Diwali, the festival of lights, will be celebrated across the country on Oct. 27. Just like any other festival, celebrations are incomplete without delicious dishes and sweets. Let’s take a look at some of the food items popularly eaten during the festival in India.
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Dahi bhalla
Popular throughout India, the savory dish is prepared by soaking fried lentil dumplings in thick curd or yogurt, topped with spicy and sweet chutney. It is also known as dahi vada in north India and thayir vadai in south India.
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Phirni
The north Indian delicacy is made with either ground or whole rice, milk, sugar and nuts. Traditionally, phirni is served in earthen pots.
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Suran ki sabzi
Also known as jimikand and elephant foot yam, suran is prepared in a curry form using conventional spices to be consumed on Diwali as a tradition in central Indian states of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
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Sandesh
This traditional Bengali sweet is prepared with sweetened cottage cheese, milk and sugar. It is flavored with cardamom, saffron and nuts like almonds and pistachios.
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Chakli
Also known as murukku in south India, chakli is a staple during Diwali and Naraka Chaturdashi celebrations in Maharashtra. It is a deep-fried salty snack made with rice flour.
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Gujia
Called gujia in north India, this sweet is known as karanji in Maharashtra, ghughra in Gujarat, kusli in Madhya Pradesh, and neuri or nevri in Goa. These sweet dumplings are filled with nuts, coconut gratings or khoya.
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Pinni
These laddoos are a popular winter treat in most of northern India. Made with desi ghee, wheat flour, jaggery and dry fruits, they are a favorite among the Punjabi community.
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Gajar ka halwa
The north Indian dessert, made from grated carrots, milk and ghee, is a festival favorite. It is mostly served garnished with dry fruits and coconut flakes.
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Coconut burfi
The sweet can be made with desiccated or fresh coconuts. Other ingredients are khoya, ghee and sugar.
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Sev chivda
This crunchy snack is prepared with a mix of cereals, sev, dried figs, peanuts and wafers. It is an essential part of Diwali in Maharashtra.
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Ras malai
Ultra-soft and spongy cottage cheese discs or small-sized balls are soaked in thickened sweet saffron-flavored milk and topped with pistachios to make this decadent dish. Hailing from West Bengal, its name comes from two words – “ras†meaning juice and “malai†meaning cream.
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Bhakarwadi
The tea-time snack has origins in Gujarat but is immensely popular in Maharashtra as well during Diwali and otherwise. The spiral treat is made with gram flour stuffed with coconut, sesame and poppy seeds.
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Puran poli
The sweet flatbread is a popular snack in Maharashtra. Made with wheat flour, it is stuffed with grated jaggery, coconut, sweetened Bengal gram (chana dal), raisins, almonds and pistachios.
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Mohanthal
The melt-in-the-mouth Gujarati recipe is a kind of fudge made with gram flour, milk, khoya and sugar, topped with dry fruits.
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Ukkarai
This is a south Indian sweet prepared with chana dal, coconut, jaggery and roasted nuts.
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Cholafali
This Gujarati snack is made with gram flour (besan) and white lentil (urad dal) flour. Once deep fried, the crispy and fluffy snack is seasoned with dry mango powder and chili powder, making them irresistible.
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Lapsi
The dessert is an important part of Diwali celebrations in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra. The main ingredients are broken wheat, ghee, jaggery and dry fruits.
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Shakkarpare
This popular bite-sized snack made from deep-fried dough can be had in the most non-fussy way — just pop one on the go or serve it along with evening tea. The sweet snack is known as shankarpali in Maharashtra.
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Kaju katli
Also known as kaju barfi, this sweet is prepared with cashew paste and sugar. Always in huge demand during the festive season, a box of these sweets is one of the most popular gift items during Diwali, especially in north India.
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Anarsa
Anarsa is an authentic sweet pastry-like snack made with rice flour, poppy seeds and jaggery. It is specially made during the festive season in Maharashtra and Bihar.
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Mawa kachori
The golden fried Rajasthani snack, with khoya and mawa stuffing, is crispy outside and soft inside, with a sugar syrup coating.
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Soan papdi
The popular north Indian dessert with a crispy and flaky texture is made of gram flour, all-purpose flour, ghee, sugar and milk. It is topped with nuts and cardamom.
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Malpua
This traditional dessert is a sugar coated, soft and fluffy pancake comprising all-purpose flour, semolina, fennel seeds, khoya and milk. Topped with saffron and cardamom powder, it is usually served with rabri or thickened sweetened milk.
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