Raksha Bandhan 2024: 7 Delicious Recipes for a Memorable Celebration

Celebrate Rakhi with delicious, homemade treats that add a special touch to your festivities. From rich, creamy sweets to savory delights, these recipes are perfect for honoring the bond between siblings. Whether you’re looking to impress with a Mango Rasmalai Cheesecake or enjoy a comforting Almond Halwa, these dishes bring flavor and joy to your Raksha Bandhan celebration. Explore these recipes to make your celebration truly memorable.

Mango Imarti (Aam Ke Kangan) recipe by Deepak Bhan, Executive Chef, Mementos Jaipur

Ingredients:

– 1 cup urad dal soaked

– ½ cup yellow moong dal soaked

– 1 ltr ghee

– ½ cup lukewarm water

– I pinch saffron (optional)

– Fresh Mango Pulp for serving

– 2 cup sugar

For the syrup:

– 2 cup sugar

– 1 cup water

– 1 tablespoon cardamom powder

– 1 pinch saffron

Instructions

1. Make dal paste, gradually add water to form a smooth batter.
2. Rest the batter for 24 hours add mango pulp before frying.
3. Heat ghee in a deep-frying pan and pipe the batter into spiral shapes.
4. Fry until golden and soak in the syrup.
5. Serve with mango flavored Rabri .

Note: Traditionally, Imarti is made with fermented batter, which gives it a unique flavor and texture. If you want to try the fermentation method.

Almond Halwa Recipe by Godrej Appliances

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup almonds
• 1 cup hot water
• ¼ cup roasted rava
• 1½ cups milk
• 4 tbsp ghee
• ½ cup chopped dry fruits
• ¼ cup sugar
• 3 tbsp soaked saffron milk
• ¼ tsp cardamom powder

Method:

1. Soak almonds in hot water to peel off the skin. Grind to a coarse mixture.
2. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine ghee, almond paste, roasted rava, milk, and sugar. Mix well.
3. Cook on high power (P-100) for 4 minutes. Stir in dry fruits, saffron milk, and cardamom powder. Cook for another 4 minutes.
4. Serve hot or cold.

Mango Rasmalai Cheesecake recipe by Diwas Wadhera, Executive Chef, Eros Hotel

Ingredients:

• 120 g shortcrust cookies
• 30 g melted butter

Method:

1. Melt agar agar in 10 ml warm water. Combine with cream cheese and sugar. Mix in whipped cream and mango pulp.
2. Biscuit Recipe: Mix icing sugar, melted butter, and flour. Roll to ½ cm thickness, bake at 170°C for 10 minutes, and cool.
3. Biscuit Base: Crush cookies and mix with melted butter. Press into a cake ring.
4. Layer the cheesecake mixture and rasmalai over the biscuit base. Freeze for 24 hours.
5. Top with mango jelly, slice, and garnish.

Rasmalai recipe 

Ingredients:

• ½ tin condensed milk
• 4 cups toned milk
• 300 g paneer (mashed)
• 8-10 saffron strands
• ½ tsp cardamom powder
• 10-12 chopped pistachios
• 1 liter water
• 300 g sugar

Method:

1. Mash paneer to a smooth dough. Boil sugar and water to make syrup.
2. Form paneer dough into small balls, flatten, and cook in syrup for 10 minutes. Cool.
3. Boil milk and condensed milk until reduced by half. Add saffron and cardamom powder.
4. Add cooled rasmalai balls to the saffron milk. Garnish with pistachios and serve chilled.

Bharwan Gucchi Paneer recipe by Diwas Wadhera, Executive Chef, Eros Hotel

Ingredients:

• 100 g gucchi (morels)
• 50 g khoya
• 450 g paneer
• 25 g cashew nuts
• 10 g pistachios
• 10 g raisins
• 20 ml oil
• 10 g cumin seeds
• 7 whole red chilies
• 30 g chopped ginger
• 30 g chopped garlic
• 400 g chopped onions
• 400 g chopped tomatoes
• 15 g green chili
• 50 g cashew nut paste
• 4 g turmeric powder
• 7 g chili powder
• 7 g kastoori methi
• 7 g jeera powder
• 5 g garam masala
• 40 g fresh coriander
• 30 g cream
• 30 g butter

Method:

1. Boil and wash gucchi. Mash paneer and mix with grated khoya and cardamom. Stuff gucchi with the mixture.
2. Cut remaining paneer into cubes and season with salt and red chili. Set aside.
3. Heat oil, add cumin seeds, onions, ginger, and garlic. Cook until golden, then add tomatoes and cook to a smooth consistency.
4. Add spices and cashew paste. Cook until oil separates.
5. In another pan, sauté marinated paneer in butter. Add stuffed gucchi and combine with gravy. Cook gently.
6. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Pepper Mutton with Murukku recipe by Diwas Wadhera, Executive Chef, Eros Hotel

Ingredients:

• 500 g boneless mutton
• 5 g black peppercorns
• 1 green chili
• 3 tsp crushed garlic
• 2 tsp ginger
• 2 onions
• 1 tomato
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp red chili powder
• 3 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp fennel powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 sprig coriander leaves
• 10 curry leaves
• 20 ml coconut oil
• Salt

Method:

1. Grind black peppercorns, garlic, ginger, and green chili into a paste. Marinate mutton with this paste, salt, and curry leaves. Let it sit for at least 1 hour.
2. Heat oil, sauté onions until caramelized. Add tomatoes and cook until mushy.
3. Add spice powders and mix. Cook until oil separates.
4. Add marinated mutton and curry leaves. Add 2 cups water and cook until mutton is tender.
5. Reduce excess gravy if needed. Serve over murukku and garnish with curry leaves.

