Festive recipes: Sweet potato dumplings and more!

We recently invited you, our readers, to share those lip-smacking festive recipes with us.

Geeta Subramanian from Chennai wrote in and shared this recipe of Sweet potato dumplings

Ingredients:
For the shell

• Sweet Potato: 2 pieces
• Maida Flour: 3 tbsp

For the stuffing:

• Scraped coconut: ½ cup
• Sugar: 2 tbsp
• Grated Khoya/ thickened milk/ Milkmaid/

For the syrup

• Sugar: 2/3 cup
• Water: 2 cups
• Green cardamom: 2 pieces

Method:

• Boil or steam the sweet potatoes. Though lengthy but the best process is to steam the potatoes, as it will lessen the moisture content. (If however you choose to boil, boil them whole in a pressure cooker for one whistle on medium high flame.)
• Drain the water, peel and mash as smooth possible. Mix in the flour and knead to semi-firm dough. The dough would be sticky so if needed add some more flour. Cover with cling film and put in fridge for 30 minutes.
• In the mean time put all the stuffing ingredients in a heavy bottomed pan and cook till it becomes dry and leaves the side of the pan. Cool completely.
• Also put the sugar and water in a pan and bring it to boil. Add crushed cardamom and reduce the syrup till a little thick. Keep it warm.
• Take out the sweet potato dough and take in spoonful. Stuff with sweet coconut mix and roll in floured hands. Roll them in as shown in picture or you can make round balls as well.
• Repeat with the rest of the dough and deep fry them in hot oil. Once lightly browned on all sides, transfer to the warm sugar syrup.
• When they are soaked enough serve hot or cold

Have festive recipes for Durga Puja, Dusshera and Diwali you want to share with us?

Write in to us at getahead@rediff.co.in (subject line: festive recipes) with your name, hometown and any interesting details about the origin of the recipe, along with a photograph if possible. We'll publish the best preparations right here on rediff.com and in India Abroad.

Vand Sha shared with us this Durga puja recipe of paneer puas.

"On the tenth day, in Bihar it is a common feature in all households to make malpuas. But here is the recipe for paneer puas that are so yummy, everyone will love them," she writes.

Ingredients:

• Maida: ½ kg
• Powdered sugar: according to taste
• Homemade paneer: 1 cup
• Cardamom: 5 to 6 pieces
• Dry fruits: (cut) one cup
• Milk: for making batter
• Oil/ghee for frying

Method

• Mix the flour with powdered sugar
• Generously mix in the milk (as done in baking cake).
• Crush paneer with your palm so it becomes very soft and add it to the mixed batter.
• Leave the batter for 3 hours.
• Heat the oil in a kadhai (a thick bottomed one preferably), then pour the batter in the kadhai with the help of a spatula or katori.
• Turn it in the oil so it gets fried evenly. Take it out when golden
• Serve hot.