Celebrating Diwali in Perth: Planning a Diwali Dinner
Diwali is the biggest festival on the Indian calendar, and festivals like it are one of the occasions guests celebrate at Spicy Affair, along with birthdays, family ceremonies and office parties. If you are planning a Diwali dinner in Perth, whether at home or at a restaurant, here is what the festival is about and what to put on the table.
What is Diwali?
Diwali, also called Deepavali, is the Hindu festival of lights, celebrated across India and by Indian communities worldwide each October or November. It marks the triumph of light over darkness, and families celebrate by lighting oil lamps (diyas), sharing sweets, exchanging gifts and gathering for a large meal. Sikhs and Jains celebrate it too, each with their own stories.
The date follows the Hindu lunar calendar, falling on the new moon of the month of Kartik, so it moves each year. Check the date for the current year before you plan.
What do people eat at Diwali?
There is no single Diwali menu; every region and family has its own. But a few things turn up almost everywhere:
- Sweets (mithai): gulab jamun, barfi, ladoo and jalebi are exchanged as gifts and eaten all evening.
- Rich curries made for sharing: paneer dishes, korma, dal makhani and, in many North Indian homes, chicken or lamb.
- Festive rice: a biryani or a pulao with dried fruit and nuts, such as Kashmiri pulao.
- Fried snacks: samosas, pakoras and bhajis to pass around.
Many families who celebrate keep the Diwali meal vegetarian, so plan for that if you are hosting.
Planning a Diwali dinner at a restaurant
Diwali falls on a weekday as often as a weekend, and Perth’s Indian restaurants get busy around it. A few tips:
- Book early, especially for a group, and mention it is a Diwali celebration.
- Order to share: a couple of starter platters, four or five curries across meat and vegetarian, a biryani and plenty of naan.
- Plan for vegetarians: we have more than twenty vegetarian mains, listed on the vegetarian page.
- Finish with something sweet: our gulab jamun are house-made milk dumplings in syrup.
- Bring your own drinks: we are BYO. See how BYO works.
A shared Diwali menu for eight
Two vegetarian platters and one mixed platter to start. Then palak paneer, malai kofta, dal makhani, butter chicken and lamb rogan josh, with a chicken biryani and a veg biryani, four garlic naan and four plain naan. Mango and sweet lassis for anyone not drinking, and gulab jamun to finish. Adjust the meat to vegetarian if your family keeps the day meat-free. Prices for every dish are on the dine-in menu.
Celebrating at Spicy Affair
Guests come to Spicy Affair to celebrate festivals, birthdays, family ceremonies and office parties. We serve our regular North Indian menu, so call (08) 6162 8767 to plan a group booking and we will help you choose dishes for the table. We are open for dinner from 5:30 PM, Wednesday to Monday, at 909A Albany Highway, East Victoria Park.
Quick answers
Is Diwali a public holiday in Western Australia?
No. Diwali is not a public holiday in WA, so many families celebrate in the evening or on the nearest weekend.
What is a traditional Diwali sweet?
Gulab jamun, ladoo, barfi and jalebi are among the most popular.
Is Diwali food always vegetarian?
Not always, but many Hindu families keep the Diwali meal vegetarian.
