Tag: diwali 2020

Make the most of Diwali at home

Diwali is a great time to spend some quality time with friends & family. Here is how you can make the most of Diwali with your family at home.

Diwali celebrations

Diwali, the most-awaited and biggest festival in India is just around the corner. The 5 days festival that is also known as the festival of lights is celebrated to honour the victory of good over evil. It is believed that on this day Lord Rama returned to Ayodhya with his wife after killing the demon Ravana. On Diwali, people dress up their finest clothes, light diyas, make rangoli and worship Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi.  Checkout more festive blogs here.

The 5 days of Diwali

  • Dhanteras marks the beginning of the 5 days Diwali festival. People worship Lord Kubera and Goddess Lakshmi, the god and goddess of wealth on this day. Dhanteras is considered an auspicious day to buy jewellery and clothes.
  • The second day of Diwali is celebrated as Choti Diwali. It is believed that on this day Goddess Kali and Lord Krishna killed the demon Narakasura. 
  • Diwali is the main festival of the 5 days celebrations and it symbolises the victory of light over darkness. On this day people decorate their homes, exchange gifts & sweets and perform Lakshmi puja. 
  • Govardhan Puja is celebrated on the fourth day of Diwali. On this day, a Lord Krishna’s idol is made out of cow dung and then it is worshipped and some women also fast on this day. 
  • The last festival of the 5 days celebration is Bhai Dooj. On this day, sisters perform aarti for their brothers and wish for their long and happy life.

How to make the most of Diwali at home

Diwali is a great time to get together and spend some quality time with friends & family, but this time because of the pandemic the celebrations are going to be a bit different. Here is how you can make the most of the festivities with your family at home.

1.   Dress up for pictures

diwali 2020

Celebrating Diwali at home doesn’t mean that you can’t dress up. Put on your finest, traditional clothes and pose for some nice pictures and share them on your family Whatsapp groups. This will make this quarantine celebration a memorable one.

2.   Prepare a grand Diwali thali

diwali food

Diwali without food is incomplete and now that you are celebrating it at home, you can invest even more time in the meal preparation. Cook your family’s favourite food and treat them with a grand thali. Checkout the thali I prepared here.

3.   Celebrate on Video call

diwali with family

Not being able to meet your friends and family on Diwali can be tough, and in times like these, a video call is the best way to connect. Decide a time and bring your family & friends together for a video party.

4.   Send Gift cards

diwali gifts

You can’t meet your loved ones to exchange gifts, but you can surprise them with a gift card. If you want to give them something thoughtful sitting at home, then gift cards are the best way to do that and believe me it will make them happy.

5.   Indulge in Online Shopping

diwali shopping

Diwali is the time for some amazing online offers and discounts, so why not make the most of them by shopping online. You can even surprise your friends & relatives by sending them online gifts.

Tips to celebrate an Eco-friendly Diwali

Celebrating at home doesn’t mean that you can’t celebrate an eco-friendly Diwali. Here are some tips to make your at-home celebrations eco-friendly.

  1. Decorate the house with eco-friendly products or do the DIY decorations.
  2. Use earthen oil diyas instead of LED lights and lamps.
  3. Wish your loved ones by gifting them organic products or green plants.
  4. Use natural colours for rangoli or flowers instead of chemically synthesized colours.
  5. Instead of bursting crackers play some fun family games.

Here are some things that you can do to make the most of Diwali celebrations at home with your family.

This year things won’t be like before, but we can still celebrate it and make it memorable by doing some simple things. Hope you have a happy and safe Diwali.

My Diwali Thali Preparations

No Indian festival is complete without food and Diwali is no exception. Here is the grand thali I prepared for Diwali this year.

Diwali thali

It’s finally Diwali time and I couldn’t be more excited. Without a doubt, Diwali is my most favourite Indian festival.

The lights filled the streets, rangolis, card parties and whatnot, but one thing that I love most about it is the food. We all know that no Indian festival is complete without good food and Diwali is no exception.

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Back in India, my Mum would always prepare a grand meal on Diwali and then serve it in those big thalis. I always try and follow the traditions and make sure that I cook something special, but this year I went a step further and prepared a Grand Diwali Thali with Shan Foods.

grand Diwali thali

For the thali I decided to make Punjabi Chole, Aloo Bhaaji, Dal Tadka, Vegetable Dum Biryani, Cucumber Raita, Badam Kheer, Gulab Jamun, Popadum and Chapati. I was really excited to prepare this Grand Thali and had so much fun while cooking all the dishes. So, I thought why not share some recipes that I cooked with you all. Keep reading for the recipes and to know how to make most of Diwali at home click here.

