Diwali Food Ideas

What is Diwali?

Diwali is a religious festival that symbolises the victory of good over evil and light over darkness. It originates from India and is predominantly known as a Hindu celebration, but is also celebrated by Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists as well.

The festival lasts for four to five days and marks the end of the summer harvest, coinciding with the new moon. It’s for this reason the festival can be on different dates from year to year.

When is Diwali celebrated?

Diwali generally falls between October and November depending on the lunar cycle. In 2020, Diwali begins on the 12^th November and ends on 16^th November. The height of the festival will be on the 14th as this marks the new moon.

How is Diwali Celebrated?

Over the five days there are many different aspects to Diwali celebrations. Houses and temples are cleaned and decorated so that they are full of colour and light ready for the main festivities of prayers, fireworks and feasting.

When it comes to the food, there is no such thing as too much food. This part of Diwali celebrations is also known as Annakut or, literally, “Mountain of Food”.

And it really is a mountain. Hundreds of dishes are prepared and brought to the temple to be shared amongst all of the community.

Diwali in 2020

Despite traditions, Diwali in 2020 might be very different for obvious reasons. The restrictions on group activities will mean Diwali celebrations will be limited to the home in much smaller numbers. But all this means is that the need for delicious food is going to be even greater.

There are plenty traditional recipes to make, especially sweet ones, but you can also check out our Diwali food ideas below for some additional ideas.

Diwali Food Ideas

When it comes to Diwali recipes, there really is no end to them. This is a festival all about feasting. So the more, the better. Here’s some of our favourite savoury dishes that include Tenderstem^® broccoli.

Enjoy an Indian-inspired rice dish adorned with delicious and nutritious Tenderstem^® broccoli with this quick and easy recipe, created by Dr Rupy of The Doctor’s Kitchen. This pilau dish is suitable for vegans and vegetarians, as well as being low in fat, low in saturated fat and a source of protein and fibre.

This is one for the adventurous cook who wants to wow their friends. But if you’re not so confident making the poodla from scratch, you can simply replace it with readymade chapattis or naan breads. Nobody will mind!

Made with Rooted Spices’ Brassica Blend, this is a salad with a difference. This dish is packed with flavour and will go down extremely well as a main dish in its own right.

Created by food influencer Sia Krishna, this dish combines Indian-spiced roast potatoes with crunchy Tenderstem® Broccoli.

This split pea curry is a real crowd pleaser and very easy to make. It’s full of flavour and not too hot, but you can add extra spice to it if you like.

This recipe is a great take on a classic biryani. It’s super easy to scale up so you can cook for however many of you are part of your Diwali celebrations. As with most biryani dishes it’s very flexible, so you can add extra ingredients to it as you wish.

There’s plenty of snacks on offer at Diwali celebrations and Pakoras are always a great option for adding to the snack table. There’s something extra special about a Tenderstem® broccoli Pakora too, with the nutty crunch working perfectly with the batter.

Diwali Sweets

Diwali is also famous for its mountains of sweet dishes. These dishes are part of the feast but are also often offered as gifts to family members throughout Diwali.