A vibrant, colourful, joyous celebration, Diwali is also an exhilarating feast of flavour

Fondly referred to as the "Festival of Lights”, the Hindu celebration of Diwali is this year celebrated on November 4. Hindus from all over the world mark the festival, usually over a number of days, with fireworks, candle-lighting and family gatherings — as well as plenty of of delicious Diwali food. If you plan on joining the celebration for 2021, here's our list of seven must-have Diwali foods.

Samosas

A firm, pastry-cased, favourite, the samosa comes in all different shapes, sizes and with plenty of variety when it comes to the filling. They are small, often triangular-shaped, savory pastry pockets stuffed with potatoes and peas and flavored with spices like fennel seeds, cumin seeds, coriander powder, garam masala and more. They are traditionally served piping hot with a spicy chutney.

Pakoras

Pakoras are made by pairing vegetables — think onion, eggplant, potato, spinach or cauliflower — with spices including mint, dill, carom seeds and ground garam masala. They are usually dipped in batter and deep-fried, although some prefer the healthier, non-fried version, served alongside a creamy soup, instead.

Puris

Asian bread options, what's not to love? From soft naan to crispy poppadoms, nothing quite beats dipping a freshly-cooked bread into a homemade curry. The puris is a small, round, flat piece of bread made of unleavened wheat flour before being deep-fried. A crunchy puris is a staple at any Diwali feast, and can be served with a savoury curry or gravy, or with a sweet dish as dessert.

Kheer

Kheer is a pudding made by boiling milk and sugar with rice, broken wheat, tapioca, vermicelli or sweet corn. It is usually made with cardamom, raisins, saffron, cashews, pistachios, almonds or other dry fruits and nuts. Depending on the region, it may also be known as "payasam" or "phirni".

Laddoos

Similar in shape to gulab jamun, laddoos are made with flour, ghee and sugar mixed with a range of other ingredients, including chopped nuts or dried raisins. There are several varieties, usually depending on region or which member of your family aught you to make them. We love besan laddoos and boondi laddoos (both made with different forms of gram flour). If you know anyone getting married this month, laddoos are also a traditional dish served as part of engagement and wedding celebrations.

Cholafali

A melt in the mouth traditional Gujarati snack, cholafali is widely enjoyed during Diwali. Light and fluffy, with a sour and spicy seasoning of chilli powder and dry mango powder, it's a fritter by nature and is an irresistible snack.

Dumwale Suran

Eating yams on the night of Diwali is a long-held tradition in central states of India. This dish is usually made with elephant foot yam or "suran’" as it is called in central India, and is a lightly-sauteed and spicy dish. If you can't get your hands on any elephant foot yam, don't worry, any other yam will also suffice.