Vegan Diwali Recipes https://www.veganricha.com/category/diwali/ Flavorful Vegan and Indian Recipes Food Blog Wed, 30 Oct 2024 20:40:07 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.2 https://www.veganricha.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/cropped-favicon-32x32.png Vegan Diwali Recipes https://www.veganricha.com/category/diwali/ 32 32 Kosha Mangsho (Bengali Mutton Curry with Onion Cardamom Chili sauce) https://www.veganricha.com/kosha-mangsho/ https://www.veganricha.com/kosha-mangsho/#comments Wed, 30 Oct 2024 11:19:00 +0000 https://www.veganricha.com/?p=69399 Kosha mangsho - a Bengali curry with a rich, flavorful sauce - is a popular Eastern Indian Onion Cardamom Chili Sauce. I paired with tofu as meat substitute. It is super delicious with rice, naan, or luchi!

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Kosha mangsho – a Bengali curry with a rich, flavorful sauce – is a popular Eastern Indian Onion Cardamom Chili Sauce. I paired with tofu as meat substitute. It is super delicious with rice, naan, or luchi!

close-up of kosha mangsho in the pan

Kosha mangsho is a speciality meat curry from Bengali cuisine. Bengal is a state in the eastern part of India and it has its own cuisine and the cuisine has its set of special dishes. There is the kosha mangsho, which is a curry as well as dishes like puchka, which is sort of like pani puri. Bengali desserts include dishes like rasgulla and sandesh mishti.

There is a lot of seafood in Bengali cuisine, and the vegetable curries in this region are made differently. You can find some delicious Bengali curries already on the blog, like chapor ghonto(lentil stew with dumplings)and charchari (veggie stir fry).

The kosha mangsho we are making today is a vegan version of a meaty, Bengali mutton curry. Kosha means slow roasting and mangsho means meat, so for the traditional dish, you’d slow roast the sauce for a while, then add the meat to it and slow roast that as well, so the meat browns and picks up all of the amazing flavors from the sauce.

kosha mangsho on a plate with rice

For the vegan version, we are going to brown our onions really well, so that we can use up all of that color and flavor of caramelization. Tofu is our meat substitute, but you can use other meat substitutes, as well, such as vegan chicken, vegan beef, vegan goat (if you can find it), and use those instead. You can also use chickpea flour tofu or just add some white beans or chickpeas to the sauce.

So much of the flavor is in the sauce that you won’t miss the meat!

Like many of the other regional Indian dishes, this one also uses a lot of whole spices, so use whichever spices you have on hand. If you are missing a spice here and there, it’s not going to take away from the dish. There’s plenty of flavor overall in this recipe.

kosha mangsho in the pan

This curry is a part of my Eastern Indian menu for Diwali! This year I am sharing 4 regional menus for your Indian dinner party. Regional Indian food often gets overlooked in the midst of the popular options, so try these recipes celebrating the many cuisines within Indian cuisine! You can find these fabulous recipes and menus on my YouTube channel here. Happy Diwali!

Why You’ll Love Kosha Mangsho

  • flavorful Bengali curry cooks up in a single pan
  • deep, authentic flavor without the meat!
  • naturally gluten-free and easily made nut-free and soy-free
close-up of kosha mangsho on a plate with rice

Continue reading: Kosha Mangsho (Bengali Mutton Curry with Onion Cardamom Chili sauce)

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40+ Vegan Diwali Sweets Recipes https://www.veganricha.com/diwali-sweets-recipes/ https://www.veganricha.com/diwali-sweets-recipes/#comments Sun, 27 Oct 2024 10:12:00 +0000 https://www.veganricha.com/?p=11207 Happy Diwali! Celebrate the festival of light with these delicious, Diwali sweets including Burfis, Ladoos, Halwa, and more from different regions of India. Eat them yourself or give them as gifts!

