Diwali and its tasty treats

Diwali, also known as the festival lights, sees millions of people attend events across the world every autumn to celebrate the triumph of good over evil.

Celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains, Diwali is one of the most significant festivals in Indian culture and calls for a number of traditional dishes. From the popular sweet treats to the savoury snacks, here are some of the key foods eaten over the course of the five-day celebration.

Kaju Katli: Every North Indian swears by this melt-in-mouth dessert. Made by mixing powdered cashews with sugar, ghee (unsalted butter) and mawa (khoya, a derivative of milk), this diamond-shaped sweet is one of the best Diwali sweets exchanged between people during the festival and other happy occasions.

Rosogulla: There are separate regional versions of this popular Indian sweet, but the kind that West Bengal makes is matchless! Every Bengali household loves digging into countless rosogullas after a traditional meal.

Chivda: Snacks are a fundamental part of the Diwali menu and many of them come in the form of chivda, a spiced Bombay mix which consists of a variety of dried ingredients, such as peanuts, chickpeas, fried onion and fried lentils. Sometimes, it’s eaten as part of a meal but most of the time it’s enjoyed on its own as a snack.

Mysore Pak: The combo of gram flour, ghee and sugar is loved in North India, and also down South. When made by the deft hands of a north Indian, it combines to form besan ladoo; and when a native of Karnataka cooks it with love and passion, it turns out to be the mushy Mysore Pak.

Jalebi: Ask any person in Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh what jalebi means to them, and they would tell you that it is one dessert that infuses joy to their festivals, weddings and holidays. Across North India, jalebi is made fresh in the mornings and served hot on its own, or with milk or rabri.

Aloo Tiki: These small, fried patties are made from shredded potatoes and are usually served alongside regional sauces, such as mint sauce of tamarind sauce. They look and taste a bit like potato pancakes and are usually crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, making them an irresistible traditional Indian delicacy.

Gulab Jamun: A sweet that always tops the list and should top the list is Gulab jamun. Hot fried Jamuns are put into thick sugar syrup making them all the more tempting. These dumplings are very juicy and chewy. Gulab jamuns are the perfect gift for anyone who loves sweets.

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Malai Ladoo: ‘Malai’ is the layer which is present in milk after it is heated and boiled. Malai is the sweetest and softest part of Milk. Malai is considered to be smooth and hence used in many spicy dishes to give them a creamy texture. You can make Malai Laddu to impress your guests this Diwali.

Moong Dal Somosas: You really don’t need a festival to gorge on your favourite samosas. Try making these moong dal samosas at home and serve them with fresh mint chutney as a delicious Diwali snack.

Gujiya: In some Indian households, Diwali means Gujiya and Gujiya means Diwali. That is how much the Indians love Gujiya. It is a sweet recipe made by putting stuffing inside a layer of Flour. The outer layer is then sealed using hands or a fork. This is then fried in hot oil. This sweet is served hot.