Okay, so my cousin’s kid turned five last week, and guess who volunteered to handle the food? Yep, me. Wanted to keep it simple but proper Indian, you know? No fancy fusion stuff, just home-style bites everyone actually eats.
First up, I grabbed a notebook and scribbled “SWEETS” and “SAVORY” at the top. Figured we needed balance – something crunchy, something syrupy, and nothing that’d take hours. Stared at my mom’s old recipe box for inspiration. Jalebi was non-negotiable – kids go nuts for that coil-shaped sugar rush. Made a note to buy ready-made batter though, ’cause frying those spirals from scratch? Nah. Added Rasgulla too, ’cause drowning spongy balls in sugar water is foolproof.
Shopping happened at Patel Brothers. Grabbed:
- Pre-packaged Jalebi batter (cheating, yes – zero shame)
- Syrup-soaked Rasgulla cans
- Samosa patties – frozen, obviously
- Pani Puri kits – the whole shebang with tamarind water and chickpeas
Morning of the party, chaos mode. Started with the messy stuff first: Samosas. Thawed the patties, stuffed ’em with boiled taters and peas I mashed with cumin and chili powder. Sealed the edges with flour paste, like folding angry envelopes. Fried ’em golden in hot oil – smelled insane. Drained ’em on paper towels while arguing with my air fryer (backup batch, just in case).
Moved to Pani Puri. Punched holes in puris, dumped mashed potatoes and chickpeas inside. Mixed the packaged masala water with mint leaves I blender-murdered. Kept the puris separate till serving – learned that lesson after last year’s sogginess disaster.
Jalebi time. Squeezed that batter straight into sizzling oil – zigzags, circles, whatever stuck. Took three tries to stop making oily blobs. Fished ’em out, dunked straight into warm sugar syrup. Let ’em soak while side-eyeing my caramel-coated stove.
Final stretch: Rasgullas. Emptied the can, strained ’em gently (they’re fragile!), and poured fresh saffron syrup over top. Dropped in cardamom pods for ~aesthetic~.
Plating? Threw everything on mismatched steel thalis. Samosas piled high with mint chutney. Jalebis glistening next to Rasgullas swimming in syrup. Pani Puri station: puris in one bowl, fillings in others, spicy water in a jug. Kids swarmed like ants on sugar. Uncle Raj ate four samosas and complained about “modern cooking” while reaching for a fifth. Mission accomplished.