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Happy Diwali! Celebrate the festival of light with these delicious, Indian Diwali sweets including Ladoo, Burfi, Halwa and more from different regions of India. Eat them yourself or give them as gifts! All Dairy-free Eggless Vegan. This post was published Nov 7, 2015

image collage of vegan Diwali sweets: ladoo, burfi, rasmalai cake, rabbi, gujiya peda, and gulab jamun

Diwali is the Indian festival of lights and one of the bigger Hindu festivals celebrated in many parts of India. The festival spiritually signifies the victory of good over evil and celebrates kindness, compassion, prosperity, love and sharing. Before Diwali, people clean, and decorate their homes. People dress up in festive clothes, light up diyas (lamps and candles) inside and outside their home, participate in family pooja (prayers) typically to Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity. Followed by fireworks, a family get together, loads of great food ( appetizers, lots of mains and sides), including mithai (sweets).

People also visit family and friends and exchange gifts in the days before the festival, and these Diwali sweets make great gifts, as well!

Indian sweets and desserts often use milk solids – khoya, clarified butter – ghee, fresh cheese- chenna, milk, cream and other forms of dairy, but you don’t need these to make delicious desserts! I have a huge collection of vegan Indian Diwali sweets, including burfis, halwas and ladoos along with fusion desserts like my Ras Malai Tres leches cake, Carrot Halwa cheesecake and pistachio kulfi tiramisu that will please a crowd. Let’s reduce the pain and suffering of moms by choosing dairy-free options for Diwali festival!
If you try any of these sweets and desserts, do let me know how you and your family liked them!

HAPPY DIWALI!!!

If you’re looking for more Diwali recipes, don’t miss my vegan Diwali menu! It uses one base sauce to create a 3-course meal plus rice! And if you don’t do onion or garlic, I have a no onion no garlic Diwali menu, as well. Any of these Diwali sweets would be amazing with these menus!

Continue reading: 40+ Vegan Diwali Sweets Recipes

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Jalapeño Popper Pinwheels (vegan) https://www.veganricha.com/jalapeno-popper-pinwheels/ https://www.veganricha.com/jalapeno-popper-pinwheels/#comments Wed, 23 Oct 2024 11:40:00 +0000 https://www.veganricha.com/?p=69161 Jalapeño popper pinwheels have the creamy-crunchy texture and spicy flavor of jalapeño poppers in crispy, pinwheel form! Perfect for parties.

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Jalapeño popper pinwheels have the creamy-crunchy texture and spicy flavor of jalapeño poppers in crispy, pinwheel form! Perfect for parties, game day, holiday dinner!

close-up of jalapeño popper pinwheels on a serving platter

I love crispy pinwheels as appetizers for parties or any get-together. They’re such a satisfying, handheld snack that’s quick to pick up and not too messy. And you can add whatever fillings you like to pinwheels, like the veggie filling in my spinach pinwheels, spiced lentils in my kachori pinwheels, or spiced potatoes in my samosa pinwheels

And today, we are making jalapeño popper pinwheels, which have a mix of pickled and fresh jalapeños along with non-dairy cream cheese, rolled into puff pastry sheets and topped with crispy breadcrumb and cheese mixture. This amazing appetizer is basically jalapeño popper dip rolled up in a crispy puff pastry sheet!! It’s spicy, creamy, cheesy, crispy and just addictive. They need few ingredients, and are also easy to make ahead.

close-up of jalapeño popper pinwheel on the baking sheet after baking

Delicious, crispy-creamy-spicy jalapeño poppers pinwheels are perfect for a crowd! Serve them at your next dinner party, Diwali dinner or holiday party when you have vegetarian and vegan guests. They’re delicious on their own or with a dip, like vegan ranch, celery ranch, or garlic dressing.

close-up of jalapeño popper pinwheels on a serving platter

Why You’ll Love Jalapeno Popper Pinwheels

  • hand-held roll-ups are perfect for parties and holiday gatherings. No individual plates needed!
  • creamy jalapeño popper dip rolled up in crisp puff pastry
  • easy and fun to make! Can be made ahead.
  • soy-free and nut-free with easy gluten-free option
jalapeño popper pinwheels on a serving platter

