Oil-free Diwali Food: Diwali is not just a festival of lights and decorations, but also of taste and tradition. Every state prepares dishes that symbolize prosperity, sweetness, and auspiciousness. In North India, Diwali is celebrated with the preparation of puris, kachoris, potato-tomato curry, dal makhani, paneer dishes, and various sweets such as laddus, gujiyas, chaklis, balushahis, and gram flour laddus. In South India, sweets made with coconut and jaggery, such as payasam, adaiyappam, and naliker laddus, are popular. In Gujarat and Maharashtra, preparing farsan, chivda, namkeen, puranpoli, and shakarpara is considered auspicious.

On Diwali, food is prepared that is sattvic, rich, and sweet in taste, as this day is dedicated to welcoming Goddess Lakshmi and wishing for prosperity. Sharing sweetness is believed to symbolize happiness and good fortune, so preparing a variety of dishes at home on Diwali has become a symbol of culture, love, and unity.

Festivals aren't just about sweets and fried foods; they can also be a combination of balanced taste and health. If you want to prepare light yet delicious meals on Choti Diwali, or Naraka Chaturdashi, here are some easy and healthy options.

Semolina Upma

Lightly roast semolina in a dry pan. Add a little ghee or half a teaspoon of olive oil to a pan. Add mustard seeds, curry leaves, green chilies, and onions, and lightly fry. Add hot water, add the roasted semolina, stirring constantly. Add lemon juice, salt, and coriander leaves. A light breakfast without frying, yet energizing.

Dalia Khichdi

Wash the lentils and moong dal together. Add some ghee to the cooker, add cumin seeds, turmeric, and vegetables. Add the lentils and lentils. Then add three times the amount of water and cook for two whistles. Add lemon juice. It tastes delicious even without onion and garlic.

Paneer Tikka

Make a marinade by mixing yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric, red chili, lemon juice, and a little olive oil. Add paneer, capsicum, and onion. Bake in an air fryer or oven at 180°C for 15 minutes. If desired, lightly fry it in a pan. This is a smoky, protein-rich dish without oil.

Veg Pulao

Add 1 teaspoon ghee to a pan, add bay leaves, cloves, and cumin seeds. Add vegetables and cook, covered, for 2 minutes. Add cooked basmati rice, a little salt, and lemon juice. Garnish with coriander or mint. You can also make it without ghee in a rice cooker. Use olive oil or an air fryer instead of ghee and oil. For dessert, choose sugar-free or jaggery-based options, such as date rolls or oat laddus. By adopting this kind of non-fried festive food menu on Chhoti Diwali, you can maintain a balance between taste and health.

PC Social Media