Try my delicious collection of Diwali recipes to celebrate the Hindu festival of light, celebrated by Indians all around the world. Traditional and modern recipes that you can whip up easily in your kitchen - mithai (sweets), nimki (savoury treats), drinks, vegetarian meals, snacks and delicacies for everyone.
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🪔 What is Diwali?
Growing up in India, Diwali was never just a festival. It was an entire mood. Homes were cleaned from top to bottom, markets burst into colour, little oil lamps (diyas) appeared everywhere, and kitchens turned into absolute production houses of festive food. There was excitement in the air, the smell of something frying in hot oil, and usually a very generous supply of sweets and savoury treats that nobody was allowed to touch until the guests arrived. (A rule that was, admittedly, quite difficult to follow.)
Diwali, or the Festival of Lights, is one of India's biggest celebrations. It marks the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil and is celebrated over five days by millions across India and around the world.
One of the most loved stories behind Diwali comes from the Hindu epic Ramayana. After 14 years in exile and a victorious battle against the demon king Ravana, Lord Rama returned home to Ayodhya with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana. The people lit thousands of little oil lamps to welcome them home, and that beautiful tradition of lighting diyas continues to this day. There's also the tradition of welcoming Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, into our homes. Essentially, we're lighting up the place, making it sparkle and hoping for a little good fortune along the way. Can't argue with that! And to honour the tradition, balconies and verandahs would be festooned with paper lanterns in the colours of the rainbow, and ornate, brightly painted mud diyas would flicker with wicker flames. The deafening pops of firecrackers would fill the streets as women meticulously created gorgeous rangolis and mandalas at their doorsteps with coloured powder.
🩷 What are some popular Diwali Recipes?
But if you ask me, the real magic of Diwali happens in the kitchen.
This is serious food territory. Days before the celebrations, kitchens across India are busy making mountains of mithai (Indian sweets) and savoury goodies to share with family, friends and neighbours. Think malai pedas, mango barfi, buttery ladoos, syrup-soaked gulab jamun, delicate kaju katli, crispy chakli, spicy namak pare, mathri, shakar pala and all manner of fried, sweet, crunchy and utterly irresistible things. Every region has its own specialities, and every family has its own treasured recipes.
Food is such a big part of the celebrations because Diwali is about sharing. Boxes of sweets (mithai dabbas or mithai boxes) and dried fruit and nuts are exchanged, plates of snacks make their way between neighbours, and nobody really turns up empty-handed. It's generosity, hospitality and a little bit of showing off your best homemade mithai and nimkis (savoury, salty treats).
For me, Diwali brings back memories of the sights, sounds and smells of growing up in India. It's the kind of celebration that reminds me how deeply food is woven into our traditions and how some of our happiest memories are made around a table.
And really, any festival that celebrates light, love, new beginnings and eating copious amounts of Indian sweets has my wholehearted approval.
🌟 Malai Peda
🌟 Mango Barfi
🌟 Gajar Ka Halwa
🌟 Air Fryer Samosa
🌟 Aloo Tikki
🌟 Turmeric-Roasted Cashews
🌟 Naankhatai
🌟 Chai Latte Tiramisu
🌟 Kiwifruit Mint And Cardamom Lassi
🌟 Strawberry And Rosewater Labneh Bowl
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