Diwali

Diwali is a cooking marathon as much as it is a festival of lights. Between the diyas, the rangoli, and the gift boxes going out to neighbours, kitchens across India run hot for a full week — and this collection is built for exactly that stretch.

What you'll find here

A mix of traditional mithai and savoury namkeen, with room for the modern twists home cooks actually make. Expect:

• Classic sweets like besan ladoo, kaju katli, jalebi, gulab jamun, and coconut barfi
• Savoury snacks — chakli, chivda, namak pare, mathri, and masala peanuts
• North Indian favourites alongside South Indian treats like Mysore pak and murukku
• Festive mains for the family meal: paneer dishes, pulao, kachori, and dal
• Make-ahead options that hold up for several days in an airtight tin

How to plan your Diwali cooking

Start with the dry, long-keeping items — chivda, mathri, ladoos — a few days before Lakshmi Puja so you have something to offer drop-in guests and pack into gift boxes. Save the syrup-based sweets and fried snacks for the day or two right before, when they taste their best. If you're feeding a crowd, lean on recipes that scale cleanly and don't need last-minute frying.

Looking for more festive cooking? See our Holi recipes for the spring counterpart, or browse sweet recipes year-round.