(Divyaa Kummar)
Must Try Food Delights this Diwali: Celebrate Diwali, The Festival of lights and Flavourful Bites
Diwali or the Indian New Year is the best time of the year.
I wait all year long with the rest of India for the festival of lights, to light up my home and our lives. It’s truly a festive time with family gatherings, fun times, gifts and yes, the scrumptious yummy food.
The best way to get a family together is always food. A family that eats together stays together.
For your palette’s pleasure let’s have a look at some Diwali foods from all across the Bharat foodscape. A must try for all you foodies and culture vultures!
Each food adds its own local unique flavour and tradition from its region to the festival of lights.
Making it also the festival of yummy flavourful bites!!!
1.
Starting with the food capital of India, Punjab.
GAJAR KA HALWA
A regular Punjabi home during Diwali and in fact for the most part of winter will have Gajar ka Halwa and Panjiri on its food menu.
Gajar ka Halwa, a carrot based dessert has grated carrot, milk, sugar or khaand( if you want the healthy version), topped with grated dry fruits and pieces of cardamom.
It melts in your mouth, is nutrient rich and a treat for the eyes as well as the tongue
2.
Already getting high on flavour?? It is time to get a taste of Happy Himachal Pradesh.
BABROO/ BABRU
It feels and tastes like the food of the Gods from the lands of the Gods.
Made with flour, sugar and yeast it’s not as simple as it seems. It is best clubbed with Rabri or Kheer and becomes a wonderful treat. A lot of Himachalis also have this yummy dish for breakfast on its own. This Diwali do get a taste of this food of the Gods and your taste buds will bless us too!!
3.
Shopping, Shosha and Scrumptiously Delicious Delhi.
KHEEL BATASHA
A Diwali staple, Kheel Batasha or sweet puffed rice with sweet sugar drops are a must have. It’s also an essential in most parts of Bharat in the Diwali Puja as part of the offering made to the Gods. Kids and adults alike also enjoy the toy shaped batashas apart from the regular drop shaped ones. The animal shaped and tower shaped batashas are a must have and always bring back happy childhood Diwali memories. I am sure you too have a favourite shaped Batasha that brings back the child in you.
Still havent had one of these playful sweets, grab one and have some sweet, sweet fun!!
4.
Live like the royals, eat like royalty from Royal Rajasthan
MAWA KACHORI
This is a dessert fit to satisfy the sweet cravings of a king. Golden fried Kachoris stuffed with rich dry fruit and creamy khoya. Soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside. Absolutely heavenly!! This Diwali do dig into the royal taste of the Mawa Kachori.
5.
Sweet People, Sweet language and sweet is the food of Gujarat.
SHRIKHAND
A traditional and simple dessert made with thick yogurt, sugar and cardamom. This creamy dessert is then topped with rich dry fruits. A fruit flavoured variant is also available and the mango flavoured amrakhand is quite popular.
If you like to mix up the sweet and savoury like the Gujaratis you may consume this yummy dessert with puris or just on its own too, it is quite a fulfilling experience.
6.
The heart of India is served in Madhya Pradesh.
CHIRONJI KI BARFI
Chironji or almond flavoured seeds are used to make this tasty and healthy dessert.This healthy sweet dish is as popular overseas as it is in the heart of India, Madhya Pradesh. Made with roasted almond seeds, ghee and sugar (or khaand) this sweet healthy dessert is great in every way.
7.
Always daring to do something different, that’s West Bengal!
CHHODO SHAAK
Trust Bengalis to do something different whether it’s their way of celebrating Diwali or even preparing a savoury dish instead of a dessert for Diwali. It’s made with 14 green leafy vegetables especially for Durga Puja. Try this savoury dish to give your tongue a different flavour this Diwali.
8.
Sharing is caring and both Bihar and Maharashtra bring to you this dessert with love.
ANARSA/ HILSA
This healthy rice flour fritter biscuit with the goodness of jaggery, poppy seeds and ghee is a great sweet snack.
A staple festive food in Maharashtra and Bihar during the month of Diwali. Get a taste of this sweet snack filled with love.
While going down south, the sense of taste just keeps getting crunchier in Tamil Nadu.
THENKUZHAL
Diwali is a great assortment of both crispy and crunchy savouries. The word ‘Thenkunzhal’ means tubes of honey.
Is your mouth watering already? Get a taste of these crunchy honey tubes at a South Indian bakery near you and keep thanking us with each crispy, crunchy bite.
10.
Celebrating Diwali is a delight in Goa with yummy coastal sweets.
NUERI
This crescent shaped flour dumpling is filled with the goodness of dry fruits, coconut, poppy seeds and jaggery. It is a popular dish across the country called Karanji in Maharashtra, Gujiya in U.P. and it has a whole new name which can’t be described when it’s inside your mouth.
While writing this the writer too had to stop herself from salivating. These yummy foods have that effect on you. So which of these foods are going to try this Diwali? Once you try out or have already tried some of these dishes, do tell us about your delightful delectable experience in the comments section.
Have a delightful delectable Diwali!
Happy eating!!
