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Copyright © 2025 Foodies Only
Copyright © 2025 Foodies Only
5 min
07/10/2025
Hosting a Diwali get-together and want a crowd-pulling idea for food? Set up a DIY chaat station with easy-to-assemble dishes, eye-catching festive decor, and minimal fuss. Pick the usual pani puri and papdi chaat, and the familiar buttered corn and aloo tikki to keep guests hooked on food and presentation. This guide will walk you through the steps for creating an unforgettable experience, this Diwali.
Want to recreate the authentic street food ambience that 5-star restaurants replicate with hand-drawn carts, aka thela gaadi, at your own Diwali party filled with snacks? Then you are at the right place. Kudos to you if you can procure the said cart; otherwise, a table of similar size with DIY decor will do the trick quite well. Or if you want something even simpler, a festive tablecloth on a table will also suffice. Once your prop is done, get the products, aka the chaat items, ready. Read ahead and get tips and tricks for both.
Drape rich fabrics in deep red, gold, or maroon over the table front and cart edges, then add marigold garlands along the top border or canopy to evoke a traditional Diwali look. Hang a few paper lanterns (kandils) or fairy lights above and around the cart so it glows after dusk. You can do a small rangoli in front of the table as well, using colored powders, flower petals, or rice to welcome people. Use small earthen diyas or LED tealights around trays or edges (in safe holders). A hand‑painted chalkboard or menu board (LED or normal) with ‘Diwali Specials’ and little diya or firecracker motifs will finalize the look.
A chaat station does not mean you load up on the boiled potatoes, spiced yoghurt, and chutneys and only serve chaat. Add more dishes like pani puris, bhel puris, and even dahi puri. You can have someone man the stall or let guests help themselves to it.
For pani puri, you’ll need readymade puris, spiced mashed potato or boiled chana filling, and two types of water – spicy mint water and sweet tamarind water. Store puris in an airtight container to prevent sogginess (or arrange them around the cart like vendors do in their packs), and pre-mix both types of water in large dispensers or jars with ladles or taps. Set up the serving in a row – puris first, filling next, and then the waters. Keep the waters chilled in an ice tub or insulated flask. Offer disposable bowls or eco-friendly cups with each serving, and keep tissues ready, as this one gets messy!
Bhel puri is one of the fastest snacks to assemble and serve. To save time, you can pre-mix the dry ingredients (puffed rice, sev, crushed papdi, roasted chana dal) in large tubs. Portion them into paper cones or bowls right as the guests start trickling in. Keep chopped onions, tomatoes, coriander, green chillies, lemon wedges, and chutneys (sweet and spicy) nearby for mixing. During service, simply mix a scoop of the dry base with wet toppings, squeeze some lemon, toss quickly in a mixing bowl, and serve. Keep a shaker of chaat masala handy for a final sprinkle.
For papdi chaat, you’ll need papdis, boiled and spiced potatoes, yogurt (slightly sweetened and chilled), tamarind chutney, green chutney, and garnishes like sev, coriander, and pomegranate. Upon request, start by placing 5-6 papdis in a disposable bowl or tray, top with a spoon of potato, drizzle yogurt generously, then chutneys, and finish with sev and garnish. Keep yogurt in a cool box to avoid souring, and use squeeze bottles for chutneys to save time and reduce mess.
Dahi puri uses the same puris as pani puri but filled with mashed spiced potatoes, then topped with chilled sweetened yogurt, tamarind, and green chutneys, and garnished with sev, coriander, and sometimes pomegranate seeds. This one needs to be made fresh because of the yoghurt. Upon request, place 6 puris in serving plates with fillings ready, then add yogurt and toppings in assembly-line style. Keep yogurt in a squeezy bottle or bowl with a ladle and store it in a cool box. These should be served immediately after prep to avoid sogginess.
Aloo tikki chaat needs pre-made potato patties, which you can shallow fry in batches before your event and keep warm in an insulated container or on a hot plate. When an order comes in, place two tikkis on a plate, top with yogurt, tamarind chutney, green chutney, and garnish with sev, coriander, and onions. If offering extras like boiled chana or chole as a base, pre-portion and keep them warm too. To make this process quicker, pre-garnish a few plates with base items and add the hot tikki and final toppings during service. Use plates with compartments if possible to keep elements neat.
Buttered corn chaat is a great quick-serve option with minimal fuss. Use boiled sweet corn, tossed with butter, lemon juice, chaat masala, chopped onions, and coriander. You can keep it hot in a thermos flask, an electric cooker, or a steamer. At service, simply scoop into cups or bowls, give it a fresh toss with spices and garnish, and hand over with a spoon. It's less messy, healthier, and ideal for kids or those who want a lighter snack.
Setting up a Diwali chaat station is super fun as it involves interacting with guests whilst serving them the fare at display. With just a bit of planning and prep, you can create a stall that’s as memorable as the food itself. Whether you’re using a themed handcart or a decorated table, your guests will love it. Keep it simple, serve fast, and don’t forget the festive touches like lights, rangoli, and music.