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Four popular home cooks share their Diwali cheat sheet that you can use by putting together yummy treats in no time With just a week to go, if you have pushed Diwali sweet preparations for

the 11th hour and are racing against the clock, we tell you how you can beat the race with some crackling recipes that can be prepared easily. Popular home chefs share their quick and easy

recipes to sweeten your Diwali fare. A MITHAI PUNCH TO QUENCH YOUR THIRST BY ANANYA BANERJEE This one is a real quick fix if you have sudden guests. Ananya says, “Normally, we have _mithais_

lying at home during the festive season. Instead of serving the same to your guests, if you follow my recipe, people will think these are some fancy desserts from a fancy place. This is

actually a clever recycling method and a cheat’s guide to turn the usual into the unusual.” LAYERED MITHAI PUNCH INGREDIENTS: 2 Pedas 2 Kalakand 2 Motichoor ladoos 2 tbs Fresh cream

Pistachios and almond flakes for garnish METHOD Take two broad based glass bowls. Crumble the peda and layer it at the bottom of the glass. Mix the _kalakand_ and cream well. This becomes

your  ‘cheat rabdi’. Layer the i on the crumbled _peda_. Crumble the _motichoor ladoo_ and layer on top of the i. Garnish with pista and almond slivers. ‘GORGE ON COCONUT JAGGERY LADOOS’ BY

DOLLY SINGH Dolly has a special relationship with Kolkata. She says, “I love the versatility of coconut and distinct taste. I also enjoy the taste of palm sugar that I always get from visits

back home to Kolkata. So, it’s like best of two worlds. The simplicity of the process keeps the real flavours of all the ingredients intact. And I can eat it even to suffice my everyday

sweet cravings.” GURER NARU (COCONUT JAGGERY LADOO) INGREDIENTS 3 cups Shredded coconut 1 cup Palm jaggery (you can use regular jaggery too) 2 crushed Elaichi Some raisins (optional) Ghee

METHOD: Heat the jaggery and let it melt. In another pan take a half table spoon of ghee and add the shredded coconut, the crushed elaichi and raisin. Cook this on low flame. They should all

come together and you can smell the cooked coconut. At this point, add the melted jaggery and fold everything together. Cook till all the moisture comes out and the whole thing becomes

sticky. Don’t overcook or else it will start sticking to the pan. The ratio of coconut to jaggery is 3:1( you can sweeten it according to your preference). The mixture now needs to be

moulded into balls when it’s still hot. If it cools down it will harden. Rub some ghee on your palms  and now take the mixture and roll it into round balls and place it on a plate. Once the

balls are done you can keep it in the fridge for an hour or more and the _ladoos_ are ready to serve. ‘PAIR BOONDI WITH KHEER FOR A SWEET CRUNCH’ GITIKA SAIKIA When you’re pressed for time

this is a good recipe to try. Gitika shares, “All you need are three to four ingredients to surprise your family and guests. It’s easy-to-make and delicious too.” BOONDI KHEER INGREDIENTS 1

litre Milk 2 cups _Boondi_ 200 gms Khoya Sugar as per taste Some cashew nuts and almonds for garnishing 2 Cardamom pods METHOD Boil the milk and let it reduce by 25 per cent. Add khoya and

stir. Now, add the sugar, allowing it to melt followed by the _boondi_. Give it a good mix and decorate with cashew nuts and almonds. Pour it in individual bowls or a single bowl. Allow it

to cool in the refrigerator. Serve when your guests come. You can also add some chocolate shavings if you want. ‘FOR A BOHRI TWIST,’ MUNAF KAPADIA TELLS YOU WHAT TO DO Munaf Kapadia of The

Bohri Kitchen shares a festive rice dish recipe. He says, “The pineapple jarda is made with basmati rice and tropical fruits like pineapple. It’s a quick makeshift dish in every _bohri_ 

household. Thanks to the addition of ghee, this sweet dish while easy to make is also rich and festive. PINEAPPLE _JARDA_ INGREDIENTS 2 cups Long grain basmati rice (soaked for at least two

hours) 1 1/2 cups Sugar Almonds blanched and cut into halves lengthwise Fresh pineapple cut into small pieces (If it is not seasonal, you can use canned pineapple) 2 tbsp Pure ghee A few

strands of kesar (saffron) or saffron yellow colour 1/2 inch piece of Dalchini (cinnamon) 4-5 Lavang (cloves) 6-7 Elaichi (cardamom) Juice of five lemons METHOD In a large vessel keep water

to boil. After the water starts boiling, add 1/2 the lime juice and the soaked basmati rice. Remove the rice in a strainer after three boils (when semi-cooked). Soak all the _garam masala_

in little water. In another big flat bottomed vessel heat the _ghee_, then add the soaked _garam masala_ and cover immediately for the aroma to be retained. Then open the cover and add the

saffron, pineapple, lemon juice, blanched and cut almonds, sugar, saffron colour, and one cup water. When the sugar melts in the water add the rice and mix well. Switch off the gas and let

the rice soak in the sugar syrup with all the aromas of the _garam masala_, saffron and pineapple. Before serving, heat it on a tawa for at least 20 minutes. Garnish with more almond

slivers.