A make-ahead Diwali plan: sweets and snacks

Growing up in Kenya, Diwali preparations were a big part of the celebrations. There was always plenty of cooking, frying and making different varieties of nasto to share with family and friends. Often neighbours got together to help each other with the making of the Diwali snacks and savouries.

I remember how we would exchange plates of homemade sweets and savouries. And, of course, you never returned an empty plate!

These days, I think we all have to find a balance between keeping our food traditions alive and not spending the whole week in the kitchen. My suggestion is to choose a few favourite recipes, spread the preparation over several days and enjoy making them without feeling that you have to prepare everything yourself.

So I thought I would come up with some helpful suggestions.

Rather than spending several days rushing around the kitchen, I would suggest that you spread out the work and make a few of traditional favourites snacks together with a couple of easier sweets.

A bowl of chevdo, some crisp chakri and something sweet can be a lovely way to welcome friends at Diwali. You do not have to make a whole shopful of mithai and farsan! Choose one savoury and one sweet to begin with, then add another dish if you have time.

Also, don’t feel guilty if you need to get some ready prepared dishes from the Mithai shop. 

I have brought together five recipes from my blog to help you decide what to cook and what to get ready beforehand. Chakri and chevdo can be made ahead.   Allow time for the barfis to set, and if you are cooking the traditional lapsi, make it fresh to serve hot.

A small Diwali cooking plan

For a manageable menu, choose chakri with fresh lapsi. If Kenya-style chevdo is the snack you are looking forward to, make that instead of the chakri. You can add chocolate barfi too, but leave plenty of time for it to set.

• Earlier in the week: choose your two dishes, read the full recipes and make a shopping list. Check your spices, frying oil, trays and clean airtight containers. And most important, ask your guests about allergies (as you know, most Diwali recipes have nuts or sesame) before choosing the menu.
• One or two days before serving: make your chosen fried snack. For chevdo, allow for the overnight preparation before your frying day. Let the finished snack cool fully before packing it away.
• For the barfi: have your tray ready and leave time for both the base and chocolate layer to set.
• On the day: cook lapsi if you have chosen it, and put out small bowls of your savouries. Keep the remaining snacks sealed until you need them.

Kenya-style chevdo: plan the preparation first

Chevdo

Kenya-style chevdo with rice flakes, potato crisps, lentils and nuts has several components to fry separately before they are mixed and seasoned. Read through the overnight preparation before deciding which day to cook it.  Allow yourself time for frying and cleaning afterwards too.

Put the ingredients on to soak overnight in the fridge, then drain and dry them well before frying.

Once the chevdo has cooled completely, pack it into an airtight container. Making it a day or two ahead gives you one less thing to do on Diwali.

Chakri or chakli: a snack to make ahead

Chakri

These crisp, spicy chakri made with rice, plain and chickpea flours need time for shaping and frying in batches. Get your chakri maker or piping bag ready before you start.

Fry the chakri in batches, drain them and let them cool completely before putting them in an airtight container. You can make them a day or two ahead and have them ready to put out with tea.

This version contains butter and yogurt. There is also a separate vegan chakri recipe if that suits your guests better.

Chocolate barfi: leave time for both layers

Chocolate barfi

The chocolate barfi with milk powder, cardamom and saffron needs its base to cool and firm up before you add the chocolate. The topping then needs to set too. Have your tray ready and allow for both stages when planning your cooking.

For a microwave method, try the chocolate barfi with condensed milk and double cream. The microwave cooking is quick, but the base still needs to cool before you add the chocolate. Allow time for the topping to set too.

Gujarati lapsi: cook it fresh

Lapsi

If you would like a warm sweet, choose Gujarati lapsi with coarse wheat flour, jaggery and ghee. The recipe says it is best eaten hot, so keep it as your fresh-cooking option.

For more choices, browse Ten Diwali Savouries and the collection of fifteen sweets. Choose the dishes you most want to share and build your shopping list from those recipes.

Diwali is not about how many sweets we make or how many varieties of nasto we prepare. It is about celebrating togetherness, sharing what we have, keeping our traditions alive and making happy memories.

Whether you make everything from scratch, prepare just a couple of family favourites or buy a few treats to add to your plate, what matters most is enjoying the celebrations.

So, plan ahead, enjoy your time in the kitchen, share your homemade goodies and don’t forget to save some time for yourself!  Now that the kitchen is clean and all the Diwali goodies are ready, it’s time to turn some attention to yourself. Book that manicure, put on a face mask or simply sit down with a cup of chai and taste what you cooked.  You’ve earned it! And no, washing up doesn’t count as a beauty treatment!

Wishing you and your families a very Happy Diwali, filled with light, laughter, love and lots of delicious food.

Once again Shubh Deepavali! 🪔

For the family stories behind the food, read my Diwali memories from Kenya and the UK.

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