Deepavali is actually a festival of lights and one of the major festivals celebrated by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, and also some Buddhists, notably Newar Buddhists. The festival usually lasts five days and is celebrated during the Hindu lunisolar month Kartika. One of the most popular festivals of Hinduism, Deepavali would symbolize the spiritual “victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance”. Many people do not know about this.
Like all other celebrations that are celebrated here in our country that is Malaysia, Deepavali also would have the celebration’s own distinctive and famous dishes that usually got served at that time. All of the dishes that are so special at that time really bring their own meaning to the celebration. These are 5 popular dishes during Deepavali.
1) Murukku
Murukku is a savory, crunchy snack originating from the Indian subcontinent. The name murukku derives from the Tamil word for “twisted”, which refers to its shape. Murukku is typically made from rice flour and urad dal flour. Chakli is a similar dish, typically made with an additional ingredient, and chickpea flour.
2) Laddoo
Laddoo is a sphere-shaped sweet originating from the Indian subcontinent. Laddoo is primarily made from flour, fat, and sugar. Laddoo is often made of gram flour but can also be made with semolina. Sometimes ingredients such as chopped nuts and dried raisins are also added. The type of ingredients used may vary by recipe.
3) Tosai
A tosai is a thin pancake or crepe originating from South India, made from a fermented batter predominantly consisting of lentils and rice. It is somewhat similar to a crepe in appearance, although savory flavors are generally emphasized. Its main ingredients are rice and black gram ground together in a fine, smooth batter with a dash of salt, then fermented.
4) Jalebi
Jalebi is a popular Indian sweet snack. It is made by deep-frying maida flour that is plain flour or all-purpose flour batter in pretzel or circular shapes, which are then soaked in sugar syrup. This dessert can be served warm or cold. They have a somewhat chewy texture with a crystallized sugary exterior coating. Citric acid or lime juice is sometimes added to the syrup, as well as rose water.
5) Idli
Idli is a type of savory rice cake, originating from the Indian subcontinent, popular as a breakfast food in Southern India and in Sri Lanka. The cakes are made by steaming a batter consisting of fermented black lentils which have been de-husked and rice. The fermentation process breaks down the starches so that they are more readily metabolized by the body.
Sources: Times of India.