Posted: 24 Oct, 2026 Contributor: Gauri Harbola
When you think of Diwali, what comes to mind first? Rows of glowing diyas outside homes, colourful rangolis at the entrance, family gatherings or boxes of sweets being exchanged between neighbours? For many of us, food is just as much a part of Diwali as the lights and decorations. The familiar smell of ghee, freshly prepared laddoos and crispy snacks coming from the kitchen brings back memories of celebrating the festival with family.
What makes Diwali food particularly interesting is how much it changes as we travel across India. A family in Delhi might prepare besan laddoos and mathri, while a household in Maharashtra may spend days preparing traditional faral. In Tamil Nadu, adhirasam and murukku are festive favourites, while Bengal's Kali Puja celebrations often include traditional sweets such as sandesh and rasgulla.
Diwali 2026 falls on Sunday, 8 November, and as households begin preparing for the festival, it is a wonderful time to revisit these regional food traditions. Many of the recipes have been passed down through generations, with each family adding its own little touches along the way.
From North India's rich mithai to South India's traditional sweets and Western India's homemade festive snacks, let's explore the regional delicacies that make Diwali celebrations across India so special.
In North India, Diwali preparations often begin several days before the festival. Homes are cleaned and decorated, gifts are purchased, and kitchens become busy with the preparation of sweets and savoury snacks. In states such as Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Delhi, exchanging mithai with relatives, neighbours and friends remains an important part of the celebration.
Traditional sweets prepared during Diwali are often rich in ghee, milk, nuts and aromatic ingredients such as cardamom and saffron. While recipes vary between families, some sweets have become familiar favourites across the region.
Besan Laddoo: One of the most loved traditional sweets, besan laddoos are prepared by slowly roasting gram flour in ghee until it develops a deep golden colour and a nutty aroma. Sugar and cardamom are then added before shaping the mixture into round laddoos. Their familiar taste makes them a popular homemade Diwali sweet.
Kaju Katli: Thin, diamond-shaped pieces of cashew-based mithai are a common sight in Diwali gift boxes. Made primarily with cashews and sugar, kaju katli is particularly popular for festive gifting because of its smooth texture and delicate flavour.
Soan Papdi: Known for its light, flaky layers, soan papdi has long been associated with festive sweet boxes. Its distinctive texture makes it different from the richer, denser mithai varieties usually prepared during Diwali.
Peda: Prepared using milk solids and often flavoured with cardamom, saffron or nuts, peda is another traditional favourite. Different regions have their own versions, including the well-known Mathura peda.
Alongside sweets, savoury snacks are an essential part of festive gatherings.
Shakkarpare and Namakpare: Crunchy diamond-shaped snacks, available in sweet and savoury varieties.
Mathri: A crisp, flaky snack made using flour, spices and ghee or oil, often enjoyed with tea.
Chivda and Namkeen Mixtures: Combinations of flattened rice, nuts, sev and spices that are convenient to serve when guests visit.
These foods are closely connected with the way Diwali is celebrated in North Indian households. Preparing them together, sharing recipes and sending homemade sweets to relatives are traditions that continue even as celebrations become more modern.
In Western India, particularly Maharashtra and Gujarat, Diwali celebrations have a strong connection with homemade sweets and savoury preparations. Many families begin making festive snacks well before Diwali so they can be shared with visitors throughout the celebration.
One of Maharashtra's most distinctive Diwali food traditions is faral, a collection of homemade sweet and savoury snacks prepared specifically for the festive season.
Preparing faral is often a family activity. Recipes are handed down from parents and grandparents, and different households have their own preferred combinations of ingredients and spices.
Some popular Maharashtrian Diwali faral items include:
Chivda: A savoury mixture commonly made with flattened rice, peanuts, curry leaves and spices. It is light and crunchy, making it a favourite snack to serve with tea.
Karanji: A crescent-shaped sweet with a crisp outer covering and a filling that may contain coconut, sugar or jaggery, nuts and aromatic spices. It is similar to the gujiya prepared in North India, although the fillings and preparation styles can differ.
Shankarpali: Small, diamond-shaped pieces of fried dough, usually prepared in sweet or savoury variations. Sweet shankarpali is especially popular during Diwali and is often stored in airtight containers for festive gatherings.