Continue reading: Jalapeño Popper Pinwheels (vegan)

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Toasted Coconut Ladoo(Cardamom Coconut balls) https://www.veganricha.com/toasted-coconut-balls-toasted-coconut-ladoo/ https://www.veganricha.com/toasted-coconut-balls-toasted-coconut-ladoo/#comments Tue, 22 Oct 2024 21:23:43 +0000 https://www.veganricha.com/?p=15050 This 6-ingredient coconut ladoo is ready in about 20 minutes. Sweet, fudgy coconut balls are a simple dessert perfect for Diwali or any other holiday celebration!

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This 6-ingredient toasted coconut ladoo is ready in about 20 minutes. Sweet, fudgy coconut balls are a simple dessert perfect for Diwali or any other holiday celebration! This post was originally published on October 14,2016.

pile of toasted coconut ladoo on a white serving plate

Just like dal, there are many variations of ladoos (sweet balls) depending on the region, family, festival, and preference. This toasted coconut ladoo is amazing with the cardamom as written, or you can add other flavors of choice, like vanilla, rose water, saffron or lemon zest, cocoa, peppermint for festive flavor.

Diwali — the big Hindu festival of lights– is just around the corner! Make these easy ladoos as part of your Diwali feast. If you want more Indian sweets to include, also make some besan burfi (chickpea flour fudge bars), kaju katli (cashew fudge), mango ladoo, dairy-free gulab jamun (doughnut holes), besan halwa (chickpea flour spoon fudge) or carrot halwa this Diwali. 

close-up of toasted coconut ladoo on a white serving plate

Toasted coconut ladoo is incredibly simple to make. Simply toast shredded coconut until it’s nicely golden brown. Add coconut milk or coconut cream and cook for a minute, then stir in cardamom and sugar and continue to mix and cook until the liquid dries out. Cool, shape and serve!

You can use dried or fresh shredded coconut for these ladoos. Fresh shredded coconut can be found in Indian stores in the frozen section. The dried shredded coconut often is not fine enough, so pulse it a few times in a food processor to reduce the shred size so that the coconut can absorb the liquid and flavor better and make less chewy ladoos.

close-up of toasted coconut ladoo on a black plate

Why You’ll Love Toasted Coconut Ladoo

  • easy Indian dessert perfect for festival season
  • fudgy, cardamom-scented sweet keeps well in the fridge, so you can make it ahead
  • 6-ingredient, 20 minute recipe
  • naturally gluten-free and soy-free as long as your vegan butter is soy-free.

Continue reading: Toasted Coconut Ladoo(Cardamom Coconut balls)

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Chickpea Tikka Masala Puffs (savory pastries with Tikka masala sauce) https://www.veganricha.com/chickpea-tikka-masala-puffs/ https://www.veganricha.com/chickpea-tikka-masala-puffs/#comments Sun, 20 Oct 2024 11:36:00 +0000 https://www.veganricha.com/?p=69329 Chickpea tikka masala puffs - chickpeas and veggies in a super delicious 1-bowl tikka masala sauce, stuffed into crisp puff pastry pockets. These are perfect for holiday parties!

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Chickpea tikka masala puffs!! Chickpeas and veggies in a super delicious 1-bowl, No cook tikka masala sauce, stuffed into crisp puff pastry pockets. These are perfect for holiday parties!

chickpea tikka masala puffs on the baking sheet after baking

These are another quick appetizer that will be a hit at your next dinner party or Diwali party! They use this one-bowl, no-cook tikka masala sauce that you mix with chickpeas and vegetables then stuff into a puff pastry sheet. Bake, and you’ve got these crisp, savory, super delicious tikka masala puff pastries that are party perfect!

