Her first cookbook, Vandana’s Veggie Creations, won two awards at the prestigious Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in Paris last year. An authority on Indian cuisine with a fondness for Indian sweets, Vandana Jain’s Diwali dishes are a must-try.
Diwali sweets are usually rich, using clarified butter and oil, but Jain says there are various healthy alternatives: cashew nuts, coconut, low-fat milk, cottage cheese, dates, figs, custard apple, etc. “A variety of sweets can be made from these ingredients such as cashew nut jalebi, coconut burfi, paneer ka pan, ras malai, fig barfi/rolls, rabri sandesh etc.,” she says. “I enjoy getting creative with my dishes, hence I always look at ways of using innovative recipes. Not so long ago, in India during Diwali, I prepared a sweet dish made out of tomato and walnut within minutes. My family were astonished to learn a sweet dish made out of these ingredients could taste so good.”
— Special to GN Focus
