Light up this festive season with some of these wonderful recipes. What's a festival without food and when it comes to Diwali what tops the list is always home-made Sweets, Savouries & Desserts. Indian Kitchen light up their stoves even long before the Festive mood begins.  Every  household will have their own list of preferred Sweets & Snacks for the festive season along with easy additions to enhance the list of so-called Diwali Bakshanam. Then comes the Menu for the Day and last but not the least finishing off the heavy-fed day with Diwali Lehyam(a home-made digestive aid).

    When it comes to Diwali Bakshanam and Diwali a long-forgotten Painting pops up into my mind - a family preparing Diwali Sweets and Snacks, while ransacking through the net with various search results I was able to find it out.  The painting had left a deep remark in my mind.

    I have seen Women folks take meticulous measures to prepare Diwali Sweets & Snacks in our neighbourhood.  Right from buying the ingredients, cleaning, soaking, drying, their long walks to the nearby Flour Mills, least to mention the never ending queue there along with Power Cuts.  Even I have heard discussions which oil would be perfect for deep frying, that doesn't bubble up frothing out through the wok, if it happens adding a marble of tamarind to cut it down etc., & etc., Random & scary anecdotes stating splattered oils while frying murukkus/seedai. Once my classmate Vijayalakshmi came with a puffed up & scalded hand after Diwali.

     Recently, I saw an Instagram post from Jeyashri's Kitchen stating that they even make a Pillayar with the dough they used to make snacks.  So as to ensure that, what begins for a goodness should reach to all with pureness. So much of mind work for simple preparation of Snacks & Sweets.  May be a tradition, a generation to come would brush it off or may not even be aware of.

     In midst of new clothes, crackers, least to mention the Diwali Bonus etc., I’ve always found the food to be a fascinating aspect in every festival. It’s not that I’m a hard core foodie, but the involvement and ideas every household incorporates to brighten up the festive mood always fascinates me. Diwali day comes along with platters of Sweets & Savouries from the neighbourhood. Though Murukku would be a default/must have savoury item of every household, followed by Athirasam, I’ve always loved to have Shanthi aunty’s Coconut Burfi & Boondi Ladoo,  Lenin’s mother’s special Gothumai Halwa. Sharadha Shenoy aunty's White and perfectly shaped Chaklis, Jayashree aunty who was a working women would incorporate a large spread on Diwali Day and what I remember the most having at her home are Vermicelli Payasam and Malpua. To the latest, my local friend Santhini sends her tasty, soft & crispy Murukkus prepared with Instant Murukku Flours, every Diwali.

      But the real mood of a Festival comes along with all these anticipations, preparations and nostalgia related to it.  I have tried to add 70+ Diwali Recipes for this Festive Season - Sweets, Savouries and Desserts.  Click on to the individual pictures for Recipes and Stories.

 

     Cook some of the Classic Indian Sweet & Savouries this Festive Season.   Or if you are in short of time there a a few recipes which can be incorporated even at the last time - Instant versions of Sweets & Savouries & Desserts.  Enjoy Food and Happy Diwali!!!