Indian festivals are incomplete without delicious food and a gathering of favourite people! This is the time when people connect through food and have a gala time together!
Find Diwali recipes for Main course and Desserts here!
● Main course:
While an Appetiser/Starter interest guests towards an interesting meal, the Main course is the most awaited course of the special menu! Hence, it is essential to make sure that it is worth the wait! You can make any of these dishes for Main course based on your convenience. All of them are delicious, easy to make and will be a perfect combination for a rocking Diwali night.
➤ Shahi Paneer
Add a ‘Shahi’ or Royal element to your Diwali menu with Shahi Paneer! Made from Paneer and mild spices, this dish will be apt for all age groups in your Diwali gathering.
o Ingredients
- 1.5 cup Paneer
- 1.5 cup Curd
- 1 cup Onion (cubed)
- 2 Tomatoes (cubed)
- 1 Green chilli (slit)
- 1 tsp Ginger-garlic paste
- ½ tsp Turmeric powder
- ½ tsp Chilli powder
- ½ tsp Cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp Shahi paneer masala
- 12 Cashews
- 8 Almonds
- Ghee
- Salt
- Cream
o Method
- Heat some ghee in a pan.
- Fry cashews and almonds in it until golden brown.
- Furthermore, fry onions, tomatoes, and green chillies until mushy.
- Blend this in a fine paste and let it cool.
- In the same pan, add ghee and cumin seeds.
- Mix ginger-garlic paste till the raw smell goes off.
- Add the onion-cashew paste and other spices including shahi paneer masala.
- Add curd while keeping the flame low once the raw smell of the spices goes off.
- Mix well.
- Pour water and cook till the gravy thickens.
- Add paneer and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Serve it with hot butter naan!
➤ Chana Chhole :
For those who like a spicy touch to their special menu, Chana chhole can be a perfect Diwali recipe. Serve it with Maida kulchas or Bhaturas and enjoy happy faces in your Diwali party.
o Ingredients
- 1 cup Chana or chickpea (soaked)
- 1 Onion (finely chopped)
- 2 Tomatoes (finely chopped)
- 1 tbsp Chilli powder
- 1 tbsp Chana-chhole masala
- 1 tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Coriander powder
- ½ tsp Cumin seeds
- Oil
- Salt
- Water
o Method
- Heat some oil in a cooker.
- Sauté cumin seeds, onion, and ginger-garlic paste until it turns golden-brown in colour.
- Later, add tomatoes till oil is released.
- Add chilli powder, coriander powder, chana-chhole masala, and turmeric powder.
- Mix well for a minute.
- Now, add the soaked chickpeas and water.
- Mix well and pressure-cook it for up to 8 whistles.
- Serve it with hot Kulchas or Bhaturas!
➤ Pav Bhaji :
Who can say no to lip-smacking Pav Bhaji? Most of the people won’t. Hence, serve this easy-to-make and a quick street-side dish made at home and set a chattering mood at your home!
o Ingredients
- 3 Tomatoes (finely chopped)
- 2 Potatoes (boiled and mashed)
- 1 Onion (finely chopped)
- ½ Capsicum (finely chopped)
- ¼ cup Peas
- 1 tsp Ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tsp Chilli powder
- 1 tsp Pavbhaji masala
- 1 tsp Pavbhaji masala
- 1 tsp Kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves)
- ½ tsp Lemon juice
- Water
- Butter
- Salt
o Method
- In a large kadhai, heat butter and cook all the vegetables (except onion) in it.
- Mash well.
- Add chilli powder, turmeric powder, pavbhaji masala, and Kasuri methi to it. Mix well.
- Make some space in the center and add onions and ginger-garlic paste.
- Sauté till the onions are cooked well.
- Boil and mash the mixture for about 5 minutes till the bhaji attains a silky texture.
- Garnish with some coriander leaves.
- To make the experience memorable, toast Pav in butter and serve it hot to the guests.
