Six Festive Dishes To Pamper Your Taste Buds This Diwali
Diwali, also known as Deepavali or Dipavali, is right around the corner. This Indian festival of lights is the climax to a four or five-day celebrations which marks a glorious victory in the Indian culture. It’s a celebration where the sky explodes with fireworks, the streets are dotted with twinkling diyas, and the homes crackle with the laughter of loved ones and friends.
However, there is more to this iconic celebration than just putting up lots of lights. Irrespective of what you call this most anticipated cultural gala of dazzling lights, legacies of victory and harmony, mouth-watering festival dishes and gifts to wish each other well-being and prosperity, Diwali truly unites the entire nation with its ubiquitous tradition and its gluttonous festive feasts. Rooting from the rich culture and the flavorful tradition of the country, here’s a list of the delicacies from the Diwali special food menu to kickstart the favourite Indian Festival:
Samosa
Samosas are small pockets of pastry, usually shaped into a triangle, stuffed with spiced potatoes, peas, lentils, and other vegetables are the most loved snacks in North India during Diwali. Although there are various versions of samosas, a traditional samosa is a deep-fried maida shell with fried onions with spices like cinnamon and cardamom and vegetables including peas, carrots, and mashed potatoes as fillings. Traditionally accompanied by coriander or tamarind chutney, these savoury pastries are a perfect tea time snack for this festive season.
Chakli
Chakli, or Murukku as known in various parts of the country, is a household snack from the south and the south and west India. These are crip and crunchy deep-fried snacks made with rice flour, gram flour or a mixture of lentil flours. The dough is infused with spices and molded into circular shapes with an extruder. These are then fried in hot oil until it becomes brown. Alternatively, one can also mold the dough with hand to form tiny circles to make Kadboli. The traditional savoury snack, like Murukku, is prepared from a mixture of chickpea, urad, moong and rice flour, pink salt, and flavourings such as chilli, ajwain, or cumin.
Shahi Tukra
Treat your sweet tooth with royalty in every bite with the Shahi Tukra, a delicacy from Hyderabad. This Indian version of bread pudding is a delectable dish with the deliciousness of bread infused with the richness of milk and cream. Topped with dry fruits and spices, this Nawabi cuisine is one remarkable dessert that one must try this Diwali!. Made by deep frying the bread slices in pure ghee and then dunking them in sugar syrup infused with saffron or cinnamon followed by topping it off with lustrous rabdi or milk cream.
Puran Poli
This popular Maharashtrian sweet bread is a household hero in various parts of West and South India. Puran Poli, or Holige or Baksham, is a traditional Indian stuffed bread with sweet lentil filling and a simple bread made of wheat flour or all-purpose flour with a dash of pink salt. Generally served as a dessert in the Southern parts of India, Puran Poli is also served as a part of a savoury meal. Although a generous drizzle of ghee (clarified butter) at the time of serving is very common for all regions.
Rasmalai
Rasmalai, the irresistible Indian sweet, can be described as “a rich cheesecake without a crust”. Believed to originate from Bengal, this dessert is considered to be a variation of the Rasgulla in which syrup is replaced with thick milk flavoured with cardamom or rose essence. The cheesy dough made with split milk is kneaded and shaped into balls which are then cooked in a milk base and soaked. These are later soaked in thick milk laced with cardamom powder and saffron strands.
Chivda
Chivda, or mildly spiced poha, is a quintessential Diwali dish across the country. Sometimes eaten as part of a meal or as a standalone snack, Chivda is a perfect savoury dish for balancing the taste of this festive season. While the Chivda gets its crisp texture from the roasted Poha (flat rice), its nuttiness is derived from the peanuts and the cashews. The balanced taste of the snack is obtained from spices like asafoetida, paprika powder and other spices. This fusion of crunchy poha and spices is a perfect snack when you wish to munch onto something delightful!
