Choti Diwali

Feasts

: Blend Of Sweets, Snacks, And Festive Main Courses

Quick Summary

From the first bite of namak pare to the last spoonful of kheer, Choti Diwali is a celebration that begins in the kitchen. While it might seem like a prep day, it’s not just a lead-up to Diwali. This is the day the stovetop rarely goes cold, the snack jars begin to fill, and the scent of spices, ghee, and fried dough takes over the home.

Deep Dive

Choti Diwali, also known as Naraka Chaturdashi, falls just a day before the grand Diwali celebration and serves as a warm-up to the main festival. It is believed that on this day, people should purge negativity from their homes and minds – cleaning, decorating, lighting lamps, and offering prayers, to prepare for the grand Diwali that follows.

Food, especially, plays a key role, contributing to the festive atmosphere. The spread has a blend of quick-to-make and quick-to-disappear snacks, traditional sweets, and a handful of comforting main dishes, which are just enough to be indulgent without being over the top. It's a day of sharing, preparing treats for neighbours and guests, and filling the home with familiar aromas of ghee and spices.

Snacks And Savouries

Snacks play a pivotal role in Choti Diwali, and from this day onwards, they start to disappear from the kitchen. And start being munched on. You will typically see boxes of namak pare or nimki and mathri, spiral deep-fried delights like chakli or murukku, and sev.. You’ll also find the likes of cornflakes chivda, a mix of cereals, nuts, and spices, which you can munch throughout the day. You can also add mini kachoris, roasted and spiced chole, suji khandvi, and pakoras to the list. Most of these snacks, except pakoras, can be made in advance, and most will keep well in air-tight containers. These are perfect for sharing with neighbours or for evening snacking.

Desserts And Mithai

No Choti Diwali can be complete without sweets, and standard favourites include kaju barfi or katli, rasmalai, kheer, soan papdi, gulab jamun, shahi tukda, and mohanthal dominate many menus. When considering regional specialities, you will find classics like moti pak from Gujarat and Rajasthan, anarsa in Maharashtra and Bihar, and coconut burfi, kaju burfi, and traditional fusion adaptation of sandesh or nolen gur sweets in Bengal. The best part about most of these mithai is that they can largely be prepared ahead (the night before or earlier) to ease the workload on Choti Diwali or even Diwali for that matter.

Main Courses And Festive Comforts 

Though Choti Diwali primarily revolves around snacks and sweets, a few comforting main dishes are needed for you to keep going and sustain yourself. Popular options you could consider cooking, given it's a festive occasion, include chana masala, dal fry, or mixed dal with accompaniments like puri, phulka, fragrant jeera rice, or pulao. Make sure you consider your gut and add yoghurt-rich sides like raita or fresh chutneys to complete the menu. 

This is true North Indian style, but of course, every region has its specialities. In Bengal, it’s customary to cook chhodo shaak, a dish with fourteen varieties of leafy greens for Bhoot Chaturdashi (Bengal’s Choti Diwali), while in Rajasthan, you may find mawa ki kachori on the table. Maharashtra likes to prepare poha-based dishes for Choti Diwali, while Gujaratis love their dhoklas. 

Tips For A Stress-Free Choti Diwali Feast

• Prepare in advance: Many Choti Diwali snacks and sweets can be made a day or two before the celebration. This not only reduces stress on the day itself but also allows flavours of the savouries or sweets to develop fully. Prior planning ensures you have time to focus on rituals and enjoy the festivities without being stuck in the kitchen for hours. 

• Creating a balanced menu: Create a menu that combines crunchy snacks, soft mithai, and comforting main dishes. A variety keeps guests interested and satisfied, preventing palate fatigue. The range should have differing textures, which also reflects the festive spirit of indulgence without overwhelming the meal.

• Serve smaller portions: This is to keep from creating food waste, and offering small, manageable servings allows guests to taste multiple items without overeating. It encourages sharing and keeps the atmosphere light and social.

• Elevate with festive ingredients: Incorporate traditional ingredients like ghee, cardamom, saffron, nuts, and edible silver foil (vark) to special sweets and savouries. These elements boost the flavours and also create a striking visual appeal, perfect for such a festive occasion. 

• Be mindful of dietary preferences: No one should feel left out, especially during such an occasion of togetherness. Thus, make sure to have at least some items that even people with common allergens can easily consume without stress. Include vegetarian and sattvic options (without onion or garlic), dairy-free ones, and even vegan ones, if needed.

Light, Flavour, And A Festive Head Start

Choti Diwali isn’t just a prelude to the big day – it’s the official green light for celebration. The kitchen becomes the heart of the home, and every dish adds to the excitement in the air. Be it nostalgic sweets, shareable snacks, or comforting main dishes reserved for special occasions, this feast is a ritual in itself.