Influencer and chef Renu Bhardwaj’s new book Celebrate Diwali is out now, published by Ebury books. She shares a taste with us
Renu’s passion is in creating affordable, delicious meals for busy families. Her new book is full of recipes to create the perfect Diwali feast, simple crafts to do with children and low-budget ways to decorate the house, Celebrate Diwali is everything families need to bring together the ultimate celebration.
As she says in her introduction, Diwali is so much more than just a ‘festival of lights’. Diwali honours the victory of light over darkness, and good over evil. It is a celebration that reignites the light within us all – the lights signifying family bonds, shared heritage and our common humanity.
Recipe for Masala Chai (serves two)
Sipping a warm cup of masala chai reminds me of peaceful Sunday mornings spent preparing a traditional Indian brunch with my family it makes me feel nostalgic and evokes comfort. The ritual of brewing the spiced tea feels almost meditative, and the first sip is utterly soothing as the warmth of the aromatic spices envelops you. Let it become a moment of pause and reflection in your day and make an extra batch of the spice blend to share with loved ones. This is my mother’s cherished recipe.
Ingredients
• 400ml water 1tsp masala chai mix (see below)
• 2x black teabags (I use everyday tea, such as Tetley or PG Tips)
• Milk of choice sugar or sweetener, to taste
Method
Mix 50g ground ginger
1 large cinnamon stick or 15g ground cinnamon
30g black peppercorns
8g whole clove 2g ground nutmeg
1. In a spice grinder, combine all the spices for the masala chai mix and grind to a fine powder. Pause halfway through to stir the spices and ensure they are properly ground.
2. To make sure there aren’t any pieces left in the chai mix, sift it into a bowl. Place the mix in a clean, airtight container. It will keep well for 6-12 months.
3. To make the tea, heat the water in a saucepan over a low heat and add the masala chai mix and teabags before the the liquid starts to boil and allow them to infuse for at least 2-3 minutes.
4. Stir in the milk and bring to a boil; this is when the chai begins to foam up really fast so keep a close eye on it. If you would like a stronger tea taste, allow the liquid to boil for 5-10 minutes.
5. Remove the teabags, add sugar to taste, and strain into mugs.
Achari aloo (pickled spiced potatoes) recipe (serves four or five)
In any Indian home, you can always find a potato dish gracing the table, a sabji (vegetable dish) that infuses a meal with comfort. Achari aloo is a tasty Punjabi dish made using pickling spices that raise the humble potato to new heights. These tangy potatoes have been a staple at my family’s feasts for as long as I can remember and they are a crowd pleaser. Serve alongside a dal with raita and naan (also in the book).
Ingredients
• 900g small baby potatoes, peeled
• 1 tsp rapeseed oil
• ½ lemon handful of coriander, chopped
For the whole spices
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp black mustard seeds ½ tsp fennel seeds
• ½ tsp carom (ajwain) seeds
• ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds
• 2 dried red chillies
For the sauce
• 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp garlic, finely chopped or crushed
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• ¾ tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp amchur powder or chaat masala
• 1 tsp sea salt
Method
1. Place the potatoes in a saucepan of salted cold water and bring to a gentle boil, the simmer gently until soft – about 10 minutes, depending on your potatoes. They should be soft all the way through; you can test this by piercing the potatoes with a skewer. Once cooked, drain and allow to cool.
2. Using a fork, make small idents in the potatoes, which will allow the sauce to penetrate the flesh and give the potatoes maximum flavour.
3. In a large wok or frying pan, dry-roast the whole spices. Once you can smell the aromas – after 2-3 minutes – remove the pan from the heat and blitz into a powder using a spice grinder or by hand with a pestle and mortar.
4. Add the 1 teaspoon of oil to the same pan and fry the baby potatoes over a medium heat for 4-5 minutes, until they turn golden brown, then remove from the pan.
5. Make the sauce by adding the oil, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, garlic and ginger to the same pan. Cook over a medium heat until just brown – about 1-2 minutes. Add the remaining spices and mix, then return the potatoes to the pan.
6. Add the blended spice powder and coat the potatoes well, then cook for a further 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and serve the potatoes with a squeeze of lemon and sprinkled with coriander.
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