➤ Vegetable Biryani :
Many people like to conclude their meal with a dash of rice. For such people, rice satisfies their tummies. But plain rice and dal in Diwali menu might not look that apt. Hence, go for the rich Vegetable Biryani. Add less Biryani masala to it to make it less spicy for everyone’s taste-buds.
o Ingredients
- 2 cup Basmati rice
- ¼ cup Curd
- 1 cup Onion (sliced)
- 2 cup Beans
- 1 cup Potato
- 1 Cauliflower
- 4 Green cardamom
- 4 Cloves
- 1 inch Cinnamon
- 1 Bay leaf
- ½ tsp Chilli powder
- ½ tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Biryani powder
- 2 tbsp Ghee
- Salt as required
- Fried onions
o Method
- Wash Basmati rice soak it for 30 minutes.
- Add ghee in a pan and sauté all the whole spices for a minute.
- Add sliced onions to it and cook till they are brown.
- Add ginger-garlic paste and stir well till the raw smell goes off.
- Add all the vegetables to cook well.
- Now, add curd, chilli powder, turmeric powder, and Biryani masala. Mix everything well and let it simmer.
- Further, take a pot and start layering with the vegetable gravy.
- Add the soaked rice over it. Repeat the process.
- Pour water into the pot and sprinkle salt and fried onions as required.
- Cover the pot and cook it on a medium flame till the rice is cooked.
- Serve it with cold raita.
● Desserts:
What is Diwali without Desserts? After the heavy assortment of starters and the main course, a sweet dash of Dessert can be a perfect ending for the Diwali dinner! Hence, bringing two quick-to-make desserts to fill your guests with a flavour of deliciousness and leave them satisfied. Check them out:
➤ Coconut Barfi
A famous Diwali sweet, Coconut Barfi is often made at home during the festival and can be stored for days. Hence, you can make this dish in advance and store it in air-tight containers.
o Ingredients
- 4.5 cup Coconut
- 2 cup Milk
- 1.5 cup Sugar
- 2 tbsp Ghee
- 2 tbsp Cashewnuts
- ½ tsp Cardamom powder
o Method
- Boil Milk and Coconut in a pan on a medium flame.
- Reduce the heat once Milk is evaporated and then add sugar.
- Once there is no moisture left, add ghee and stir well till the mixture dries up.
- Ensure that no moisture is left.
- Keep stirring continuously until the mixture becomes dense, thick, and sticky. By this time, it will turn aromatic and dry.
- Meanwhile, roast some cashews and grease a pan with ghee.
- Transfer the Coconut mixture in the greased pan and press it with the help of a spatula.
- Sprinkle cashews and let it sit for 3-4 hours at room temperature.
- Later, slice the barfi and set it for 8-10 at room temperature completely.
- Cool and store in an airtight jar.
➤ Moong Dal Halwa:
Enjoying a bowl of hot Halwa is always a satiating experience, especially as the last dish of the exuberant Diwali menu. Hence, include this Moong Dal Halwa in your Diwali menu without fail!
o Ingredients
- 150 g Moong dal or green gram
- 150 g Sugar
- 25 g Sooji or semolina
- ½ tsp Cardamom
- 2 tbsp Pista
- ¼ inch Cinnamon
- 1 piece Sapota
- 200 ml Oil
- 150 ml Water
o Method
- Soak the Moong dal or Green gram overnight.
- In the morning, make a fine paste from it.
- Take a kadhai and heat oil in it.
- Add Sooji or Semolina and cook on a low flame till the colour changes to brown.
- Once it turns brown, add the Moong dal paste and cook on a medium flame till the paste becomes thick and oil starts to ooze out.
- Transfer it into a strainer so that the oil drains out. Let it cool.
- Meanwhile, boil water, sugar, and cardamom in a pan. Once the mixture mixes well, take it off the flame.
- Now, heat the paste in a kadhai and add this sugar water to it.
- Ensure that no lumps are formed.
- Cook it till all the water is absorbed.
- Garnish it with Pista and serve hot.
Enhance the flavours of these Diwali recipes by using 100% pure blended spices of our Vasant Masala. Don’t miss out on our previous blog for Diwali special Starters and Namkeen!
Happy Diwali and may you have a prosperous new year!