As the festival of lights approaches, California walnuts brings you a delectable array of recipes that will illuminate your festive table and infuse it with a burst of health and flavour. These delightful creations, enriched with the wholesome goodness of California walnuts, aren’t just culinary delights; they are a symphony of mildly sweet flavour, crunchy texture, and nutrition, perfect for joyous festivities.
These wonder nuts are grown amid plenty of sunlight, fertile soil, and the best-suited climate in the sunshine state of California, and they often exceed the quality standards mentioned by the Federal and State of California. A handful (approximately 28g) of California walnuts packs a powerful nutritional punch, providing your body with 2.5g of heart-healthy plant-based omega-3 ALA, 4g of protein, and 2g of dietary fiber. But the magic of walnuts goes beyond numbers. They are known to support heart health, aid brain function, and contribute to a balanced diet.
A celebration of taste and nutrition
Now, as you embark on a culinary journey with our handpicked recipes for your Diwali feast, you’re not just indulging in exquisite flavours but also embracing a wealth of health benefits. The nutty crunch and mild sweetness of California walnuts add an extra layer of delight to these dishes, elevating the textures and enriching the tastes. From delectable kebabs to irresistible chocolate barfi, our recipes are designed to illuminate your taste buds and nourish your body.
California Walnut Paneer Koftas – Shumaila Chauhan
Ingredients
For kofta:
200g paneer, grated
2 medium sized potatoes, boiled and mashed
1/4 cup gram flour
1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
2 tablespoons corn flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
2 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves, chopped
3 tablespoons walnuts, ground to make walnut meal
For stuffing:
1 tablespoon raisins, chopped
5-6 walnuts, chopped
For gravy:
2 tablespoons oil, divided
1 cup onions, cubed
3 medium tomatoes, cubed
1/4 cup walnuts
2-3 green cardamoms
1 bay leaf
1/2-inch cinnamon stick
3 cloves
2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon dhania/coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
Preparations
For Kofta
- Mix all ingredients listed under “for kofta” together.
- Rub some oil on palms and shape medium sized balls from the mixture.
- Flatten one ball and stuff with the chopped walnuts and raisins. Shape into a ball. Repeat for all the koftas.
- Cover and set aside in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- When ready to fry koftas, heat oil in a kadhai. When oil is hot, test one prepared kofta by putting it in oil. In case the kofta is disintegrating, add more corn starch to the mixture. Deep fry koftas on medium flame until golden brown and crisp. Remove from oil and place on paper towel.
For Gravy
- Heat oil in a kadhai. Add cardamom, cinnamon stick, and clove and temper for a few seconds. Add onions and sauté till translucent. Add the tomatoes and walnuts. Cook for 4-5 minutes on medium flame.
- Pour 1/2 cup water and boil till tomatoes are soft. Let cool. Blend the mixture with the spices to a smooth puree.
- Heat oil in a pan. Add 1 bay leaf, 1 inch cinnamon stick and 2-3 whole green cardamom. Sauté for 1 minute.
- Add 2 teaspoon ginger garlic paste. Cook till the raw smell goes away. Add the turmeric powder, red chili powder and coriander powder.
- Add the onion tomato mixture and cook till oil separates. Add in the garam masala, sugar and salt. Add 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup water. Cook till gravy thickens a bit, and oil separates.
- Add more water if required and if gravy is too thick. Add kasuri methi.
- Both koftas and gravy can be prepared ahead. When ready to serve heat gravy. Koftas can be warmed in the oven. Avoid putting freshly fried or too hot koftas in the gravy as they will disintegrate. Garnish walnut kofta curry with walnut shavings, cream and fresh coriander leaves.
Carrot and Walnut Barfi – Shumaila Chauhan
Ingredients
500g carrots
2 tablespoons ghee, plus 1 tablespoon extra
3-4 whole cardamoms
2 tablespoons desiccated coconut (optional)
1 cup milk
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup California walnuts
1/4 cup milk powder
Few strands of saffron
1/4 cup roughly chopped walnuts
Preparations
- Peel the carrots, and roughly chop them. Put in a food processor. Pulse the carrots with 1-2 tablespoons milk (do not add more than that—only enough milk to pulse it into a coarse paste). Pulse till the carrots are very small pieces—almost like a coarse paste. You can also grate them finely.
- Line an 8 by 8 cake tin with parchment paper and oil it well.
- In a thick bottom kadhai/pan, heat 2 tablespoons ghee. Add the carrots and mix well to coat it with ghee. Cover and cook on medium low heat for 5 – 8 minutes, till the carrots lose their moisture.
- Add milk and saffron strands and mix well. Cover and cook on low flame till all the milk dries up. Keep stirring occasionally and make sure to cook on low flame.
- While the carrots are cooking, pulse the walnuts with the milk powder, cardamom seeds and coconut powder to make a fine powder.
- Once all the milk has dried and the carrots are no longer leaving any water, add the sugar and mix. Cook on low medium flame till the sugar water dries up.
- Now add the walnut powder mix and mix well. Add 1 tablespoon ghee and cook till the mixture comes together and is thick—another 5 minutes. Add the chopped walnuts.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin and pat it to make an even layer of preferred barfi thickness.
- Let set for 2-3 hours in the refrigerator.
- Once set cut into barfi sized pieces and enjoy.
Walnut Paneer Kebab – Hemasri Subramanian
Ingredients
1 cup toasted California walnuts
200g paneer
3 garlic cloves
15g ginger
2 green chillis
½ teaspoon chilli powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon chaat masala
½ teaspoon amchur powder
½ teaspoon garam masala powder
A handful of coriander and mint leaves
1 tablespoon oil
Preparations
- Place toasted California walnuts in a food processor and pulse until fine.
- To this, add paneer, garlic, ginger, green chillies, coriander leaves, mint leaves, salt along with all the spices and grind it to a coarse mixture.
- Remove the mixture in a bowl and take small portions of it to make kebabs.
- Add oil in a pan and shallow fry the kebabs from both sides till they are golden brown.
- Serve hot garnished with chopped California walnuts.
