The Forgotten Diwali Snacks:

Mathri

, Chivda, And Farsi Puri

Chivda

This one’s a Maharashtrian staple. It’s a mix of roasted or fried flattened rice (poha), peanuts, dried coconut slices, curry leaves, mustard seeds, and green chilli, tempered in oil and spiced with turmeric and asafoetida. Each ingredient is roasted separately to preserve its crunch and carry a distinct flavour. It’s a snack that is light and a perfect refresher, between heavy, greasy Diwali food and even greasier mithai. Chivda is perfect to munch on like bhel or good to go with chai.

Kachri

Kachri, made from rice, is a lesser-known North Indian and Sindhi snack more likely to be found in local stores and homes, rather than multi-channel outlets. It’s crafted by grinding cooked rice into a smooth paste, seasoning it with black pepper or salt, then shaping it into different shapes, typically thin discs, spirals, or sticks. These are then sun-dried over several days. Then the dried kachri are later deep-fried or air-fried, puffing up into crisp, airy snacks. Though still found in some Sindhi households and local bazaars, rice kachri is quietly vanishing, replaced by modern mass-market snacks.

Phini

This one’s a flaky, layered sweet from the hills of Nepal, traditionally made during Tihar, Nepal’s version of Diwali. Phini is closer to a refined mathri, crafted by layering maida dough with a ghee-rubbed rice flour mixture known as satho. The dough is tightly rolled, sliced, flattened, slit, and deep-fried to produce a crisp, spiral-layered treat. Once fried, it’s sprinkled with sugar, giving it a subtle sweetness. Though time-consuming, phini is prized for its intricate texture and festive symbolism. Still made in rural homes, it’s a disappearing delight rarely found in shops today.

Rice Papad

Also called arisi appalam, vadam, or rice papadum, rice papad is a traditional South Indian snack, particularly popular in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. The batter uses rice (sometimes mixed with sago), which is soaked, ground into a smooth paste, seasoned with salt, cumin, or chilli, then spread into thin discs and steamed. After steaming, the discs are sun-dried thoroughly till brittle. Finally, they are deep-fried or roasted, puffing into light, crackling wafers.

Deewale

Deewale are a nearly forgotten festive snack once made in Old Delhi homes during Diwali. A special form of mathri, these were shaped by pressing the dough with a thumb to create an impression resembling a diya (oil lamp), giving the snack both its name and symbolic value. Made from a mix of wheat flour, ghee, and spices, deewale are deep-fried until golden and crispy. While mathris remain popular across North India, this diya-shaped variant has all but disappeared from markets and cookbooks.

Bring The Crunch Back Into Diwali

This Diwali, don’t just settle for the usual munchies – give your taste buds a nostalgic jolt with these forgotten namkeens. They’re crunchy time machines bringing back the spicy spirit of celebrations past. So go ahead, dig in, and let these lost flavours light up your festival like never before.