Celebrating a festival in India without serving mouth-watering food to family and friends is like dancing without music. Indian festival food items vary from festival to festival. Thanks to the cultural diversity of the country!
One more good thing about these festival dishes is their distinct names, even if made with the same preparations. For example, Gujiya, a popular Holi delicacy from Uttar Pradesh, is called Karanji in Maharashtra, Padakiya in Bihar, and so on.
Would you like to learn the essence of some more Indian festival food? If yes, then explore the below points.
Indian Festival Food You Must Try
1- Sweet Pumpkin Raita: Sankranti’s Tangy Delight
If you’re celebrating Sankranti in Karnataka, your plate is incomplete without a bowl full of sweet pumpkin raita. And its richness in vitamin C, potassium, and other minerals with a touch-up of tangy flavor takes the entire credit.
Its recipe consists of fresh coconut, mustard seeds, and red chilies, which combine to create a medley of tastes. Undeniably, the Sankranti vibes are similar in the various Indian States. Still, this festival has different names and popular dishes there, such as:
- Pongal Dish (Tamil Nadu)
- Poush Sankranti’s Mishti Doi (West Bengal)
- Magh Bihu’s Sungha Pithas (Assam)
2- Succulent Dahi Bhalla: Holi’s Plate of Chaat
Other than Gujiya, Dahi Bhalla is another succulent food item that you can try on Holi. One of the most convincing links to its historical traces belongs to the Mughal kitchens of the 18th century. Since the water flowing through Yamuna Canal wasn’t adequate to cook food, chefs started using curd as an alternative.
Gradually, they added a few spices to these chaats to enhance the metabolism. Indeed, these crispy Bhallas soaked in spiced curd are a festival treat if you are in northern India.
3- Finger-licking Pindi Chana: Baisakhi’s Lunch
Festivals of Punjab are widely popular around the globe, be it Lohri, Holla Mohalla, or Baisakhi. Indisputably, it’s the delicious Punjabi cuisine that embellishes the charm of these festivals. One of its finger-licking meals is the Pindi Chana, an apt menu for Baisakhi’s lunch.
Deriving its name from the streets of Rawalpindi, a place in Pakistan, Pindi Chana is a spiced-gravy dish made of chickpeas. Club this easy-to-make delicacy with chapati or rice, and give a surprise treat to your taste buds.
4- Yummy Samak Tikkis : Navratri’s Sattvic Chaat
Food plays an essential role in the Navratri’s fasting. The more sattvic food you eat, the more you purify your thoughts and body chakras. Are you the one who wants to try different fasting dishes this Navratri? Go for some yummy samak tikkis!
With the incorporation of Samak rice and crushed potatoes, these Tikkis make a delicious plate of sattvic chat. Serve it hot with a bowl of curd to your friends and family members. Without a doubt, they are going to love it.
5- Delicious Seviyan Kheer: Eid-Ul-Fitr’s Special Pudding
The rituals of Eid-Ul-Fitr, aka Sweet Eid, without offering seviyan kheer to each other are incomplete. And that’s unarguable. It is due to the convenient ingredients and simple recipe of this dessert. Aren’t you excited to know about its preparation? Of course, you are.
Follow these steps and learn to make it quickly:
- Heat ghee in a non-stick pan. Now, add crushed vermicelli (seviyan), cashew nuts, raisins, and saute it well
- Gradually, add some milk and sugar to it. Stir it well till the vermicelli becomes soft
- Mix saffron to 1 tablespoon of milk and add it to the pan
6- Appetizing Panjiri: Janmashtami’s Sacred Dessert
Who doesn’t know about the tales of Lord Krishna and his love for butter? Well, most of us know this fact. Hence, the sacred desserts made from milk products are the signature food items of Janmashtmi (Krishna’s Birthday). Besides Makhan Mishri, Panjiri is another delicious offering to Lord Krishna.
Cherished by the people of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Punjab, it’s healthy and excellent for guts. To prepare it, all you need to do is dry-roast the floor using ghee in a pan until it turns brown. Later add roasted cashews and almonds to it.
7- Delectable Modaks And Chaklis: Ganesh Chaturthi’s Desserts and Snacks
No matter what, Ganesh Chaturthi without modaks is tough to imagine. Kudos to the delectable taste of this dessert, it is one of the key Indian festival food. These sweet dumplings filled with jaggery and grated coconuts are something that you shouldn’t miss!
If you are in Maharashtra, Chakli is another add-on delight to your festival cuisine. Undoubtedly, this deep-fried snack, made with rice flour, gram flour, and spices, is a light and delicious festival food choice. Additionally, you can also try the piquant recipe of Puran Poli for dinner.
8- Palatable Sandesh: Durgotsav’s Favourite Dessert
Are you preparing for Ma Durga’s bhog platter for Durgotsav? Then, you cannot afford to miss adding the sweetness of Sandesh to it. This palatable dessert got its name from a Hindi word which means message. And the credit goes to the Bengali tradition of sending sweets to family and friends.
The authentic recipe of Sandesh includes chenna or cottage cheese mixed with sugar over a low flame. The next step is to shape it into small balls called Kanchagolla. A few people also garnish it with dry fruits.
9- Crispy Samosa: Diwali’s Forever Snack
Lighting up the Diyas, wearing new clothes, and exchanging gifts and sweets with family and friends, are some fascinating traditions of the Diwali celebration.
However, these festive vibes are incomplete if you don’t have some crispy snacks served on the table. And a plate of samosas is one of them.
It’s a fried or baked pastry with savory stuffings of spiced potatoes, peas, lentils, and whatnot. Interestingly, you will find samosas with different shapes in various regions like a triangular, cone, or half-moon. But, the triangular shape still owes the legacy of popularity.
Summing it up,
There is a unique yet different story behind the significance of various Indian festival food items. If a few of them are a perfect delight for the in-house festival parties, others are the thanksgiving offerings to the almighty. The remaining ones are an excellent gift to exchange between family and friends.
We hope you enjoyed this brief stroll through Indian festival food. Anyways, you still have a vast list to explore.
What is the unique festival cuisine of your region? Pen down your answer in the comment box below.
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