The festival of Diwali is an opportunity to share happiness with loved ones, have fun and enjoy delicious dishes. If there is a party at home on this day, the excitement increases even more. But many times the host of the house has to spend the entire evening in the kitchen to cater to the guests and prepare various dishes. In such a situation, he is neither able to sit with the guests nor enjoy the festival fully.
If you want to enjoy the party with the guests this Diwali, then it is important to make some preparations in advance. By doing a little smart planning, you can prepare many food items in advance. This will make your work much easier on the day of the party. Let us know about 5 such preparations, which by completing them before the Diwali party, you can save a lot of your time.
1. Prepare dry snacks in advance
At a Diwali party, it is good to serve something spicy with tea, coffee or cold drinks as soon as the guests arrive. For this, you can prepare dry snacks in advance. Prepare snacks like celery mathri, namakpare, chakli and spicy chivda a few days before the party and store them in airtight containers.
If you want to have some light and healthy option, then you can roast the makhanas with ghee and chaat masala. This way, when the guests arrive, you will not need to prepare anything immediately and the snacks will be ready in advance.
2. Finish the work of making sweets in advance
Diwali celebration is considered incomplete without sweets. In such a situation, instead of buying sweets from the market, you can prepare many delicious sweets at home. Options like gram flour laddu, cashew katli, peanut chikki and coconut barfi can be made in advance.
Many of these sweets remain good for a few days if stored properly. At the same time, if you have kept Gulab Jamun in the menu, then you can prepare them a day before and keep them in the fridge. Keep in mind that sweets should be stored at the right temperature according to their ingredients, so that the taste and freshness is maintained.
3. Prepare chutney and gravy first
If samosas, tikkis and other Indian snacks are to be served in the party, then it is important to have chutney with them. In such a situation, coriander-mint chutney and tamarind or date sweet chutney can be prepared in advance and kept in the refrigerator.
Apart from this, prepare onion-tomato gravy for the main course. For this, prepare onion, tomato, ginger and garlic by frying them well with spices. On the day of the party, a delicious dish can be prepared by adding boiled chickpeas, paneer or vegetables of your choice to this base gravy. This will significantly reduce the time taken to prepare food.
4. Do the work of cutting and boiling vegetables first
Preparing vegetables the night before the party can be very beneficial. Finish tasks like peeling peas, cutting carrots and beans, boiling potatoes in advance. Store chopped vegetables in a clean, covered container in the refrigerator.
By doing this you will not have to waste time in washing, peeling and cutting vegetables on the day of the party. You will be able to start cooking straight away and concentrate on other preparations for the guests.
5. Prepare Dahi Bhalla and other dishes at night itself.
If Dahi Bhalla is included in the Diwali party menu, then its preparation can also be done in advance. You can fry the bhallas a day in advance and keep them in the fridge after they cool down. Before serving, soak them in lukewarm water to soften them and then garnish with whipped cold curd, sweet chutney and spices.
Apart from this, arrange some preparations for salad and the ingredients required for other dishes in advance. With this, you will not have to rush at the last moment.
Make your Diwali party memorable with smart planning
To make a Diwali party special, not only delicious food but also your preparation matters. If you prepare snacks, sweets, chutneys and vegetables in advance, you can save a lot of time on the day of the party. Just don't forget to store food items properly. With this, your kitchen will also remain organized and you will be able to celebrate Diwali openly with your family, friends and guests.