Punjabi Chole

Punjabi chole recipe

This is my mother’s recipe and every time I am craving Punjabi Chole made by her, this recipes comes in handy. Whenever I cook this I make sure that I send her a picture.

Punjabi chole recipe
Print Recipe

Punjabi Chole

Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: dinner, lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: chole, Indian food, indian recipes, punjabi chole
Servings: 4 people

Equipment

  • Blender
  • Pan

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp Cooking oil
  • 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
  • 2 tbsp Ginger-garlic paste
  • 2 chopped Onions
  • 3 chopped Tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp Salt
  • 2 tbsp Shan Chana masala
  • 1 teaspoon Garam masala
  • 1 tbsp Coriander powder
  • 2 cups soaked & boiled Chickpeas

For garnishing

  • 1 Lemon
  • Chopped Coriander

Instructions

  • Heat oil in the pan and add cumin seeds. Cook the cumin seeds for 1-2 minutes and add ginger-garlic paste.
  • After the ginger-garlic paste is well cooked and is slightly golden in colour add chopped onions.
  • Once the onions are light pink in colour add chopped tomatoes, salt, Shan chana masala and cook for few minutes. Add garam masala & coriander powder and let it simmer for some time.
  • The next step is to keep the mixture aside and let it cool for sometime. Once it has cooled down, pour the mixture into a blender and blend it to make the gravy.
  • Put the gravy back on the flame and add soaked & boiled chickpeas into it. Cook for 10 minutes on medium heat.
  • Your Punjabi Chole are ready. Garnish with lemon juice and coriander and serve with chapati

Vegetable Dum Biryani

Vegetable dum biryani recipe

Vegetable Dun biryani is one of my favourite Indian dishes, because it has lots of veggies. For this one, I added a little modern twist to the traditional dum biryani recipe.

Vegetable dum biryani recipe
Print Recipe

Vegatable Dum Biryani

Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: dinner, lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: biryani, dum biryani, Indian food, vegetable biryani
Servings: 4 people
Author: Archana

Equipment

  • Pan
  • Oven

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp Cooking oil
  • 1 teaspoon Jeera
  • 1 chopped Onion
  • 1 chopped Tomato
  • 1 tbsp Salt
  • 3 tbsp Shan Biryani masala
  • 1 chopped Potato
  • 2 bowls chopped Mixed vegetables
  • 1 bowl Yogurt
  • 4 cups Boiled rice

For garnishing

  • Fried onion

Instructions

  • Heat cooking oil in the pan and add jeera. Cook the jeera for 1 minute.
  • Add chopped onions and cook them until they turn light pink in colour.
  • Once the onions are done, add chopped tomatoes and stir for few minutes.
  • After the tomatoes become soft, add salt, Shan Biryani masala and mix together.
  • Add chopped potatoes & mix vegetables to the mixture and cook for 10 minutes.
  • Once the vegetables are cooked, add yogurt and mix everything together nicely.
  • Now that everything is ready, take a glass bowl and add a layer of rice, then top it with a layer of biryani mixture and then complete it with a third layer of rice.
  • Cover the bowl with foil and cook in oven for 10-15 minutes.
  • Your Dum Vegetable Biryani is ready. Garnish with fried onions and serve.

Badam Kheer

Badam kheer recipe

Kheer is that one Indian dessert that I can never say no to. Even if I am full, I manage to make room for kheer. So, making kheer for the Diwali thali was a must.

Badam kheer recipe
Print Recipe

Badam Kheer

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: badam kheer, kheer, kheer recipe
Servings: 4 people
Author: Archana

Equipment

  • Pan

Ingredients

  • 1 litre Milk
  • 1 packet Shan Badam kheer mix
  • 1 bowl Boiled rice

For garnishing

  • Chopped pistachios
  • Rose petal

Instructions

  • Put milk in a pan and add Shan Badam kheer mix to it and mix them together.
  • Add boiled rice and cook for 10-15 minutes. Make sure you are stirring it frequently.
  • Once done, pour the kheer into a large bowl, garnish with chopped pistachios, rose petals and serve.

I hope you like the the recipes and all the things I prepared for the grand Diwali thali. I would love to see your thalis, so don’t forget to share them with me on Instagram.