4 Warm Winter Recipes For A Memorable Bonfire Night With Your Loved Ones

As the winter chill sets in, gather your family for a heartwarming Bonfire Night celebration. Indulge in the comforting embrace of our carefully curated winter recipes, designed to add a touch of magic to your evening. From steaming cups of cocoa by the fire to delectable treats that warm both body and soul, these dishes promise a memorable experience. 

Our collection blends tradition with a modern twist, ensuring each recipe is a celebration of togetherness. Explore the joy of shared moments around the bonfire, creating lasting memories with family. 

Sarson and Palak Khada Masala

Recipe by executive Chef Shiva Kumar,  at The Deltin, Daman.

Ingredients:

- 4 Bunches of Spinach

- 2 Bunches of Sarson (Mustard Greens)

- 1 Tbsp. Clarified Butter

- 1 Tbsp. Chopped Garlic

- 2 Chopped Green Chilies

- 2 Medium Chopped Onions

- 1 Tsp Roasted Dried Fenugreek Leaves Powder

- 1/2 Inch Julienned Ginger

- 2-3 Cloves Slit and Fried Garlic

- 4 Red Chilies

- 1 Tsp Lemon Juice

- 1 Tsp Cumin Seeds

- Salt to Taste

Instructions:

1. Prepare the Greens: Wash and blanch the spinach and Sarson.

2. Cooking Process: Heat clarified butter in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add cumin seeds, garlic, green chilies, ginger, and sauté. Caramelize the chopped onions.

3. Combining the Flavors: Add the blanched spinach and cook for three to four minutes. Adjust salt as needed.

4. Final Touches: Garnish with fried red chilies and garlic flakes.

5. Presentation: Serve hot, showcasing the vibrant colors and aromatic flavors.

Til chikki recipe

Recipe by executive Chef Shiva Kumar,  at The Deltin, Daman.

Ingredients:

- 1 Cup sesame / Til, white

- 1 tsp Ghee/Clarified Butter

- 1 cup Jaggery / Gud

Methods:

1. Firstly in pan dry roast 1 cup sesame on low flame till it splutters.

2. Now in another Kadai heat 1 tsp ghee and add 1 cup Jaggery.

3. Keep stirring on medium flame till the Jaggery melts completely. alternatively, use sugar, if you do not prefer Jaggery.

4. Boil the Jaggery syrup on low flame till the syrup turns glossy and thickens.

5. Check the consistency, by dropping syrup into a bowl of water, it should form hard ball and cut with a snap sound. Else boil for another minute and check.

6. Simmer the flame add roasted sesame seeds.

7. Stir well making sure Jaggery syrup coats well.

8. Immediately pour the mixture over butter paper or onto steel plate greased with ghee. Be quick else the mixture turns hard and will be difficult to set.

9. Get together forming a block; be careful as the mixture will be very hot.

10. Now using a rolling pin roll the slightly thick block.

11. Allow to cool for a minute, and when it’s still warm cut into pieces.

 Lastly, serve til chikki once cooled completely, or store in a airtight container and serve for a month.

Ven Pongal Recipe

Recipe by executive Chef Shiva Kumar,  at The Deltin, Daman.

Ingredients

Main Ingredients

-  ½ cup rice – any medium to short grained or regular rice, 100 grams

- ¼ cup Moong dal or 60 grams, hulled and split Moong lentils

- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds – lightly crushed

- ⅛ teaspoon Asafoetida (Hing)

- 1 inch ginger – chopped or 1 teaspoon heaped chopped ginger

-  to 3.25 cups water or add as required

- salt as required.

For Tempering

- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns whole or crushed, you can also add ½ teaspoon black pepper.

- 1 sprig curry leaves or 10 to 12 small to medium curry leaves

- 10 to 12 cashews – whole or halved.

- to 3 tablespoons Ghee (clarified butter)

Roasting Moong Dal

- Pick Moong lentils first to get rid of stones if any. Then heat a small pan or a small Kadai and add the Moong lentils.

- On a low heat stirring often roast the Moong lentils till they become fragrant.

- The Moong lentils only need to be roasted till they become fragrant. No need to brown them.

-  Now take them in another bowl or you can use the same pan for rinsing.

- Rinsing Rice and Lentils

- Add rice in the bowl containing the roasted Moong dal.

- Rinse both rice and roasted Moong dal a couple of times with water.

Cooking Rice and Moong Dal

- Drain very well and then add them in a pressure cooker.

-  Now add the following ingredients – cumin seeds, asafetida (Hing), and 

Chopped ginger. Also add salt as per taste.

- Pour 3 to 3.25 cups water. The amount of water to be added depends on the consistency you want and also on the quality of Moong dal.

- Pressure cook on a medium to high heat for 7 to 8 whistles or 11 to 12 minutes.

- Let the pressure settle down on its own and then you remove the lid to check the doneness and consistency. If the Pongal has a consistency like that of Pulao, then add ½ to 1 cup hot water and mix very well.

- Both the rice and the Moong dal should be cooked very well. If you want you can even slightly mash the cooked rice and Moong lentils. If cooked well, then cover with the lid and keep aside.

Tempering

- In another small pan, heat the ghee.

- Add the cumin seeds. Let them splutter.

-  Then add the cashews. Fry until the cashews become light golden.

-  Once they begin to get light golden, and then add black peppercorns and 10 to 12 curry leaves.

- Stir very well and fry until the curry leaves become crisp. The black pepper should also be fried well.

- Now pour this entire tempering on the Pongal. Mix very well.

- Cover with the lid (with the vent weight/whistle on the lid) and keep Ven Pongal aside for 5 to 6 minutes. This allows the tempering flavors to infuse with the Pongal and the aroma to stay in.

- Then remove the lid and serve hot with coconut chutney or Sambar.

Strawberry Eggless Cheesecake

Recipe by Himanshu Chawla, Founder & CEO of Bakingo

Ingredients:

• 100gms digestive biscuits
• 2 tbsp melted butter
• 400 gms or 2 cups room temperature cream cheese
• 1 cup strawberry compote 
• 2 tbsp Whipping cream
• 15gms corn flour or all-purpose flour (Sifted)
• ½ cup condensed milk
• Few sliced strawberries for toppings
• 40 gm sugar

 
Method:
 
1.    In a grinder add the digestive biscuit and grind. 

2.    In a bowl pour the melted butter and mix the crushed digestive biscuits together thoroughly.

3.    Press this mixture into a suitable-sized spring-form pan and put it in the freezer for about 10 minutes to set. 

4.    Slice the strawberries for toppings add the sugar and put aside in a fridge for atleast 2-3 hrs.

5.    In another bowl, mix the cream cheese, whipping cream, condensed milk and all-purpose/corn flour

6.    Pour this batter into the spring-form pan with the crust.

7.    Preheat your oven to 160C and bake for roughly around 40mins

8.    Once baked, take it out to cool and then put it in the refrigerator for 30mins

9.    Once, it’s set and cold, pour the strawberry compote on top and spread evenly.

10. Top it off with the strawberry slices and serve.