Diwali, the festival of lights has arrived. During this five-day festival, people come together to celebrate the triumph of good over evil, light their homes, and dive into scrumptious foods with family, friends, and their loved ones. Celebrated across faiths, Diwali not only brings together people but also traditional foods which are made with love and together at home. The Indian diaspora takes part in this festive gathering to pray, feast and spread love, and all these are best done at a Diwali potluck–an event, best to feel the festive glee and fulfill our cravings for delicious and decadent treats.
This year, if you are someone who is hosting or invited to a Diwali potluck, this guide will help you make the best dishes for a memorable and delightful celebration. So, get your aprons ready and try making these 7 traditional dishes for a bright, scrumptious, savoury, and sweet Diwali Potluck Party.
Paneer Tikka
Festive season calls for flavourful and good food, and Paneer Tikka is all that. A perfect appetizer, this dish is easily made with paneer (cottage cheese) cubes marinated in a yoghurt-based spice mixture, then skewered with vegetables, and grilled to perfection. The smoky yet creamy texture will make it a true crowd-pleaser.
Gulab Jamun
No festivity is complete without sweets, and homemade Gulab Jamun is the best dessert you can make to impress everyone. Small and sweet flour-based spheres are slowly deep-fried and then soaked in a sugar syrup usually flavoured with cardamom and rose. If you are short on time, make this dish using store-bought milk power, or bread instead of the traditional khoya. To make things better, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream with it and dig in.
Samosa
We would be so wrong to not include Samosa! Since snacks are crucial to getting a Diwali party going, making this not-so-intimidating and easy dish seems right. Loaded with flavours of different spices, the potato filling is wrapped carefully in dough, and then fried. Serve this with green chutney for extra punch.
Kheer
Kheer aka rice pudding is literally the best no-fuss dessert to bring to a Diwali potluck party. This incredibly popular Indian dessert comes together easily with boiling rice in milk and adding sugar, cardamom, saffron, and nuts like pistachios, cashews, and other dried fruits.
Chole Bhature
India is a diverse country and this diversity is perfectly reflected through food. This Diwali, satisfy everyone’s spicy hunger pangs with this iconic dish from Punjab. Made using chickpeas, the aromatic curry dish Chole is eaten with deep-fried and fluffy bread called, Bhature.
Shahi Tukda
A dessert fit for the kings and queens! Shahi Tukda is truly a delectable sweet dish. Bread slices are fried and coated in sugar syrup. Top it off with homemade sweet rabri and some dried fruits to make it a creamy, crunchy, and flavourful delight.
Vegetable Pulao
A rice-based delicacy, Vegetable Pulao is a great one-pot dish. Made using basmati rice, vegetables like potatoes, tomatoes, cauliflower, carrots, and peas, and flavoured with aromatic spices, this dish is both fragrant and appealing. Eaten as it is or with raita on the side, Vegetable Pulao makes a perfect main course for a Diwali Potluck party.
Images: Pinterest
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