Happy Diwali 2023: Recipes To Try For Diwali Parties

In this special Diwali party recipe collection, we've curated a variety of mouthwatering dishes and sweets from chefs that are perfect for your Diwali gathering.

Recipes To Try For Diwali Parties

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Diwali, the festival of lights, is a time of joy, celebration, and togetherness. And what better way to bring your loved ones together than by hosting a memorable Diwali party filled with delicious and festive treats! In this special Diwali party recipe collection, we've curated a variety of mouthwatering dishes and sweets from chefs that are perfect for your Diwali gathering. Whether you're planning an intimate family get-together or a grand Diwali soirée, these recipes will add an extra dash of flavour and flair to your celebration.

Let's dive into the culinary delights that will make your Diwali party truly unforgettable.

1. CHERRY PISTACHIO PARFAIT (By Chef Sherene Chou, American Pistachios)

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons pistachios, chopped 
• ¼ cup vanilla granola or your favorite granola 
• 1/4 cup cherries, pitted and halved
• ½ cup coconut yogurt, unsweetened

Method:

• Layer 2 tablespoons of the pistachios at the bottom of a glass or jar.
• Then add half of the granola, cherries and yogurt.
• Repeat one more time with the remaining ingredients.
• Top with crushed pistachios and enjoy!

 

CHERRY PISTACHIO PARFAIT (By Chef Sherene Chou, American Pistachios)

2. GLUTEN FREE PISTACHIO COOKIES (By Chef Carol Kicinski, American Pistachios)

Ingredients:

FOR COOKIES

• 2¼ cups Roasted, salted pistachios – use divide
• 1 cup Granulated sugar plus more for sprinkling
• 2 Large egg whites
• 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
• 2 drops Green food coloring - optional

FOR FILLING

• ½ cup Dairy free dark chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract

Method:

FOR COOKIES

• Preheat the oven to 325° F. Line two baking sheets with Silpat mats or parchment paper.
• Roughly chop ¼ cup of the pistachios and reserve for garnish. Place the remaining 2 cups pistachios in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process the pistachios until they turn into a paste, this will take 2 or 3 minutes, scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times during the processing.
• Add 1 cup sugar to the pistachio paste and process in long pulses until combined. Add the egg whites, vanilla and food coloring if using and pulse to combine. You should have a thick batter. Using a small ice cream scoop or two teaspoons, drop the cookies onto the prepared pan, spacing two inches apart. Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with a little granulated sugar and the reserved chopped pistachios. Gently press the pistachios into the cookies.
• Bake for 12 – 14 minutes for chewy cookies, 15 – 17 minutes for crispy cookies. The cookies should be lightly browned around the edges. Let cool on the pan for 10 minutes then remove to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
• Top half of the cookies with granulated sugar, chopped pistachios and a bit of dried cranberry or cherry. Leave the other half of the cookies plain. 

FOR FILLING

• Place the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1 – 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until just melted.
• Keep the chocolate in the warm bowl and stir in the vanilla.
• It may start to seize up a little, that’s ok, just keep stirring until smooth again and thickened. Let cool.
• The chocolate will thicken more as it cools.
• Spread some of the cooled chocolate on the flat side of the plain cookies.
• Top with a cookie that has the chopped pistachios and cranberries or cherries, flat side down.

3. PISTACHIO PIE (By Chef Lauren Mitterer, American Pistachios)

Ingredients:

FOR THE FILLING:

• 1_+1/3 cup roasted, unsalted pistachio kernels
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 3/4cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
• 6 oz (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup roasted, unsalted pistachio kernels coarsely chopped by hand, set aside

FOR THE CRUST:

• 1/4 cup very cold water
• 1 1/3 cup flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon sugar
• 2 3/4 ounces shortening, cubed and very cold
• 1+1/2 ounces unsalted butter, cubed and very cold

Method:

FOR THE PIE CRUST:

• In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine ingredients in the order they are listed, starting with water in the bowl first.
• Using a paddle attachment, mix until all ingredients are combined and a nice dough has been formed.
• Remove dough from the mixer, wrap in clear plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
• Once chilled, roll on a well-floured surface into a circle for a 9-inch pie pan.

FOR THE FILLING

• Pulse the pistachios in a food processor until very coarsely chopped (some of the pistachio will be mealy and the remainder will be coarse).
• Turn pistachios into a mixing bowl, add all other ingredients and combine with a spatula until fully incorporated.
• Fill an unbaked pie shell with the pistachio mixture, smooth the top with a spatula, and bake at 350 degrees for 60-70 minutes on a lower rack in the oven, sprinkling the remaining pistachios on top about 2/3 through the baking process.
• Test for doneness by inserting a clean knife or toothpick in the center—it should come out clean and the filling should not jiggle.
• The top will be deep golden. If the crust begins to brown before the pie filling is set, cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake until done.
• Serve slightly warm with whipped cream or ice cream.