Anarsa: A traditional Maharashtrian sweet made using rice flour and jaggery or sugar, commonly coated with sesame seeds before frying. Its preparation requires patience, and many families consider it an important part of their Diwali faral.
Chakli: A spiral-shaped, crunchy savoury snack prepared using flour mixtures and spices. Chakli is one of the most recognisable items on a traditional Maharashtrian faral platter.
The combination of sweet and savoury foods is what makes faral special. Rather than serving only mithai, families offer guests a variety of textures and flavours.
Gujarat also has a rich tradition of preparing sweets and farsan during Diwali. The festive season is closely associated with family gatherings, celebrations and, for many Gujarati households, the beginning of the Gujarati New Year.
Some popular preparations include:
Mohanthal: A rich traditional sweet made with gram flour, ghee and sugar, often flavoured with cardamom and garnished with nuts. Its slightly grainy texture gives it a distinctive character.
Chorafali: A light, crisp savoury snack made using flour and seasoned with spices. It is especially popular during the Diwali season in Gujarat.
Mathiya: Thin, crispy savoury snacks traditionally prepared using flour mixtures and spices. They are often made in advance and served during festive visits.
Ghughra: A sweet stuffed pastry similar to karanji or gujiya, usually filled with ingredients such as coconut, nuts and sugar.
These regional preparations show how the same festival can have very different food traditions, even between neighbouring states.
In South India, Diwali is commonly known as Deepavali, and the festival has its own regional customs and food traditions. In many households, celebrations begin early in the morning with an oil bath, prayers, new clothes and the sharing of homemade sweets and savoury snacks.
The foods prepared during Deepavali often use ingredients such as rice flour, jaggery, lentils, coconut and ghee. Recipes differ across Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Kerala, but several traditional preparations remain popular.
Mysore Pak is one of Karnataka's best-known traditional sweets. Prepared using gram flour, sugar and generous quantities of ghee, it is known for its rich flavour and distinctive texture.
Depending on the recipe, Mysore Pak can be slightly firm and porous or soft enough to melt in the mouth. It is commonly prepared for celebrations and is a popular choice for festive gifting.
Adhirasam is a traditional Tamil sweet prepared using rice flour and jaggery. The ingredients are combined to make a dough, which is shaped into small discs and fried.
The preparation requires care, particularly when making the jaggery syrup and resting the dough. Adhirasam remains an important part of Deepavali celebrations in many Tamil households.
Murukku is a crunchy, spiral-shaped savoury snack commonly made with rice flour and urad dal flour. Depending on the recipe, it may be flavoured with cumin, sesame seeds or other seasonings.
Different varieties of murukku are prepared across South India, and it is frequently served alongside sweets during festive gatherings.
Obbattu, also known as holige, is a sweet flatbread traditionally prepared with a filling of lentils and jaggery. It is often flavoured with cardamom and served with ghee.
Although it is prepared for several festivals and special occasions rather than Diwali alone, it remains an important part of Karnataka's traditional festive cuisine.
Other popular Deepavali preparations include boondi laddoo, mixture, ribbon pakoda and coconut-based sweets. Together, these dishes reflect the diversity of South Indian festive cooking.
In Eastern India, particularly West Bengal, Diwali coincides with Kali Puja, an important festival dedicated to Goddess Kali. Homes, temples and neighbourhoods are decorated with lights, and food offerings form an important part of the celebrations.
Bengal has a particularly rich tradition of milk-based sweets, many of which are prepared using chhena, a fresh cheese made by curdling milk.
Sandesh: A delicate sweet made primarily from fresh chhena and sugar. It can be prepared in different shapes and flavours, with variations containing cardamom, saffron or jaggery.
Rasgulla: Soft, spongy balls of chhena cooked in sugar syrup. Rasgulla is widely enjoyed across Eastern India and is commonly served during festivals and celebrations.
Chomchom: A traditional sweet made using chhena, often served with a coating of coconut or other garnishes. Its soft texture and sweetness make it a popular festive treat.
Narkel Naru: Small coconut laddoos prepared using grated coconut and sugar or jaggery. These are commonly made for religious occasions and family celebrations in Bengali households.
Odisha has its own rich sweet-making traditions, including chhena-based preparations and different varieties of pitha. Rice, coconut and jaggery are important ingredients in many traditional recipes.
