Every year Deepavali has been a special occasion for the entire family to get together and celebrate the festival of lights. These days, there is a lot of TV involved, but when we were little kids, Deepavali was getting up early in the morning and having oil bath and then wearing new clothes and prostrating before the elders of the family. We would always try to compete as to who would get up early and have a bath to get ready to go out and burst crackers with friends in the neighborhood. The earlier we get up, the more chances to enjoy more firecrackers as many of them are not as pretty when the skies light up. At around 7, breakfast would everytime be steaming hot idlis with Coconut Chutney, accompanied by the sweets and savories made for the occasion. Then more playing and more playing until we are exhausted. Lunch would be filling and satvik and with all my cousins and family.

Many of the sweets and savories prepared for Deepavali I would never eat much on that day. It would be fun to eat all of this later on, after a few days. The most special preparation for Deepavali has always been Maduraiamma`s Special Mixture. I don’t know how exactly she does it, but every time her proportions of chili powder, salt and hing have been spot on. When I open the container having the mixture, and I get the familiar aroma inside, it never fails to transport me to my childhood days.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Batch of prepared KaraBoondhis.

1 Batch of prepared Omapodi.

2 cups Maida Biscuits/ Shakkarpare

1 cup Roasted Peanuts.

1 Cup Split Chick Peas (Pottu Kadalai.)

1 cup Cashewnuts.

1 cup Aval/ Poha.

Curry Leaves.

1 Tbsp Red Chilli Powder.

1 Tsp Salt.

1/2 Tsp Hing.

PREPARATION:

• In a large mixing bowl add the prepared KaraBoondhis.
• Next add the prepared Omapodi and break it in to little pieces.
• Prepare the Maida Biscuits/ Diamond Biscuits  in the following manner:

MAIDA BISCUITS:

Ingredients:

2 Cups All Purpose Flour.

3/4 Cup Powdered Sugar

1/3 Cup Milk + Little water to make a stiff dough.

1/3 Cup Butter/ Melted Ghee

Pinch of Baking Soda.

1. Cream the butter, sugar, salt, baking soda until its light and fluffy and slowly add the milk a little water with the measured  2 Cups of Maida and knead in to a stiff dough. The consistency should not be sticky and soft, not too hard that its difficult to roll in to balls. Set aside for about ten mins.
2. Divide the dough in to balls and spread out as you would do a thick chappati.
3. Using your knife cut vertically and then diagonally to form diamonds.
4. Fry in oil in medium low flame until well cooked and crisp and set aside.
5. Maida Biscuits are ready.

• Add the prepared Maida Biscuits to the mixture bowl.
• Take some oil used for frying Omapodi  in a small kadai. Slowly add the roasted peanuts and fry them on medium low flame.
• When done add to the mixing bowl.
• Now add some more oil and fry the cashews until they are a light golden brown. Add to the mixture.
• Similarly fry the Aval/poha and Split Chick Peas  and add to the mixture.
• Finally add about 20-25 fresh curry leaves to the oil. When they are fried crisp add hing to the oil and pour over the mixture.
• To all the hot fried items add salt and red chilli powder and using your hands/ ladle mix them all in.
• Fresh homemade Mixture is ready !!!
• Happy Deepavali Wishes to all my readers.