Celebrate the Festival of Lights by getting hands on with The Veggie Wifey's Diwali thali recipe.
October and November aren’t just about Halloween and Thanksgiving! Diwali is the most important celebration of the year for the Indian community; Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and several other religions around the world also commemorate this festival with different traditions and customs. To mark the occasion, people clean and decorate their homes, and feast together. Want to cook something for your friends and family? Try making a Diwali thali using my recipes below.
What is a Diwali thali?
A thali is a large dish consisting of small portions of various Indian foods such as grains like millet or rice, daals, stewed vegetables, yoghurt, and fried snacks. Thalis may vary according to the region they are from. For instance, South Indian thalis include traditional South Indian dishes like idli, rasam, sambar, medu vada, and dosa. On the other hand, North Indian thalis are made up of traditional North Indian dishes like paneer, naan, paratha, tandooris, raitha, and daals.
Since nothing brings people together more than big, sharing plates of food, I’ve created a beautiful Diwali thali that features three savoury snacks you can easily make at home – perfect to DIY when hosting your Diwali gathering!
Three easy recipes for the perfect Diwali thali
1. Eggplant Chaat
Chaat is an Indian-style hors d’oeuvre with savoury, tangy, sweet, and spicy flavours. It’s also a roadside snack that normally uses fried batter, served with roasted nuts, yoghurt, and several tasty chutneys. I’ve created this with fried eggplant coated in chickpea batter, topped with aloo bhujia (crispy potato bits), spicy green chutney, yoghurt, and pomegranate.
2. Paneer and Jalapeño Kebabs
These kebabs are vegetarian, flavourful, and wonderfully crispy! I’ve made them with spiced paneer, jalapeños, and panko. Instead of frying, they’re baked for roughly 25 minutes and come out perfectly golden.
3. Wonton Samosas
I bet you’ve all tried (or at least heard of) the typical Indian-style samosas stuffed with masala peas and potato, so I’ve added a bit of a twist. Instead of the traditional triangular shape, I’ve made these samosas into bite-sized wonton shapes – something fun, creative, and different for your Diwali menu! In addition, I use store-bought spring roll sheets, rather than making my own samosa dough. This always makes the process of wrapping a lot easier.
