What to eat at Diwali

Diwali, which falls this year on November 14th, is a festival of family, fireworks and food. Here are the dishes to try to keep the Diwali flame alive in a Covid winter.

Covid has already put paid to regular Diwali celebrations. It was inevitable: eight people around the table to tuck into a Christmas turkey is one thing; a Diwali gathering involving your typical Asian extended family— aunts, uncles, fourth cousins and all—is quite another.

But, as a festival celebrating the triumph of light over darkness, we should all get in on the cheer and do our best to salvage the festivities by rustling up some celebratory food. The extent of regional variation across the vast Indian sub-continent, and the worldwide Hindu community beyond, means that there are no hard and fast rules as to what to eat: a few traditional dishes typically will feature alongside family favourites. So, forget the loo roll, now is the time to stock up on ghee, refresh the spice cabinet and finally have a go at out-doing your local takeaway curry.