It is that time of the year when there is a sparkle in the air. Yes, it’s Diwali, and your dining table must also shine. Diwali is a festival of prosperity, sharing, and unity. Food comes centre stage where families prepare mithai, savouries and elaborate meals in celebration of prosperity and to strengthen ties. Food is a cultural heirloom during Diwali, with every household having its signature recipes — from laddoos to namkeen mixtures — passed down generations.
Diwali is not just about indulgence but about sharing joy with family and friends. “Traditional sweets, snacks, and festive meals are considered auspicious offerings to Goddess Lakshmi, symbolising a sweet start to the New Year. At Cheetahgarh, we take pride in creating a festive culinary experience that blends heritage recipes with modern presentations, allowing guests to relive the nostalgia of home while enjoying the luxury of a boutique resort,” says Bhawar Singh, Executive Chef, WelcomHeritage Chee-tahgarh, Jawai.
New Trends
There is a new trend being seen where couples and families are seeking healthier festive indulgence—sweets made with jaggery, millet-based savouries, air-fried snacks, and portion-controlled platters are trending. Guests also love experiential dining — open-air dinners, live counters, and DIY mithai-mak-
ing sessions are becoming popular. Chef Shreyas Bhat, Culinary Director, Gaia, says, “There is a thoughtful evolution of classics, where traditional mithais are being reinterpreted as tarts, cheesecakes, or elegant plated desserts.”
There is also a growing demand for artisanal beverages, festive mocktails, and fusion desserts like kesar-rasmalai panna cotta or motichoor cheesecake.
Chef Ishijyot Surri, Executive Chef and Founder of Mulk, NEWS & SJI Gourmet, says, “Diwali is the festival of abundance, sharing and togetherness. Traditional mithai, savouries, and elaborate meals centre on food, which is used as a means to celebrate prosperity and unity among families. Exchanging sweets symbolises spreading happiness and goodwill. This Diwali, people may lean towards healthier sweets made with millets, fusion treats like Indian-flavoured chocolates, and stylish gift hampers that mix savoury and sweet.”
Joy of Eating
Food is central to Diwali because it represents the joy of giving as much as it does the joy of cooking and eating. Families come together in kitchens to prepare age-old recipes, keeping traditions alive while creating new memories. “Tradi-tionally, rice is avoided, and instead, people enjoy a spread of oil-fried snacks and sweets. These delicacies, rich in flavours and aromas, heighten the festive spirit and are seen as symbols of prosperity and joy. Diwali cuisine holds a significance that extends far beyond the food itself, serving as a cultural expression of prosperity, tradition, and togetherness. The lavish spreads and sweets symbolise abundance and the hope for a sweet year ahead, while the act of preparing them preserves family heritage and connects generations through ritual and memory,” says
Shino John, Executive Chef, Coconut Lagoon.
At the same time, the diversity of festive dishes across India, from laddoos and barfis in the North to adhirasam and murukku in the South, reflects the country’s rich regional identities and local ethos, making Diwali not only a festival of lights but also a vibrant celebration of India’s culinary and cultural unity.
Perfect Platter
(Courtesy: Chef Shreyas Bhat, Culinary Director, Gaia)
Kunafa Bird’s Nest Chaat
Ingredients
• Kunafa Noodles 80 g (can also be replaced by tart or papdi)
• Ghee 30 g
For the avocado filling
• Moong sprouts 1 cup (blanched for 2 minutes and cooled)
• Ripe avocado 1 large, diced
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium tomato, deseeded & finely chopped
• Green chilli 1, finely chopped (optional)
• Coriander leaves, 2 tbsp, chopped
• Roasted cumin powder ½ tsp
• Chaat masala ½ tsp
• Red chilli powder ¼ tsp
• Lemon juice 1½ tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Sweet Tamarind chutney 1 tbsp
• Green mint chutney 1 tbsp
For the Yoghurt Sphere
• Yoghurt 200 g
• Sugar 25 g
• Black salt a pinch
• Sodium Alginate 5 g
• Water 500 ml
• Pomegranate molasses caviar
• Pomegranate molasses 50 g
• Agar agar 1 gram
Method
1. Wrap the kunafa noodles on a cylindrical mould and brush with ghee. Bake till golden brown.
2. For the Avocado Mixture, mix all the ingredients well until the avocado is mashed and the mixture is creamy.
3. For the yoghurt sphere, dissolve 5 g of sodium alginate in 500 ml of water and mix well. Rest for 30 minutes. Mix the yoghurt with sugar and black salt and whisk till smooth.
4. Spoon the yoghurt into the sodium alginate bath slowly using a teaspoon. Let the yoghurt drop sit in the bath for 30 secs and then transfer it into a fresh bowl of water using a perforated spoon.
5. For the pomegranate molasses caviar, mix the pomegranate molasses and agar-agar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for one minute and take it off the heat. Let it cool for two minutes and then transfer to a piping bag or a squeeze bottle.
6. Pour the mixture (in drops) from the squeeze bottle into a glass of chilled neutral oil. They would look like small caviar. Strain the caviar from the oil and rinse under running water for a few seconds, and store in a container to use.
7. Assemble the dish. In the base of the kunafa shells, fill a teaspoon of mint chutney and sweet tamarind chutney. Add a dollop of the prepared avocado mixture. Top the avocado filling with a yoghurt sphere and then a few pearls of the pomegranate molasses caviar.
Bajra Khichda
Ingredients
• Bajra 1 cup
• Onion ½ no
• Tomato ½ no
• Ginger 1 inch
• 1 green chilli
• Potato salli (thin long potato chips) 2 tbsp
• Jackfruit Pickle 1 tbsp
• Coriander leaves few springs
• Mint few sprigs
• Lemon 1 no
• Cream 2 tbsp
• Parmesan Cheese 2 tbsp
Method
1. Thoroughly wash and soak the bajra overnight.
2. Boil the soaked bajra in enough water to cover it just over an inch. Cook it until tender and save the water.
3. In a saucepan, add ghee and heat. Add cumin till it splatters.
4. Add onions and green chilli and sauté until tender.
5. Add tomatoes and salt and cook until soft.
6. Add the boiled bajra to the water and cook till thick.
7. Finish with fresh cream and parmesan cheese. Adjust seasoning with salt.
8. Plate the bajra khichdi in a bowl and top with potato salli, jackfruit pickle (or a pickle of your choice), birista onions, mint sprigs, and coriander sprigs. Serve alongside a lemon wedge.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: deccanchronicle.com
