Who’d want to spend hours inside a kitchen when there’s a raving party outside? Diwali isn’t meant for you to sweat it out. You’re supposed to mix and mingle, laugh and jiggle and have a jolly good time with your family. about those elaborate preps. Follow our simple food and wine pairing ideas for Diwali, and you’ll have delicious li’l treats, ready for your guests in no time!
The good ol’ chips and dips
This may seem like the laziest idea ever, but you can totally funk it up with the dips you serve. It also serves as the perfect starter for a group of young people. Get hold of assorted chips from the local grocers and then lay out little bowls of dips. . You can choose from a basic salsa or a gazpacho salsa, fresh guacamole, a dreamy, creamy, hummus, a cheese dip, or try our signature yogurt dip.
For our signature dip you’ll need:
1 pack of hung curd, 1 big clove of garlic finely sliced and minced, a wedge of green pepper finely sliced, 1 tbsp chilli tomato ketchup, 1 tsp green chilli sauce, 2 tbsps of cream cheese and 3-4 tbsps of chopped spring onions to pack some punch. Mix it all up together and add salt and pepper to taste.
Wine pairing: Big Banyan Chardonnay – it cuts into the saltiness of the chips and works well with cheesy dips.
Salad on a stick
Take your favourite salad, and skewer together a bite-sized chunk of it. For instance, if you’re in the mood for Greek salad, skewer together a piece of tomato, a generous bite of feta cheese, an olive, a cucumber wedge, a lettuce leaf, followed by onion and bell pepper. Drizzle olive oil and lemon over your salad sticks with, and sprinkle pepper to taste.
Wine pairing: Big Banyan Sauvignon Blanc – it works well with the olives and feta.
Oozy cheese bites
This one’s perhaps the easiest of the lot! Take a pack of Camembert cheese and slice it up into bite-sized chunks. Dip it in whisked eggs, then roll it in crumbs, dip it in egg again and roll it in crumbs. Then deep fry till golden brown. And bite into the gooey, oozy deliciousness.
Wine pairing: The fruity Big Banyan Merlot or the well balanced Big Banyan Chenin Blanc would pair well with this.
Cocktail pani puris
We couldn’t leave out this quintessential Indian snack! To give it a tipsy touch, add a dash of white wine while you make the ‘pani’ for your ‘pani puris’. Trust us, every mouthful will leave you with a heady sensation!
Wine pairing: Any Big Banyan white wine
We’d love to see how these dishes turned out for you. Take pics and do share them! Happy Diwali!