Setting Up A DIY

Mithai Station

For Guests

Quick Summary

The showstopper at any Diwali party, mithai deserves a glow up, and in a way that rivals the powder room of any bigshot celebrity. Like the various items in a makeup kit, the DIY mithai station should also spark curiosity and make the guests go ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ with what you have spread out for them. For something that’s meant to be interactive, a fusion fiesta is the call of the hour. 

Deep Dive

This Diwali, be a little extra and elevate the centerpiece of the celebrations – the mithai! It’s always nice to arrange rows of mithai for your guests to pick from, but a little DIY goes a long way in making it memorable. After all, celebrations that are a little extra are always the buzz of the town, being talked about long after the mithai has disappeared. So, take your usual mithai, some extra items like kullads and chocolate fountains, and set up a DIY mithai station for your guests. Try all the options below or a couple of them, depending on the crowd and the scale of your party.

Build-Your-Own Mithai Parfait Bar

Set up clear glass cups or small kullads alongside bowls filled with crumbled mithai bases like kalakand chunks, broken rasmalai pieces, or halved gulab jamuns. Provide squeeze bottles of rabri, rose syrup, and condensed milk so guests can drizzle between layers without mess. The toppings bar should include small bowls of crushed pistachios, almonds, rose petals, varak sheets, and crumbled soan papdi with tiny spoons for self-service.

Hot Mithai Fountain Or Dipping Station

Place a chocolate-style fountain filled with warm rabri or sweetened condensed milk as your centerpiece, surrounded by platters of dippables on skewers - gulab jamun quarters, mini rasgullas, barfi cubes, fresh strawberries, and even Marie biscuits. Keep the fountain at a lower temperature than chocolate to maintain the right consistency, and provide small dessert plates and napkins nearby. Guests simply spear their choice, dip it through the flowing stream, and enjoy – it's interactive enough to be fun but requires zero skill or effort.

Mithai S'mores Bar

Set up individual tea light stations or small tabletop burners where guests can warm their creations – think barfi slices sandwiched between digestive biscuits, gulab jamun pieces with chopped nuts pressed between two cookies, or marshmallows rolled in crushed kaju katli. Provide small skewers or tongs for handling, and keep a tray of assembly options nearby so guests can experiment with combinations.

Falooda Or Kulfi Assembly Station

Line up tall, clear glasses alongside bowls containing each component already prepped: soaked sabja seeds, falooda sev, rose syrup in a squeeze bottle, chilled milk, and a box of the kulfis in ice, already at hand. Add small bowls of vermicelli, chopped nuts, and dried fruits as optional extras. Guests simply layer ingredients in their preferred order – there's no wrong way to do it, and the transparent glasses show off the beautiful pink-and-white striations.

Paan Bar 

Offer two tracks: grab-and-go triangular meetha paan already wrapped for guests who want convenience, alongside a DIY section with fresh betel leaves, small silver bowls of gulkand, sweetened coconut, chopped cherries, tutti frutti, and mukhwas for those who want to customise. Provide a simple visual guide showing how to fold the leaf into a triangle, or station someone there initially to demonstrate.

Mithai Toastie Or Waffle Maker Station

Set up a panini press or waffle iron with pre-portioned ingredients in small bowls nearby - crumbled khoya, grated kalakand, chocolate chips, chopped nuts, and shredded coconut. Guests place their chosen filling between two small pieces of bread or ready-made dough circles, press it in the heated maker for 2-3 minutes, and get a warm, crispy mithai pocket with a melted interior. Have someone managing the actual heat and timing so guests just assemble and hand it over, then collect the finished creation.

A Diwali Party To Remember

Mithai served this way will have your guests looking forward to your parties, with everyone vying for an invite. Good food paired with a DIY mithai section keeps things interesting, especially with people of all ages around. After all, Diwali is also a time of bonding.