For extra creaminess, you can even add some vegan cheese or cream cheese to the pastries before folding and baking.

chickpea tikka masala puffs on the baking sheet after baking

Tikka masala puffs are super simple, super delicious and also really versatile. The sauce has a ton of flavor, so it will work with any protein you like. If you don’t like chickpeas, you can use some white beans, torn up tofu, or chickpea tofu. You can also use soaked and drained soy curls or vegan chicken instead, as well. 

If you make these into small hand pies, they’re easy to serve and you won’t have to dirty any extra dishes, because your party guests won’t even need a plate to enjoy these amazing appetizer. It’s a win-win in every which way!

You can also make these ahead. Simply roll out your puff pastry, add the filling, shape them, and then freeze until the day of serving. When you bake, you may just need to add a few minutes to the end of baking time to cook them through from frozen.

chickpea tikka masala puffs a little bit open, so you can see the filling

Why You’ll Love Tikka Masala Puffs

  • easy, 1-bowl, no cook tikka masala sauce that’s full of flavor with any plant-based protein you like!
  • simple and fun to make
  • perfect for Diwali or any other holiday party
  • naturally soy-free and nut-free with gluten-free option
chickpea tikka masala puff torn in half

Continue reading: Chickpea Tikka Masala Puffs (savory pastries with Tikka masala sauce)

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Indo-Chinese Chilli Garlic Tofu Puff Pastry (nut-free) https://www.veganricha.com/chilli-garlic-tofu-puff-pastry/ https://www.veganricha.com/chilli-garlic-tofu-puff-pastry/#comments Sun, 13 Oct 2024 11:45:00 +0000 https://www.veganricha.com/?p=68945 These Indian-inspired tofu puff pastry parcels are the perfect fusion appetizer for a Diwali or Indian-themed party. Or really any other party, because they are just so delicious! You all will love these Indo-Chinese Chilli Garlic Tofu in crispy parcels!

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These Indian-inspired chilli tofu puff pastry parcels are the perfect fusion appetizer for a Diwali or Indian-themed party. Or really any other party, because they are just so delicious! You all will love these Indo-Chinese Chilli Garlic Tofu in crispy parcels! Options for gluten-free and Soyfree

close-up of chilli garlic tofu puff on the baking sheet

The festive season is here and I am bringing some fantastic appetizers this year. Flaky puff pastry stuffed with spicy savory, Indochinese chilli garlic tofu stir fry makes a super delicious vegan holiday appetizer. These are amazingly delicious hand pies that will absolutely be a hit at your next holiday party.

We make the Indochinese chilli garlic tofu “paneer”, and then try not to eat it all before we get a chance to stuff it into that puff pastry. Because the tofu is just so tasty by itself! No one will blame you if you snack on it a bit while you fold these.

There are 3 kinds of chilies/heat in these. There’s Kashmiri chili powder, which is usually mild but can be moderately hot depending on the brand. There’s black pepper and there’s hot green chilies such as Serrano or Indian chilies. Green chilies also vary in heat. So adjust these to adjust the heat to preference. Use less of each for mild heat.

I use a mixture of non dairy milk and maple syrup as the pastry wash. This helps the pastries get nicely golden and also help them stick really well when shaping into whatever kind of parcels.

chilli garlic tofu in a pan

Why You’ll Love Tofu Puff Pastry

  • flaky puff pastry with sweet-spicy-savory filling
  • 1-pan chilli garlic tofu filling is full of amazing Indochinese flavors!
  • festive appetizer for Diwali, Indian dinner party, or any other holiday
  • naturally nut-free with gluten-free and soy-free options
chilli garlic tofu puff pastries on the baking sheet
chilli garlic tofu puff pastry on the baking sheet

Continue reading: Indo-Chinese Chilli Garlic Tofu Puff Pastry (nut-free)

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Kulfi Tiramisu (Cardamom-Scented Indian Tiramisu Fusion) https://www.veganricha.com/kulfi-tiramisu-indian-tiramisu/ https://www.veganricha.com/kulfi-tiramisu-indian-tiramisu/#comments Tue, 07 Nov 2023 12:25:00 +0000 https://www.veganricha.com/?p=55395 Kulfi Tiramisu - this Indian tiramisu fusion combines creamy, cardamom-scented kulfi with coffee infused cake to create a showstopping, layered dessert. It’s absolutely epic!

