We’re stepping into the last couple months of the year, and those of us residing within and along the Hindu cultures know what that means: candle lights, lanterns, and fireworks decorating the evening skies! Deepavali, meaning “festival of lights,” returns this year during the first week of November to honour the triumph of light, goodness, and prosperity over darkness and evil.
Deepavali celebration is a package of all things delightful, and admiring the glows on the streets or exchanging precious gifts are surely satisfying ways to observe the festival… but so is enjoying its delicious goodness to the fullest, in every sense of the word! After all, a festival isn’t complete without a feast.
To help light up home gatherings, family dinners, and guest parties this November, we’ve put together a sample Deepavali dinner course! The menu is simple and easy to prepare, but guarantees a taste palette rich and wide enough to please any diner. And what’s more—it’s vegetarian! The secret? An assortment of fresh, light cooking oils from Borges, as well as the silky nutty texture of Borges Natura Nut Drinks to substitute for milk and cream.
Snack & Appetizer
Start the evening off with a finger-licking appetizer to keep those waiting hands and taste buds busy. And there’s nothing more fitting than a classic Indian street staple: samosas!
Punjabi Samosa with Coriander Chutney [1][2]
Go full-on traditional with these vegan punjabi samosas, stuffed generously with potatoes and peas and served alongside a fresh dip of vegetarian coriander chutney. Using cashew or soy yogurt for the chutney makes this dish completely vegan!
Ingredients for the Samosa Wrappers (14 samosas):
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. ajwain seeds (carom seeds)
1 Tbsp. Borges Grapeseed Oil
¾ tsp. salt
Ingredients for the Stuffing (14 samosas):
5 medium potatoes, boiled until tender and chopped
½ cup frozen peas, or fresh peas cooked until tender
1 tsp. grated ginger
2 Tbsp. cilantro, minced
1 tsp. Borges Grapeseed Oil
1 tsp. cumin seeds
2 tsp. coriander powder
½ tsp. turmeric
2 tsp. lemon juice
½ serrano pepper (or jalapeno), minced
A generous amount of Borges Grapeseed Oil for deep frying
Ingredients for the Chutney (1 bowl):
2 handfuls fresh coriander leaves
1 small onion
1 clove garlic
1 small green chili
½ cup yogurt (or choice of vegan yogurt substitute)
2 Tbsp. water
½ tsp. red chili powder
1 Tbsp. Borges Sybaris Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt to taste
Instructions:
- Mix the flour, carom seeds, Borges Grapeseed Oil, and salt in a large bowl.
- Add water, ½ cup at first and then 1 Tbsp at a time, and knead until the mixture forms a very stiff dough. Cover and set aside.
- Crumble the potatoes (do not mash).
- Heat Borges Grapeseed Oil on a pan and cook the cumin seeds. Once they start to brown, add ginger and saute for 30 seconds. Add coriander leaves and green chili pepper, and saute for a few additional seconds.
- Mix in coriander powder, turmeric, and lemon juice. Once stirred, mix in the potatoes.
- Add the peas and stir-fry until the peas are tender and the mixture is dry. Add salt to taste, and remove from heat to let cool.
- Divide the dough from (2) into seven balls, and roll out into an oval of 15cm in length and 10cm in width.
- Cut across the long side of the oval to make two semicircular wrappers. Coat the edges with water and bring two corners together to form a cone. Press along the seam to seal.
- Place the filling inside the cone, and close the top by pressing the top seam together.
- In a frying pan, heat Borges Grapeseed Oil until it reaches about 148°C. Drop the samosas one at a time and deep-fry until golden brown, turning over occasionally.
- While the samosas drain, combine all ingredients for the chutney (except for the olive oil) in a blender and create a fine paste. Transfer to the serving container, and add Borges Sybaris Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Main Dish
Whether served with homemade naan, plain or herb-infused basmati rice, or freshly cooked biryani, this main star of our Deepavali dinner brings the festival mood out in an instant with its buttery flavour—only, it doesn’t have any actual butter in it.
Vegan Dal Makhani [3]
This rich lentil curry traditionally requires heavy cream and butter, but can be made dairy-free using Borges Natura Almond Drink while preserving all of its original creamy goodness!
Ingredients for the lentils:
1 cup (200g) urad dal (black lentils)
½ cup rajma (kidney beans)
3.5 cups water
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. red chili powder (or cayenne)
Ingredients for the curry:
2 tsp. Borges Extra Light Olive Oil
1 tsp. cumin seeds
2-3 green chilis, finely chopped
1 inch ginger, finely chopped
5-6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 medium-sized onion, chopped
2 medium-sized tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp. garam masala
⅛ tsp. hing (asafoetida)
½ tsp. turmeric powder
1 Tbsp. dried fenugreek leaves
2 Tbsp. Borges Natura Almond Drink
⅓ cup cashew cream (blend 3 Tbsp. cashews in ⅓ cup water)
Borges Sybaris Extra Virgin Olive Oil, as needed
Instructions:
- Soak the lentils and beans overnight, and pressure cook in 3.5 cups of water with salt and chili powder for 25 minutes at high pressure.
- In a large pan, heat Borges Extra Light Olive Oil and cook cumin seeds on medium-high. Once the seeds change colour, add ginger, garlic, and green chili and saute until golden.
- Add onion and asafetida and cook until translucent.
- Add the tomato and turmeric and cook until tomatoes are mushy.
- Mix in the cooked lentils and beans, along with the water they were cooked in. Add Borges Natura Almond Drink and cashew cream. Season with garam masala and fenugreek leaves, and adjust salt to taste.
- Simmer on low heat until the beans are soft. Adjust the texture using additional water, if needed.
- Top with cilantro and a drizzle of Borges Sybaris Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Dessert
There’s always room for dessert, and it’s especially so on a festival dinner night! Just three basic ingredients are called for this lovely Indian rice pudding that will comfort any sweet tooth.
Vegan Almond Kheer [4]
We aren’t lying! This vegan kheer only uses rice, Borges Natura Almond Drink, and sugar—pantry staples so easily found in any kitchen—but is made even more perfect with a few additions of vanilla, roasted nuts, and raisins.
Ingredients:
¾ cup basmati rice
1 ½ cups water
4 cups Borges Natura Almond Drink
½ cup sugar
1-2 tsp. vanilla extract
½ cup nuts of choice (almonds, cashews, pistachios)
2 Tbsp. golden raisins
¾ tsp. cardamom powder
1 Tbsp. Borges Grapeseed Oil
Instructions:
- Combine the rice and water and heat until they come to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for about 10-15 minutes, or until the rice absorbs the water.
- Add Borges Natura Almond Drink, vanilla extract, and sugar.
- Simmer the mixture for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Heat Borges Grapeseed Oil on a skillet. Roast the nuts until light brown, and add in raisins and cardamom powder. Stir for an additional minute.
- Pour the nuts and raisins over the kheer. Serve warm or chilled.
Fill up, feast, and inhale the festive air on this year’s Deepavali festival! After all, the day is for celebrating victory, bliss, prosperity, and all things good—in every slightest sense of the word.
References:
[1] Recipe modified from: https://holycowvegan.net/punjabi-samosa-recipe/
[2] https://www.ruchiskitchen.com/coriander-chutney/
[3] Recipe modified from: https://www.veganricha.com/dal-makhani-beans-in-creamy-buttery/
[4] Recipe modified from: https://holycowvegan.net/vegan-almond-kheer-rice-pudding/