In Assam, rice-based pithas and coconut sweets are an important part of the state's wider festive food culture, although they are not all specifically associated with Diwali.
These regional differences are worth recognising. Not every traditional sweet is prepared exclusively for Diwali, but many become part of family celebrations and festive gatherings depending on local customs.
Central India's food traditions reflect a combination of local ingredients, regional influences and recipes shared with neighbouring states.
In Madhya Pradesh, sweets such as mawa bati, besan laddoo and other milk-based preparations are enjoyed during festivals and family celebrations. Savoury foods such as khasta kachori are also popular, particularly when guests visit during the festive season.
Mawa bati, a rich sweet prepared using milk solids and filled with nuts, is particularly associated with parts of Madhya Pradesh. Its indulgent flavour makes it suitable for special occasions.
In Chhattisgarh, traditional food preparations often use rice, jaggery and locally available ingredients. Dishes such as khurmi, a sweet fried snack, and other regional sweets reflect the state's home-style cooking traditions.
While these foods are not all exclusive to Diwali, they are part of the broader festive food culture of Central India.
The North-Eastern states have diverse culinary traditions shaped by their communities, local ingredients and regional festivals. Diwali is celebrated by different communities across the region, although its customs and significance vary.
In Assam, Diwali is observed in many households, while Kali Puja is also celebrated in certain communities. Families may prepare or purchase familiar Indian sweets alongside foods associated with their own regional traditions.
In Tripura, Kali Puja is an important celebration for many communities, and sweets are commonly shared during religious and family gatherings.
Rather than having one common Diwali menu across the North-East, festive food choices often reflect the traditions of individual communities and households. This diversity is part of what makes India's food culture so interesting.
Among the many regional delicacies prepared during Diwali, some dishes have become popular well beyond their places of origin. Besan laddoo and shankarpali are two such examples.
Besan laddoo is a familiar festive sweet prepared with gram flour, ghee, sugar and cardamom. The key to its flavour lies in roasting the besan slowly until it develops a deep, nutty aroma.
Once the roasted mixture has cooled sufficiently, sugar and cardamom are added before shaping it into laddoos. Some families also include chopped nuts for additional texture.
The ingredients are simple, but the preparation requires patience. Roasting the gram flour properly makes a noticeable difference to the final taste and texture.
Shankarpali is a traditional festive snack made using flour, ghee, sugar and other ingredients depending on the family recipe.
The dough is rolled out, cut into small diamond shapes and fried until crisp. Once cooled, the pieces are stored in airtight containers.
Shankarpali is especially convenient for festive gatherings because it can be prepared in advance and served whenever relatives or neighbours visit.
Both dishes show how traditional recipes can become an important part of family memories, with each generation learning the preparation from the previous one.
Preparing festive food at home is a tradition many families enjoy. However, making several dishes at once can be time-consuming, particularly when there are other Diwali preparations to manage.
A little planning can make the process easier.
Plan your menu in advance: Decide which sweets and snacks you want to prepare and purchase the ingredients beforehand. Dry snacks can often be prepared earlier, while fresh milk-based sweets are better made closer to the celebration.
Choose good-quality ingredients: Fresh nuts, properly stored flour, good-quality ghee and other carefully selected ingredients can make a noticeable difference to the taste and texture of homemade sweets.
Store different foods appropriately: Dry snacks generally need airtight containers to maintain crispness, while perishable sweets made with milk or fresh chhena require refrigeration. Follow recipe-specific storage guidance rather than assuming that every sweet has the same shelf life.
Prepare quantities according to your needs: It is easy to make more food than necessary during festivals. Consider the number of family members and guests before preparing large batches.
Be mindful of substitutions: Replacing refined sugar with jaggery changes the flavour and nutritional composition of a sweet, but it does not automatically make the preparation low in sugar. Similarly, baking a traditionally fried snack can change its texture. Choose alternatives based on personal preferences rather than assuming that every substitution is healthier.
The aim is to enjoy traditional festive foods while being thoughtful about freshness, ingredients and quantities.
Many Indian sweets have interesting histories and cultural associations. Some are linked to regional festivals, while others are connected with temples, royal kitchens or family traditions.