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Kulfi Tiramisu – this Indian tiramisu fusion combines creamy, cardamom-scented kulfi Indian ice cream with coffee infused cake to create a show stopping, layered dessert. It’s absolutely epic!

slices of kulfi tiramisu on white plates

Aren’t Indian fusion cakes fun? I made my Rasmalai tres leches cake, and it has been very popular and it’s super delicious, so I decided to make another traditional cake into an Indian dessert version. This Indian tiramisu fusion recipe uses my tiramisu sheet cake and keeps the coffee in the cake layer.

kulfi tiramisu in the pan before chilling

Then, you top it with this amazing cardamom cream that would remind you of Indian Kulfi. No coming is needed for the cream layer. Just blend and pour. Once it’s chilled, it thickens into an almost ice cream-like texture, called kulfi.

slice of Indian tiramisu on a white plate with a bite taken out

Kulfi is traditionally made by slowly cooking down milk with cardamom and other seasonings, then freezing it. In this recipe, we skip all of that cooking down and use a combination of coconut milk and nuts to thicken the mixture without needing to use the stove at all.

For the kulfi tiramisu, I make the cake and split it into two, so you get these two thin cake layers with two kulfi cream layers. It is a delicious, decadent dessert that you can serve for festivals, like Diwali, or even the holidays and Thanksgiving!

overhead photo of a slice of Indian tiramisu on a white plate with a fork

Why You’ll Love Kulfi Tiramisu

  • two sweet, coffee-flavored cake layers
  • two creamy, cardamom-scented kulfi layers
  • crunchy pistachios on top
  • soy-free recipe. Options for gluten-free, coconut-free, and nut-free

More Vegan Indian Fusion Desserts

close-up of a slice of Indian tiramisu on a white plate with a fork

Continue reading: Kulfi Tiramisu (Cardamom-Scented Indian Tiramisu Fusion)

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No Onion No Garlic Diwali Menu (Dal makhani, Tofu Tikka Masala, peanut potatoes, Turmeric cashew rice ) https://www.veganricha.com/no-onion-no-garlic-diwali-menu/ https://www.veganricha.com/no-onion-no-garlic-diwali-menu/#comments Sun, 05 Nov 2023 12:06:00 +0000 https://www.veganricha.com/?p=55489 The festive season is here! If you’re planning a menu for Diwali or any other seasonal gathering, I have a wonderful menu of no onion no garlic recipes for you. The menu uses one base sauce, so you can cook a whole meal in a lot less time.

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The festive season is here! If you’re planning a menu for Diwali or any other seasonal gathering, I have a wonderful menu of no onion no garlic recipes for you. Dal makhani, Tofu Tikka Masala, peanut potatoes, Turmeric cashew rice! The menu uses one base sauce, so you can cook a whole meal in a lot less time.

plate of no onion no garlic Diwali food surrounded by serving bowls

Many if you often ask me for no onion no garlic recipes, especially around the festive season. If you are planning to make an onion-free, garlic-free Diwali or Indian party menu, here are some options for you. If you want to read more on how to cook without onion and garlic, I have a guide you can check out! It has tips to convert any recipe to be onion garlic free. If you want to add onion and garlic, see recipe faq.

panful of tofu tikka masala with cilantro on top

You can make all of this on the same day, because it’s so streamlined. The whole meal relies on a single base sauce that you divide up to make tofu tikka masala, dal makhani and a side of crispy, peanutty potatoes. You serve it all up with roasted cashew and turmeric rice and a quick yogurt dip, called raita.

Serve it all up with store-bought flatbreads, homemade flatbreads, or naan. You can make naan from the blog and keep them frozen and reheat on the day you want to serve them, or you can make other kinds of flatbread or even toast up sourdough bread.

makhani dal in a serving bowl with cashew cream and cilantro on top

Also serve with other condiments of choice, like mango chutney, mint chutney, or tomato chutney or some Indian pickle. You can make these in advance or buy them pre-made at the Indian market.

