Cover A plate of barfi, commonly served during Deepavali and other festivities (Photo: Getty Images)
A plate of barfi, commonly served during Deepavali and other festivities (Photo: Getty Images)
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From adhirasam to barfi, here are five snacks to add to your Deepavali spread
Bringing those who celebrate together in commemoration of light over darkness, Deepavali is set to take place on October 31. Every family prepares their own unique dishes to celebrate the occasion but one aspect remains a constant throughout all households: snacks.
Read more: Deepavali 2024: A guide to festive feasts and gifts
No Deepavali spread is complete without an assortment of sweet or savoury snacks, usually packed into red-lidded jars that pepper venues of festive gatherings. From popular murukku to saccharine adhirasam, here are five snacks that can fortify any Deepavali feast.
Adhirasam
Above A plate of adhirasam (Photo: Instagram / @myhealthykiddo)
A plate of adhirasam (Photo: Instagram / @myhealthykiddo)
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Sometimes dubbed Indian doughnuts, adhirasam is popular South Indian sweet you’ll find on most Deepavali spreads in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Made with ground rice and jaggery then spiced with cardamom or ginger, rice is first soaked, ground, and combined with a jaggery syrup to form a dough before being fermented for 12 hours and then deep fried.
Murukku
Above A platter of murukku (Photo: Instagram / @youreverydaycook)
A platter of murukku (Photo: Instagram / @youreverydaycook)
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A cornerstone of any at-home Deepavali celebration, head to a festive open house and expect to find jars filled with an assortment of murukku. Available in sweet or savoury iterations, one of its most popular forms takes shape as deep-fried, savoury spirals spiced with cumin and asafoetida.
See also: Tatler Dining Guide 2024: The best Indian and Sri Lankan restaurants in Malaysia
Barfi
Above Barfi with chopped pistachios (Photo: Instagram / @yummy_lummies)
Barfi with chopped pistachios (Photo: Instagram / @yummy_lummies)
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Commonly made around periods of festivity including Deepavali, barfi is a type of melt-in-your-mouth, milk-based fudge that is perfect for sharing. Often flavoured with coconut, pistachio, or almonds, its simplest form is made with condensed or evaporated milk, milk powder, sugar, and ghee.
Rava kesari
Above Rava kesari infused with pineapple (Photo: Instagram / @the_food_katta)
Rava kesari infused with pineapple (Photo: Instagram / @the_food_katta)
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A South Indian sweet popularly served during times of festivity, rava kesari is a type of semolina pudding. The dessert proves to be extremely versatile with common flavourings including mango, milk, or pineapple. Semolina or rava along with cashews are first toasted in ghee before saffron infused sugar syrup is added in and the mixture is left to cook over residual heat.
Teepi Gavvalu
Above Teepi gavvalu in jaggery syrup (Photo: Instagram / @lubnakarim06)
Teepi gavvalu in jaggery syrup (Photo: Instagram / @lubnakarim06)
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A sweet snack from Andhra Pradesh, teepi gavvalu which translates to sweet shells, is often served during festive occasions. A dough is made with maida and ghee before being rolled over the prongs of forks like gnocchi and deep fried till crisp and golden brown. Each morsel is then doused in spiced jaggery syrup for its signature sticky coating.
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About
Chelsea is a Dining Writer for Tatler Malaysia. When she’s not eating or writing about eating, she’s probably deciphering which oat milks froth the best for homemade flat whites.
Work
Chelsea writes about where to find great food and is passionate about exploring the cultural significance of different cuisines.