4. PALAK PANEER (By Chef Aditya Sahu)

Ingredients:

• 150 grams (1¼ cups) paneer (Indian cottage cheese) 
• 3½ to 4 cups (100 to 120 grams) palak (spinach) 
• 2 tablespoons oil (or half oil & half butter) 
• 2 green chilies (deseeded) (less spicy kind) 
• 3/4 cup ( 90 grams, 1 small) onions (fine chopped) 
• 1/2 cup (2 small) tomatoes (deseeded & chopped or pureed) 
• 3/4 teaspoon ginger garlic paste (read notes for substitute) 
• 3/4 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste) 
• 8 to 10 cashewnuts (read notes for substitutes) 
• 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon garam masala (adjust to taste) 
• 1/2 teaspoon kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) (skip if you don't have) ¼ cup water to blend spinach 
• 3/4 cup water to cook the gravy 
• 3 tablespoons cream (optional) 
• (Optional) Whole spices for palak paneer 
• 1/8 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera) (optional) 
• 2 green cardamoms (elaichi) (optional) 
• 1 inch cinnamon (dalchini) (optional) 
• 2 cloves (laung) (optional) 

Metod: 

• Pluck only the young & tender spinach leaves and discard the stems as they may leave a bitter taste. If using baby spinach you can use the stems as well. 
• Add them to a large pot of water. Rinse them well a few times & drain to a colander.
• Allow the water to drain completely otherwise it will let out a lot of moisture while cooking.
• Heat half tablespoon of oil in a pan. Saute green chilies, cashews and spinach for 3 to 4 mins until the leaves wilt off thoroughly & the raw smell of spinach has gone away. 
• Cool this completely. Blend this along with water to a smooth puree. The puree should be smooth and thick. You may add 1 to 2 tbsps more water to help in blending. How to make Palak Paneer 
• Heat 1 tablespoon butter and half tablespoon oil to the same pan, Once they melt, add cinnamon, cardamoms, cloves & cumin seeds. 
• When the spices begin to sizzle, add onions and fry till they turn transparent to golden. Next saute ginger garlic paste for 1 to 2 minutes or until you begin to smell it nice.
• Then add tomatoes with salt. Saute until they break down and turn mushy. Add garam masala & saute until the masala smells good. This may take 2 mins.  
• Pour water and cook covered until onions are completely soft. There should be some water left in the pan. (for consistency check video) 
• Lower the flame, add kasuri methi and pureed spinach. Mix well and cook until it begins to bubble for about 2 to 3 mins. If the curry is too thick you may add a few tbsps of hot water. Avoid overcooking. Add paneer & mix well. Turn off and remove to a serving bowl. Optionally garnish with cream. 
• Serve palak paneer with naan, roti, Basmati rice or Jeera rice. 

5. COCKTAIL: BABLU - THE DARK KNIGHT (By Robin Lazar – who is the GM & Head Mixologist (Gawky Goose)

• Vodka - 60ml
• Smoked Pineapple Juice - 60ml
• Honey Syrup - 15ml
• Activated Charcoal Powder - 1gm
• Lime Juice - 10ml
• Glassware - Coupe

Method: 

• Chill the glass
• Smoke the pineapple juice with a smoke machine or a smoke top
• Combine all the ingredients into a shaker with ice
• Shake well with ice. Remove the ice from the shaker and dry shake the cocktail mix well.
• Place a big cube of ice into the glass
• Pour the cocktail into the glass
• Garnish with dehydrated pineapple slice or fresh pineapple slice 

 

COCKTAIL: BABLU - THE DARK KNIGHT (By Robin Lazar – who is the GM & Head Mixologist (Gawky Goose)

6. KAFFIR LIME INFUSED GIN (By Madan Kumar S - Bar Manager, TYD- Kitchen+Bar)

Ingredients:

• 10 Kaffir lime leaves
• 750 ml (1 bottle) of gin

Method:

• Wash the Kaffir lime leaves thoroughly to remove any dirt or impurities.
• Gently crush the Kaffir lime leaves between your fingers or with a muddler. This helps release their essential oils and flavour.
• Place the crushed Kaffir lime leaves into a clean, airtight glass container or bottle. You may want to use a glass bottle with a tight-fitting lid to store the infused gin.
• Pour the 750 ml of gin over the crushed Kaffir lime leaves in the container.
• Seal the container or bottle tightly to prevent any air from getting in. Make sure it's airtight to maintain the quality of the infusion.
• Store the container in a cool, dark place for a minimum of 24 to 48 hours. The longer you let it infuse, the stronger the Kaffir lime flavour will be. You can taste the gin after 24 hours to check the flavour and decide if you want it to infuse for a longer period.
• Once you're satisfied with the flavour, strain the infused gin through a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth to remove the Kaffir lime leaves. You can transfer the infused gin back into its original bottle or any clean glass container.