If you do want to make parts of this menu this ahead, though, you definitely can! You can make the sauce and refrigerate or freeze or make the dal and potatoes and tikka masala sauce ahead and refrigerate! Bake the tofu the day of serving. There are make-ahead directions in the recipe card.

peanut sesame potatoes in a serving bowl

We are going to make the dal first, because the black matpe beans, or black whole urad(which is traditionally used for dal makhani), take like an hour to cook. Start cooking that, and then start making the sauce, and go from there. The recipe is written the same way. See recipe notes for making the dal with other lentils.
Also check out this Diwali menu that uses an onion base sauce for Dal do pyaaza, Gobi Matar makhani and Chana Saag! You can use both these menus to meal plan as well by making portions ahead and making a new dish every day!

cashew turmeric rice in the serving bowl

Why You’ll Love this No Onion No Garlic Menu

  • 1 flavorful base sauce to make 3 dishes, plus rice and raita
  • onion and garlic-free, but still tons of flavor!
  • tender baked tofu tikka masala
  • savory dal makhani
  • crunchy peanut sesame potatoes
  • creamy raita
  • fluffy cashew turmeric rice
  • uses Instant Pot and oven to save active cooking time. Look at that gorgeousness below!
no onion no garlic Diwali menu on serving plates and one dinner plate with all the dishes

More Vegan No Onion No Garlic Recipes

Continue reading: No Onion No Garlic Diwali Menu (Dal makhani, Tofu Tikka Masala, peanut potatoes, Turmeric cashew rice )

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Diwali Party Menu (Vegan Indian Feast!) 1 Base sauce, Dal do pyaaza, Gobi matar makhani, Chana Saag https://www.veganricha.com/diwali-party-menu-vegan/ https://www.veganricha.com/diwali-party-menu-vegan/#comments Sun, 29 Oct 2023 11:22:00 +0000 https://www.veganricha.com/?p=55275 This delicious, three-course Indian feast uses simple shortcuts, so you can create a gorgeous Diwali party menu with a lot less work. All of these dishes are dairy-free and soy-free, and you can easily make them gluten-free and nut-free, too.

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This delicious Indian feast uses simple shortcuts, so you can create a gorgeous Diwali party menu with a lot less work. 1 Base sauce means no standing to sauté the same aromatics again and again! 3 mindblowing dishes! Spiced lentil dal, cauliflower pea butter curry, chickpea spinach curry! All of these dishes are dairy-free, soy-free, nut-free and easily made gluten-free

plateful of food from the diwali party menu surrounded by the serving dishes

It’s festival time! Diwali — an Indian Festival of Lights —is here, and it’s a time to celebrate with family, friends, and plenty of delicious food.

If you’re hosting a big Diwali party, and you’re trying to make several dishes along with rice and some condiments, it can get incredibly tiring. My solution is this easy Diwali party menu, where you make just one base sauce, and then you divide it to make three dishes.

Spiced onion lentils (Dal do pyaaza)

panful of dal do pyaza - Indian lentil curry- with vegan cream and cilantro on top

Cauliflower pea butter curry (Gobi Matar makhani)

panful of cauliflower pea curry - gobi matar with cilantro on top

Chickpea spinach curry (Chana Saag)

panful of chana saag after cooking with vegan cream and cilantro on top

This way, you’re not sautéing the spices and the aromatics again and again and again for three different dishes! The base sauce is basically a do pyaza or a double onion based sauce, and it’s incredibly delicious and versatile! We use a third of it to make Lentil curry (Malka Dal do pyaaza), another third to make Cauliflower pea curry(gobi matar Makhani), and thr last third to make Chickpea Spinach curry ( Chana saag).

