India has many different festivals, but there is none as important as Diwali, the “festival of lights”. Every year, for five days, Hindus gather as a family and celebrate the victory of Rama over the dreaded and evil Ravana. Hence, this festival is considered the triumph of good over evil, of light over darkness.
While Diwali takes place, for much of the Hindu New Year, people gather together, decorate their houses with lights and, especially, prepare traditional Indian recipes. These dishes are a great symbol of the celebration, and they vary from region to region.
We can find all kinds of dishes, Diwali Recipes that include rice, vegetables, lentils, and different types of sauces; but also many sweets. Food plays a major role in defining what Diwali is to people. The following are some of the most important preparations related to this festivity.
The most traditional Diwali foods
The traditional Diwali foods that are most commonly eaten during these five days of celebration are sweets. This is one of the most important Diwali traditions, the making of these sweets known as Mithai.
Families in Indian households prepare a wide variety of Mithai, which they place on tables for their loved ones and guests to enjoy.Mithai can also be purchased at different special Diwali markets. Some of these sweets are as follows:
1-Laddus
A laddu is a very simple sweet. It is a dumpling (similar to coconut) that is made of chickpea flour, semolina (or coconut) and sweetened with sugar and cardamom.
Diwali Recipes: Laddus:
First you have to heat the flour in a pot and let it toast. Be careful not to burn it. Keep stirring it constantly. Once it gets a darker shade, you must turn off the fire and add:
- Coconut
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Sugar
Mix it all together very well and, when it becomes a paste, pour it into a bowl. Now add melted butter and mix it again with your hands for about 10 minutes. When you finish, start making little balls with the dough, and when you finish, put them in the refrigerator. Some people roll the balls in coconut before putting them in the refrigerator, but this is optional.
The traditional Diwali foods that are most commonly eaten during these five days of celebration are sweets. These sweets are also known as Mithai.
During Diwali, sweets (Mithai) play a central role in the celebrations. Commonly made from ingredients like milk, sugar, and flour, these treats symbolise joy and prosperity. Popular mithai include ladoos, barfis, jalebi, and gulab jamun. They are shared with family, friends, and neighbours as a gesture of goodwill.
2-Barfi:
Barfi is a traditional Diwali food. This sweet is made with condensed milk, and it can contain coconut, almond, mango or pistachio. Many people also prepare it with khoya, which is a product that is extracted by evaporating whole milk in order to thicken it. Preparing these sweets is also an effective activity to teach young students about Diwali since they are naturally driven to these delicious treats.
Diwali Recipes: Barfi:
First of all you have to heat butter in a frying pan, but over medium heat. Now add the condensed milk and stir these two ingredients until they can be mixed completely. Now you can add powdered milk and mix it without stopping so that no lumps are formed. All this mixture should be cooked for about 7 minutes until it becomes thick. Once this happens, you can add pistachio or almonds or whatever you want to add. Remember that these nuts must be crushed.
If you do not want to make this Diwali recipe with nuts, you can use shredded coconut. An also good alternative is to add saffron or cardamom to this dish. This will allow for this traditional food Diwali to have more flavour.
When the dough starts to detach from the pan and becomes thick, pour the mixture into a tray. You can also sprinkle pistachios or granulated almonds on the surface. When finished, place the tray in the refrigerator.
When it has frozen and hardened, take it out and cut it into small squares so you can serve it. This way you will have ready one of the most delicious Diwali Recipes you can try. Undoubtedly, thanks to this Mithai all your guests will be delighted.
3-Jalebi:
Jalebi is a deep fried Mithai. It is made of flour which is soaked in sugar syrup. They are usually crispy, but only on the outside. Inside they are soft and creamy.
Diwali Recipes: Jalebi:
In order to get this Diwali recipe, the first thing you have to do is to dissolve yeast in warm water and let it rest for 10 minutes. Next mix flour with butter and yeast. Now add saffron, colouring and 2/3 cups of water. Mix everything together. Be careful not to leave lumps.
When you finish, you can let the dough rest for 15 minutes. In order to keep the dough firm, you can wrap it with a clean cloth. Now mix the water with the sugar. Boil it. Cook it over low heat for 15 minutes, always stirring to mix everything together properly.