7. RED PUMPKIN PURI (By Chef Roopa Nabar, TTK Prestige)

Ingredients:

• 1½ cup wheat flour
• 1 cup rice flour
• 1½ cup red pumpkin peeled and cubed.
• 3/4 cup grated jaggery
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
• Oil for deep frying
• Pinch of baking soda
• Salt to taste

Method:

• In a pressure cooker, cook pumpkin with little water for 3 whistles. Put off the flame and let it cool.
• In a mixing bowl take wheat flour, rice flour, cooked pumpkin with water. Add jaggery and all other ingredients except oil. Knead it into soft dough, cover with muslin cloth and keep aside for half an hour. Make 14 - 16 small balls of the dough of equal size.
• In kadai, heat oil for frying. 
• On a rolling table, take a plastic sheet, apply little oil, take the balls one by one and roll them into  thick discs of about 2 inch diameter.
• Fry these discs in hot oil for about two minutes till they puff up.
• Drain and serve.

 

RED PUMPKIN PURI (By Chef Roopa Nabar, TTK Prestige)

8. NO OIL, RAGI KATORI CHAAT (By Varsha Kabra)

This chaat snack is a Rajasthani delicacy and today I’m sharing a healthy, low calorie, non fried version for the same. Usually this is made from processed flour (maida) and is deep fried but this recipe is made from ragi flour and it’s baked making it suitable for healthy lifestyle.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup ragi flour
• 1/5 cup water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 2/3 boiled potatoes, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 2 tbsp Chaat Spice Mix
• Some beaten sweetner curd
• Some green chutney
• Some tamarind dates chutney
• Fresh coriander
• Pomegranate
• Sprouts

Method:

• Flavour ragi flour with some salt and red chilli powder. Add water and make a dough.
• Roll out thin chapatis and cook it on tawa until semi cooked.
• Take a baking muffin tray and insert each chapati in the mould to shape it like katoris. Bake for 10 mins at 180C untill cripsy.
• Add chopped boiled potatoes, tomatoes, onions in the prepared katoris.
• Prepare a spice mix with salt, red chilli powder and chaat masala in equal proportions.
• Sweeten curd with some stevia.
• Top it with a pinch of spice mix followed by sweetened curd, green Chutney and tamarind dates chutney.
• Lastly garnish your filled katoris with coriander and pomegranate and some sprouts.

 

NO OIL, RAGI KATORI CHAAT (By Varsha Kabra)

9. Pistachio Cookie with Saffron Ganache and Toasted Pistachios (By Chef Kiran Ahir, Founder, The Artlab Patisserie & Bakery)

Ingredients:

• Almond Flour- 240g 
• Jaggery- 55g 
• Milk/Almond Milk- 55g 
• Baking soda- 2g
• Baking powder- 2g
• Pistachio- 20g

Method:

• Add all ingredients except the milk and pistachios in a bowl and give it a good mix for even distribution.
• Gradually add milk in 2 parts and mix with a whisk until well combined, do not over mix.
• Lastly, fold in the pistachios.
• If dough is too soft refrigerated for at least 30 minutes.
• Take 30g of the cookie dough, roll and cut using a round cutter. Space well and place on baking tray with parchment paper and bake.

Saffron Ganache

• White chocolate(vegan)- 180g
• Cream/ Coconut Cream- 60g
• Saffron Strands- Good Pinch 

Method:

• Chop and place chocolate in a bowl and set aside.
• In a saucepan heat cream of your choice with saffron, do not over heat as the chocolate can seize when added to chocolate.
• Once cream is hot pour onto the chocolate and let it sit for some time before giving it a mix to combine.
• Wrap the ganache to the touch and cool in the fridge until it reaches room temperature and is of pip-able consistency.

10. CRISPY GHEE TADKA CORN: (By Chef Vicky Ratnani, Godrej Yummiez)

Ingredients:

• American Sweet Corn - Parboiled
•  Ghee
• Cornflour
• Green Chillies
• Coriander
• Minced garlic
• Kashmiri Chilli Powder
• Cumin Powder
• Sugar
• Salt

Method:

• Par-boil American Sweet Corn. Drain and set aside
• In a bowl, toss the corn with cornflour and salt
• Fry the corn kernels in hot oil and drain on paper towels
• In a pan, heat a dollop of Godrej Jersey ghee
• Add chopped green chillies, minced garlic, Kashmiri chilli powder, cumin powder, fresh lemon juice & salt
• Once combined, toss the fried corn with the ghee tadka.
• Garnish with chopped coriander and serve with a squeeze of lemon

 

CRISPY GHEE TADKA CORN: (By Chef Vicky Ratnani, Godrej Yummiez)