The biggest festival of the year is right around the corner and the preparations for the big day have already begun. People all over the country wait for Diwali and the vibe the festival brings. Those beautiful lights, bright diyas, and irresistible sweets to the children bursting firecrackers with smiles on their faces. Diwali is the perfect escape from our lives filled with hustle.
One of the most awaited aspects of the festival is the Diwali party which is essentially a gathering of your loved ones where people socialise and have a good time. But do you know what's the soul of a great party? Food. To make sure your party turns out the way you want, you would need to have a great menu of snacks to liven up the party scene. In this article, we bring seven vegetarian snacks to elevate your Diwali party.
Paneer Tikka
Tikka is a general term for anything marinated and then baked, grilled, or fried, and paneer tikka is a popular vegetarian tikka dish.
The Indian spice powders combined with the yoghurt (curd) create a delicious marinade that the porous paneer cubes soak up. Grilling the skewers creates a wonderful little crispiness on the paneer.
Masala Vada
After each bite you take of these crunchy vadas, you will hear a loud crunch that will make your experience even better. These vadas are also known as dal vada or paruppu vadai.
Traditionally, these vadas are prepared using lentils or soaked chana dal and common spices such as cinnamon, cumin seeds, red chillies and saunf that impart a great flavour to the vadas.
Paneer Kathi Roll
Paneer, or Indian cottage cheese, is used in this rendition of a kathi roll. The cheese is normally sliced into cubes and marinated in a mixture of garam masala, yoghurt, ginger, garlic, red chilli powder, fenugreek, and salt.
It is then fried till golden brown and frequently accompanied by onions and green peppers. The mixture is spread on a flatbread like roti or paratha, which is then folded and heated with a little oil or ghee.
Pyaaz Pakore
This popular Indian street food is loved by everyone. They are crispy on the outside and incredibly soft on the inside. These fritters are made with besan and they are easy to prepare without sacrificing flavour.
Serve these pakores with green chutney, sweet imli chutney, fried salted green chillies or ketchup. They are also quite famous as an accompaniment to chai.
Dahi Vada
Dahi Vada is a blend of all your favourite flavours and textures in one delectable snack. They are fluffy, tender, soft, tangy, and sweet. They are made up of handmade fried lentil dumpling fritters that are dipped in creamy whipped yoghurt and topped with both spicy and sweet chutneys.
It is a burst of flavours in your mouth and the different textures of dahi and vada make it an irresistible snack.
Aloo Chaat
This spicy, sweet, and sour aloo chaat is the most addicting snack ever! Crispy potatoes cooked in ghee and sprinkled with spices and tamarind chutney will have you licking your lips.
Ghee is essential for imparting the original flavour and providing crispy golden edges. If you don't have ghee or prefer not to use it, a neutral-flavoured vegetable oil will also work just fine.
Homemade Cheese Balls
These old-school yet gooey cheese balls are the perfect treat for a Diwali party. The crispy exterior loaded with soft cheese inside will be a real crowd favourite. The best part is that it doesn't even take long to prepare.
We can guarantee if you get these balls right there will be no stopping you from snacking these cheese balls all the time.