Now take the dough and put it in a piping bag. Heat olive oil and with the piping bag make spirals of 5 centimeters over the boiling oil. When you notice that they are crispy and golden brown, take them out. You can now dip the Jalebi in the syrup and then let them rest on absorbent paper. Other types of sweets that are also Diwali Recipes are the following:
| Name of mithai | What it is made of |
|---|---|
| Kaju Katl | This Diwali recipe is made of sugar, butter and ground cashew nuts. In fact, Kaju (part of its name) means cashew in Hindi. Kaju Katli is smooth and creamy. Cardamom and rose water can also be added. |
| Rasgulla | This sweet is made of cheese (Panner: fresh Indian cheese) that is cooked in syrup. This is certainly one of the most traditional Diwali Recipes. Despite being cooked with syrup, it is not a very sweet Mithai. It has a spongy texture and feels very soft in the mouth. |
| Gulab Jamun | This sweet is made of khoya (evaporated milk) which is mixed with flour, and then fried. Finally, they are dipped in syrup with cardamom. These sweet balls are very soft and aromatic. |
| Soan Papdi | This Mithai is made with chickpea flour, sugar, butter and pistachios. It is usually served in the form of cubes. It is crispy and flaky. |
Diwali food features sweets like ladoos and jalebi, savoury snacks, and festive feasts symbolising joy, abundance, and togetherness. Enjoy!
Salad traditional Diwali foods
We will now review some traditional diwali foods that are not sweet. These foods are usually prepared on Diwali, but also during other times of the year.
1-Tarka dal
Tarda is one of the simplest Diwali Recipes to make. This is basically a lentil dish with aromatic spices. It is creamy, has an intense taste and can be served as a main dish or as a side dish.
Diwali Recipes: Tarka dal:
The first thing you need to do is to prepare the lentils. You can use red or yellow lentils. Thoroughly wash the lentils in cold water and let them soak. Now put the lentils in a pot and add water and a tablespoon of turmeric. Cook over medium heat. After five minutes, put them on low heat and wait 20 to 30 minutes. Add salt to taste.
Now in a frying pan, heat oil and add cumin and mustard. Next, add chopped garlic, chopped ginger and chili (chili is optional). When garlic is browned, add a chopped onion, then a chopped tomato. Once everything is well mixed, put a teaspoon of garam masala (an Indian spice).
Finally, pour this mixture over the lentils, stir it and cook it for 5 minutes. When you plate it you can garnish it with coriander, add lemon juice and eat it with rice. This way you already have a quick and easy to make traditional food Diwali ready.
2- Roast aubergine and potato curry
This curry is one of the most traditional Diwali foods. As the name says, it is made with potatoes and eggplants. The eggplants are roasted and smoked, while the potatoes are mixed with spices, such as cumin, coriander and turmeric. It is usually served with rice and it is very creamy.
Diwali Recipes: Roast aubergine and potato curry:
Begin by cutting the potatoes into medium-sized rooks and boiling them until soft. Now cut the eggplants into slices. Rub the spices with salt, tomato paste and 1 tablespoon of oil. Then add this mixture to the eggplants and mix everything together.
Next, heat the oil in a frying pan and fry cumin seeds until they start to pop. Then add the eggplants and ginger, cover and cook for 8 minutes. Remember to always keep stirring so that the foods can mix properly.
Now add the tomatoes and potatoes. Next, cover everything and let it cook for 15-20 minutes. Serve it on a plate. When you do it you can decorate it with the yogurt and coriander. It can also be served with rice or bread.
In the following table we can review other Diwali Recipes that may also interest you:
| Name of dish | What it is made of |
|---|---|
| Aloo tikki | This traditional food diwali is mashed potatoes seasoned and flavored with spices. The potatoes are cooked with onion and coriander. You can serve it with sauces such as mint chutney, and it can be the main dish or be part of a “Chaat” (which is a variety of snacks) |
| Sweet Potato and Chickpea Curry | This Diwali recipe is an excellent mixture of sweet potato and chickpea. It is served together with curry sauce. It is creamy in texture and it is very pleasant to the palate. The combination of sweet potato and chickpea is sweet and sour and tasty. And it is a great source of protein. |
Traditional recipes give us an entry into this festivity and how to celebrate Diwali, as food brings people closer together in a common activity that unifies the meaning of this great event. From sweets like laddoos and barfis to savoury dishes like samosas and pakoras, these recipes symbolise togetherness, joy, and the warmth of cultural heritage.
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