Citrus Semifreddo with Lemon Curd and Coconut Lime Yogurt by Executive Chef Ravi Kant, The Lalit New Delhi

Citrus Curd

Ingredients:

• ½ cup caster sugar
• ⅓ cup cornstarch
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• ¼ cup orange juice
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 2 eggs

Method:

1. Mix sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a saucepan.
2. Whisk orange juice, lemon juice, lime juice, and eggs in a bowl. Combine with the sugar mixture.
3. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until thickened.
4. Strain through a sieve and pour into 8 mini semi-sphere silicone molds (1 tbsp per mold).
5. Freeze until firm, about 2 hours.

Citrus Semifreddo

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole milk
• 20 lemon verbena leaves
• 8 lime leaves
• 2 tbsp lemon zest
• 2 tbsp orange zest
• 2 tsp lime zest
• 4 large egg yolks
• ½ cup caster sugar
• 120 g white chocolate
• 3 tbsp + 1 tsp orange liqueur
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup whipping cream

Method:

1. Combine milk, lemon verbena, lime leaves, lemon zest, orange zest, and lime zest. Steep for 1 hour at room temperature.
2. Strain half of the milk into a saucepan and bring to a simmer.
3. Whisk egg yolks and sugar, then strain the remaining milk into this mixture.
4. Slowly add simmering milk while whisking. Heat to 180°F (82°C).
5. Remove from heat, add white chocolate, orange liqueur, and salt. Whisk until melted. Cool to room temperature.
6. Whip cream to soft peaks and fold into the citrus mixture.
7. Pipe into eight 5-ounce semi-sphere molds (½ cup per mold).
8. Partially freeze for 15 minutes. Insert the frozen citrus curd into the center. Freeze until set, about 8 hours.

Lemon Curd

Ingredients:

• ½ cup caster sugar
• ⅓ cup cornstarch
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• ½ cup lemon juice
• 2 eggs

Method:

1. Mix sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a saucepan.
2. Whisk lemon juice and eggs in a bowl. Combine with the sugar mixture.
3. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until thickened.
4. Strain through a sieve and cool. Transfer to a squeeze bottle or piping bag.

Coconut Lime Yogurt

Ingredients:

• ⅔ cup coconut milk yogurt
• 1 tsp lime zest
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• ¼ cup icing sugar

Method:

1. Mix yogurt, lime zest, lime juice, and icing sugar.
2. Transfer to a squeeze bottle or piping bag.

Lemon Candy

Ingredients:

• 1 lemon (zest curls)
• ½ cup water
• 1 cup caster sugar

Method:

1. Blanch lemon zest curls in simmering water five times.
2. Boil ½ cup water and sugar. Add lemon zest and cook for 4 minutes.
3. Strain zest and dry on parchment paper.

To Serve:

1. Place semifreddo in a chilled bowl. Let it stand for 10 minutes to soften slightly.
2. Pipe alternating dots of coconut lime yogurt and lemon curd around the semifreddo.
3. Garnish with lemon candy curls and small yellow and white daisies.

Goat Cheese and Summer Squash Tart by Executive Chef Ravi Kant, The Lalit New Delhi

Crust Ingredients:

• 1 cup plain flour
• ¼ tsp salt
• 5 tbsp cold unsalted butter
• 5 tbsp iced water

Filling Ingredients:

• 200 g goat cheese
• 1 small zucchini
• 1 small yellow squash
• 1 small potato
• 1 red onion, sliced
• Olive oil (as needed)
• Salt and pepper (to taste)
• Melted butter (for brushing, optional)

Method:

1. Prepare the Dough:
   • Combine flour and salt in a food processor. Add cold butter and pulse until crumbly.
   • Drizzle in iced water while pulsing until dough forms a lump.
   • Turn dough onto a floured surface, shape into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
2. Preheat Oven:
   • Set oven to 400°F (200°C).
3. Prepare Vegetables:
   • Slice zucchini, yellow squash, and potato thinly (about 1/8 inch) using a mandoline or knife.
4. Assemble the Tart:
   • Roll out dough on parchment paper to about a 12-inch circle.
   • Spread goat cheese over the dough, leaving a border.
   • Arrange sliced vegetables over the cheese, overlapping. Scatter onion rings on top.
   • Fold dough edges over the filling, season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil. Brush edges with melted butter if desired.
5. Bake:
   • Bake for 33-35 minutes, until crust is golden brown. Use a pizza stone or place parchment directly on the oven rack for a crisp crust.
6. Serve:
   • Slice and serve hot or at room temperature.

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