Mysore Pak, for example, is popularly associated with the royal kitchens of Mysore. According to a widely told account, it was created by a palace cook and eventually became one of Karnataka's most recognisable sweets. Although details of the story vary, its association with Mysore remains an important part of its identity.
Mohanthal has a long association with Gujarati and Rajasthani sweet-making traditions and is also prepared as an offering on certain religious occasions.
In Bengal, sweets such as sandesh reflect the region's distinctive chhena-based confectionery tradition. Their preparation has developed over time, with different sweet makers introducing their own flavours and variations.
Karanji, gujiya and ghughra offer another interesting example of regional similarities. These stuffed pastries share a broadly similar form, but their fillings, textures and preparation methods vary between households and states.
What makes these foods special is not simply their history, but the way people continue to prepare and share them. A recipe that has been made in the family for decades often carries memories that cannot be recreated by purchasing the same sweet from a shop.
India's food culture is incredibly diverse, and Diwali provides an opportunity to experience that diversity through traditional recipes.
In North India, milk-based mithai, laddoos and savoury snacks are common festive favourites. Maharashtra is known for its elaborate faral preparations, while Gujarat has its own selection of traditional sweets and farsan.
South Indian households often prepare dishes using rice flour, jaggery, lentils and ghee, while Eastern India has a strong tradition of chhena-based sweets and coconut preparations.
These regional differences reflect local ingredients, family customs and cooking methods developed over generations.
There is also something meaningful about keeping these traditions alive. Many recipes require time and effort, and preparing them at home provides an opportunity for younger family members to learn from parents and grandparents.
At OMKITCHEN Just Organic, we value the diversity of Indian food and the importance of traditional cooking methods. Our approach to preparing fresh, home-style meals with organic ingredients is rooted in the belief that good food begins with careful preparation and quality ingredients.
Festivals such as Diwali are a reminder of how strongly food is connected to family, culture and the joy of sharing.
As Diwali 2026 approaches, kitchens across India will once again be filled with familiar festive aromas. Some families will prepare laddoos and mathri, others will spend time making chakli and karanji, while many will bring out recipes for Mysore Pak, adhirasam and traditional regional sweets.
Despite the differences in ingredients and preparation, the purpose remains much the same: preparing something special, sharing it with others and celebrating the occasion together.
Whether you prefer homemade mithai or sweets from a trusted sweet maker, freshness and ingredient quality are always worth considering. For those planning to share traditional sweets with friends and family, OMSWEETS offers a selection of organic sweets, including familiar festive favourites such as Kaju Katli, Badam Barfi, Coconut Barfi and Kesar Peda.
This Diwali, alongside your usual family favourites, perhaps try a traditional sweet or snack from another part of India. It is a simple way to discover new flavours while appreciating the culinary traditions that make Indian festivals so distinctive.
After all, the most memorable Diwali celebrations are often the ones filled with good food, familiar faces and recipes that bring everyone together.
Some of the most popular Diwali sweets include Kaju Katli, Besan Laddoo, Soan Papdi, Gulab Jamun, Mysore Pak, Coconut Barfi and Peda. Different regions also have their own festive specialities, such as adhirasam in Tamil Nadu and mohanthal in Gujarat.
Diwali faral is a traditional collection of sweet and savoury snacks prepared in Maharashtrian households during the festival. Popular items include chakli, chivda, karanji, shankarpali and anarsa. These preparations are commonly shared with relatives, neighbours and guests.
Popular South Indian Deepavali sweets include Mysore Pak, adhirasam, boondi laddoo and various coconut-based sweets. The exact preparations differ between states and households.
Common savoury Diwali snacks include mathri, namakpare, chakli, murukku, chivda, chorafali and mathiya. These snacks are often prepared in advance and served to guests during festive gatherings.
India's regional food traditions are influenced by locally available ingredients, climate, cooking techniques, religious customs and family practices. As a result, the dishes associated with Diwali vary from one state and community to another.
Choose sweets prepared with good-quality ingredients, check freshness and storage requirements, and purchase quantities that suit your family's needs. If you have specific dietary requirements, review ingredient and allergen information before purchasing.
Diwali will be celebrated on Sunday, 8 November 2026. Families across India will observe the festival through prayers, lighting diyas, decorating their homes and sharing festive food according to their regional traditions.
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