syrup boils vigorously, the prepared balls are dropped into it one by one. The pot is covered with a lid and cooked over medium or medium-high heat for 12-15 minutes, stirring gently from time to time. As a result, the rasgullas will increase in volume and become very fluffy. After this, the heat is turned off and the rasgullas are allowed to cool completely; after cooling, they are ready to eat.

Besides fruits, nuts, and fani, which are traditionally served during Sargi on Karva Chauth, sweet matthi is also often prepared. However, many women prefer the savory versions that they buy in stores. Products purchased from retail outlets may contain impurities and low-quality oils, which is unhealthy.

If you want to make crispy, tasty, and just as appetizing matthi at home as in the store, it is very simple. You can use wheat flour or semolina for preparation. Savory matthi is a favorite snack in Indian families, whether during evening tea time or when hosting guests. This matthi, made by adding semolina to flour, turns out not only very crispy but also keeps well for a long time.

The following ingredients are needed for preparation: 2 cups of wheat flour or semolina, 0.5 cup of semolina, 1 teaspoon of dill, 1 tablespoon of dried mint, 0.5 teaspoon of ground black pepper, salt to taste, 4-5 tablespoons of oil or ghee for kneading, and oil for frying.

The first secret to achieving a crispy and crumbly texture for matthi is the correct addition of fat (moin). You must thoroughly rub the oil or ghee with the flour and semolina using both hands for 2-3 minutes. When the dough starts to hold its shape, it means the moin has been added perfectly. The second important point is to use warm water for kneading the dough and to definitely knead it into a dense form, avoiding a soft dough.

In a bowl, mix the flour, semolina, dill, dried mint, ground black pepper, salt, and fat (oil/ghee). Then gradually add warm water to form a dense dough, and leave it covered for 15-20 minutes so that the semolina swells.

Divide the dough into small pieces, shape them into matthi, gently pressing or rolling them by hand. The third important trick: after rolling, make small holes in the matthi using a fork or knife. This will prevent the matthi from puffing up during frying and ensure even crispy cooking.

Heat the oil in a pan and fry the matthi over very low heat on both sides until golden and crispy.