Make some rice on the side use store-bought a flatbread or naan, or if you’re up for it then make my naan recipe. You can also use store-bought chutneys or an Indian pickle and make a quick yogurt raita dip and serve that as well.

serve with other condiments of choice, like mango chutney, mint chutney, or tomato chutney or some Indian pickle. You can make these in advance or buy them pre-made at the Indian market.

close-up of a plateful of food from the diwali party menu

It’s much easier, and then you have this amazing spread for any Indian dinner party or for Diwali with less stress. You can even make everything but the rice ahead of time, so there’s very little active cooking on the day of your Diwali feast. I always make rice fresh, because it tastes best when it’s fresh.

You can also use this spread for everyday meals, like for meal planning. Make the sauce over the weekend and use throughout the week for different dishes! The sauce keeps in the fridge for upto 4 days.

rice and peas in the pot after cooking

This menu is soy-free and easily made nut-free if you use a nut-free non-dairy yogurt. It’s also easy to make this gluten-free, if you use gluten-free naan or flat bread. For a no onion no garlic menu see here.

If you have any questions about any of the recipes, leave them in the comments below!

Don’t let the long Recipe card intimidate you. It has 4 recipes and many have the same spices. Once you have the ingredients, things move quickly.

plateful of food from the diwali party menu with flatbread on the side

Why You’ll Love this Diwali Party Menu

  • 3 flavor-packed courses, plus rice
  • just 1 simple base sauce saves you time in the kitchen
  • bonus recipes for quick and easy raita and salad
  • dairy-free and soy-free
  • easy to make gluten-free and nut-free
plateful of food from the diwali party menu

More Vegan Diwali Menus

Continue reading: Diwali Party Menu (Vegan Indian Feast!) 1 Base sauce, Dal do pyaaza, Gobi matar makhani, Chana Saag

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No-Bake Carrot Halwa Cheesecake – grain-free Indian Fusion dessert https://www.veganricha.com/carrot-halwa-cheesecake/ https://www.veganricha.com/carrot-halwa-cheesecake/#comments Sun, 22 Oct 2023 11:28:00 +0000 https://www.veganricha.com/?p=53331 This carrot cheesecake is grain-free and doesn’t need to be baked at all! You make the carrot halwa crust in a pan on the stove and the cheesecake mixture in your blender. Instead of baking, you chill this cake to set it up, then slice and serve.

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This carrot halwa cheesecake is grain-free and doesn’t need to be baked at all! You make the carrot halwa crust with cardamom spiced shredded carrots on the stove and the cheesecake mixture in your blender. Then chill this cake to set it up, then slice and serve. Nut-free option

close-up of carrot cake cheesecake cut into slices

The crust for this cake is based on gajar halwa( carrot halwa). This is made with shredded carrots that are cooked down and caramelized on the stovetop with toasted nuts and cardamom to boost the flavor. Then it is topped with a creamy cheesecake layer. Think cardamom scented flourless carrot cake cheesecake!

Carrot halwa is absolutely delicious and makes an amazing, grain-free base for this vegan carrot cake cheesecake topped with a simple, blender cheesecake mixture. Caramelized carrots topped with creamy vegan cheesecake cream and topped with pistachios, is decadent and festive!

Indian festive season is in full swing with navratri right now and Diwali coming up. This fusion dessert is a crowd pleaser for an Indian dinner party or a holiday party! Change up the spices and flavor to compliment your menu. Omit cardamom and add more vanilla for a Carrot cake cheesecake!!

slice of carrot cake cheesecake on a plate next to the full cake

Why You’ll Love Carrot Halwa Cheesecake

  • no-bake dessert
  • melt-in-your-mouth grain free carrot cake crust
  • easy, creamy blender cheesecake
  • naturally grain-free and soy-free
  • nut-free option
slice of carrot halwa cheesecake with a bite taken out

More Vegan Carrot Cake Recipes

I’m slightly obsessed with carrot cake flavors! Try my other carrot cake-inspired recipes:

Continue reading: No-Bake Carrot Halwa Cheesecake – grain-free Indian Fusion dessert

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