Diwali is one of India's most widely observed holidays, and celebrations would not be complete without festival fare. Indians frequently exchange holiday sweets on Diwali and consume a lot of celebratory munchies. Depending on the dish, Diwali cuisine might have a salty, savory, or creamy, sweet flavor.
Samosas, pakoras, and karanji, fried pastries with savory fillings from Maharashtra, are some of the most well-known delicacies consumed on this celebration (a patty made of fried vegetables such as onions, eggplant, and potatoes).
Diwali is not complete without sweets, which family and friends frequently enjoy. The most well-known ones are gulab jamun and laddoos, a circular confection made of wheat, butter, and sugar (a deep-fried sweet made mainly from milk solids).
This post will discuss all the tasty treats you might find in India around Diwali.
1. Karanji/ Gujiya
A delightfully crispy and sweet Maharashtrian fried dumpling called karanji or gujiya. This dish's crunchy exterior is formed of semolina or flour, filled with a mixture of dried fruits and sweetened milk solids before being fried till golden. Karanji is consumed throughout India on various celebrations, but Holi and Diwali are when they are most frequently finished.
2. Samosas
Samosas are savory pastries that can be fried or baked and have a filling of spicy potatoes, onions, peas, meat, or lentils. You can make these delectable nibbles into various shapes, such as triangles, cones, or half-moons. These tiny pastries have a crunchy, savory, and spicy flavor and can be eaten for breakfast or as an appetizer.
These are the ideal introduction to Indian cuisine if you've never tried it before because the potato contents often complement western palates.
3. Pakoras
The fried snack, pakoras, or pakoda or bhaji, is cooked using gram flour batter and ingredients including onions, eggplant, potatoes, spinach, plantains, paneer, cauliflower, tomatoes, and chili peppers. On Diwali, they are typically served as a snack or an entrée to visitors who are paying visits to others' homes.
Many households may prepare pakoras to keep on hand for visits because it is vital in Indian tradition to give chai and snacks to all guests as a symbol of hospitality.
4. Aloo Tikki
Aloo Tikki is little, fried patties made from potato shreds that are typically eaten with local chutneys like mint chutney or tamarind chutney. These delectable nibbles often have a crispy outside and soft interior and have the appearance and flavor of fried potato hashbrowns.
5. Chivda
Chivda, sometimes referred to as Bombay mix, is an Indian snack mix made out of fried chickpeas, flakes of rice, fried onions, curry leaves, peanuts, gram flour, maize, and lentils. Aromatic spices like coriander and mustard seeds flavor this delicious, spicy snack.
6. Laddoo
Laddoo, also spelled laddu, is a sphere-shaped sweet made of flour, butter, and sugar, with other ingredients that vary by recipe. Some ladoos include chopped nuts or dried raisins. These tasty treats are sweet, creamy, and melt in your mouth.
7. Halwa
Halwa, also spelled halva, is a dessert often eaten during festivals or religious occasions. There are two types of halwa: flour-based, slightly gelatinous, and often shaped like a bar, and nut butter-based, which has a crumbly texture and is not pressed into a pastry.
8. Barfi
Barfi is a dense milk-based sweet made from condensed milk and sugar. They are typically cut into square, diamond, or round shapes and coated with a thin layer of edible metallic leaf called vark. There are many types of barfi, including plain, nuts, fruit, and other flavors. The taste of this dessert is sweet and a little crunchy.
9. Gulab Jamun
Deep-fried milk confection, known as gulab jamun, is mainly composed of milk solids. It can also be made using powdered milk, but traditionally, khoya, or milk that has been reduced to the consistency of the soft dough, is used. This dessert is a delightful, creamy, sticky ball frequently drizzled with syrup and topped with chopped dried nuts.
10. Kheer
Kheer or phirni is a pudding made by boiling milk and sugar with rice, broken wheat, tapioca, vermicelli, or sweet corn. The flavor is creamy and sweet and is enhanced with cardamom, raisins, saffron, cashews, pistachios, almonds, or other dry fruits and nuts.
