Deepavali Greetings!

Happy Deepavali/Diwali to you and yours! 

via

It's that time of year again - where new frocks are don, kesari is whipped up and oil lamps are lit around the house. This year, the Festival of Lights brings extra joy - on the weekend, my partner-in-crime and always (un)willing photographer S, asked me to marry him! 

We have since been overwhelmed with well wishes near and far and we are still basking in the fantastic news. I look forward to providing plenty of details in posts to come. 

Back to topic, it is tradition to wear new clothes today - a small challenge for the (somewhat) frugal! Fortunately shopping my closet produced this unworn Zara dress purchased during their not-so-recent sale - happy days! 
In any case, please pardon the poor quality photos - Deepavali falling on a week day meant we had no opportunity to venture outdoors for daytime photographs.

The engagement necklace hooray!

J Crew Collection Cashmere cardigan, Zara dress, Karl Lagerfeld belt (sim), Tiffany and Co necklace and pendant, Plush fleece tights,  Calvin Klein Isabella boots. (sim)

May you all have mouths full of sweets, houses full of lamps and hearts full of love this day and for days to come.  

தீபாவளி நல்வாழ்த்துகள்!!! 

Happy Deepavali!

Today is the Festival of Lights and I am in a jubilant mood!

I miss the festivities that come from being at home with family and friends - the abundance of food, the scent of incense permeating throughout the house, the non-stop flow of visitors popping in for a visit..

Lest the day felt like any other Wednesday, I woke up earlier than usual to whip up some Kesari - a sweet dish my mum would make at every festive occasion. I picked this over the many other sweets one would have today for its fool-proof recipe, much welcome if I am going be "toiling away" in the kitchen, half-awake at 7am.  

Said the ghee to the yellow colouring: "Nice hat."

Ingredients:

• 1 cup semolina (rawa) (available in health food stores and Indian grocers)
• 1/4 cup ghee (aka clarified butter) (available in health food stores and Indian grocers)
• 2 and 1/2 cups of boiling water
• a pinch of yellow coloring
• 1 cup sugar
• one tablespoon cardamom powder 
• 12 cashew nuts (cut into halves, to be pre-fried in ghee)
• 12-15 raisins (to be pre-fried in ghee)

Cashews and raisins drenched in ghee

Method:

• Pre-fry cashew nuts and raisins, taking care not to burn them like I nearly did!
• Heat ghee and lightly fry semolina on low-medium heat until fragrant and light brown
• Remove semolina from stove and set aside
• Pour boiling water into a separate pot with a pinch of salt and a few drops of yellow coloring
• Add sugar to the pot and let it melt, followed by the cashews and raisins
• Lastly add the semolina gradually into this pot, stirring continuously over a low fire until it thickens, ensuring that the mixture does not clump
• Transfer into a greased tray, to about an inch-thick and give it some time to firm up
• Cut into squares and enjoy!

I didn't wait for the kesari to firm up so the squares look distorted but goodness it tasted awesome and was a hit with the co-workers!

It's customary to dress up in new gear for Deepavali and this green skirt was the perfect thing to put on today! 

  

H&M skirt, Leifsdottir silk blouse

Anthropologie necklace, Banana Republic belt

Glitter clutch from Zara - which only came out to play after 6pm

That was the extent of my cooking for the week (month?)! We ended the day with dinner at our favourite thosai/dosa place followed by plenty of skyping with loved ones. 

Hope your Wednesday was as fun as mine!