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plateful of food from the diwali party menu
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5 from 7 votes

Diwali Party Menu (Dal do pyaaza, Gobi matar makhani, Chana Saag)

This delicious, three-course Indian feast uses simple shortcuts, so you can create a gorgeous Diwali party menu with a lot less work. 1 base sauce makes 3 dishes! Dal do pyaaza, gobi matar makhani, Chana saag and cumin rice! All of these dishes are dairy-free and soy-free, and you can easily make them gluten-free and nut-free, too.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time2 hours
Course: dinner
Cuisine: dinner, Indian
Keyword: diwali party menu
Servings: 6
Author: Vegan Richa

Ingredients

For the base sauce (Do Pyaza sauce)

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 5 cups chopped red onion
  • 1 hot green chili such as Serrano or Indian green chili, chopped, optional
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 ounces canned tomato puree
  • 3 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste or use ten cloves of garlic and 1 1/2” ginger, minced
  • 2 tablespoons ground coriander
  • 2 teaspoons garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves, kasuri methi
  • 1/4 cup non-dairy yogurt

For the cauliflower and peas (Gobi Matar makhani):

  • 3 to 4 cups chopped cauliflower florets
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder or use paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt divided
  • 4 ounces canned tomato puree
  • 1 cup full fat coconut milk or other thick non dairy milk
  • 1/2 cup of green peas

For the brown lentils (Dal Do Pyaza):

  • 1 black cardamom pod opened slightly
  • 2 tablespoons non-dairy yogurt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne or Indian red chili powder, or omit if you want to keep it less spicy
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 15- ounce can brown lentils drained or 1 1/2 cups cooked

For the chickpeas Spinach curry (Chana Saag):

  • 1/2 cup non-dairy milk or water
  • 2 cups of frozen spinach thawed
  • 15 ounce can chickpeas drained, or use 1 1/2 cups of cooked chickpeas
  • 1/2 to 1 teaspoon Kashmiri garam masala or use regular garam masala and add generous pinches of ground cloves, ground cinnamon, and ground cardamom
  • 8 curry leaves
  • 1/4 cup non-dairy yogurt

For the cumin scented rice:

  • 1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
  • 2 whole cloves
  • 1 or 2 green cardamom pods slightly opened, optional
  • 1 1/2 cups of white basmati rice washed
  • 3 cups of water
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup green peas use less or more to preference
  • cilantro and lime juice for garnish, oil as needed
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the base sauce.

  • Using a very large skillet, add 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds and cook until the cumin seeds are very fragrant and they have changed color significantly. They should darken to a dark brown. Then, mix in the bay leaves and add the onion and green chili and sprinkle in the salt. Mix in and continue to cook until the onions are golden brown, adding splashes of water in between, if the onions are starting to dry out. Or you can also add a few drops of oil here and there. This will all take anywhere from 17 to 20 minutes, so make sure you stir occasionally. (The time it takes will depend on the skillet that you're using. This is the most time-consuming step, but it’s important for the sauce to get that right flavor with golden caramelized onions)
  • Once the onions have caramelized, mix in the tomato puree, ginger-garlic paste, and the spices. Then, mix in non-dairy yogurt, reduce the heat to medium, and continue to cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, then set the base sauce aside. You can cook some of the other parts of this Diwali menu on your other burners while the onion sauce cooks, so start with the cauliflower and peas.

Make the cauliflower and peas while the onions cook.

  • Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add the cauliflower florets. Mix all the spices and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt in a small bowl, and sprinkle them all over the cauliflower, tossing well to coat.
  • Continue to cook, uncovered, for about 3 minutes or until the cauliflower is starting to get a bit golden on some of the edges, then cover with the lid and continue to cook, opening the lid every 2 to 3 minutes to stir and flip the cauliflower. Do this until the cauliflower is tender-crisp to preference, about 7-9 mins. You want the cauliflower to get some nice golden brown edges and also steam at the same time to get tender-crisp.
  • Once the cauliflower is done cooking, add 1/3 of your base sauce (the do pyaza) that you cooked earlier into the cauliflower, add the 4 ounces tomato puree, the coconut milk, peas, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and mix really well. Cover with the lid and cook for 2 minutes to just bring the sauce to a boil. Cook longer if needed if the cauliflower isn’t cooked to preference
  • Switch off the heat and set it aside. There's going to be ambient heat in the skillet, even after removing the pan from the stove, so account for that in your cooking time.

Make the dal.

  • Add 1/2 teaspoon oil to another skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the black cardamom and cook for about 15 seconds or so, then add in 1/3 of the base do pyaza sauce that you made earlier. Add the non-dairy yogurt, cayenne, and salt, and mix really well. Then, mix in the lentils and 1/2 -1 cup of water or non-dairy milk.
  • Bring to a good simmer. Depending on the consistency of the dal that you like, you can add in more water or non-dairy milk. Simmer for 5 minutes or so over medium heat, and then switch off the heat. Taste and adjust salt and flavor. Add more heat or more garam masala as you like

Make the chana saag:

  • Combine the spinach, chickpeas, Kashmiri garam masala, curry leaves, and non-dairy yogurt into the remaining base do pyaza sauce in the skillet. Add 1/2 cup of non-dairy milk or water and mix in. Cook this over medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the spinach is cooked down.
  • Taste and adjust salt and flavor, and then switch off the heat. You can cook it a bit longer, if your spinach is not done it. It depends on your skillet and how frozen your spinach was to begin with.

Make the cumin scented rice: (Jeera rice)

  • In a saucepan, add 1 teaspoon oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds , cardamom pods and cloves and cook them for 2 minutes or longer, until the cumin seeds are very fragrant and dark brown.
  • Add the washed rice and toast for a few seconds, then add in the water and salt and mix in. Partially cover the pan, and bring the rice mixture to a boil. Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover completely with a lid, and let this cook for about 10 minutes.
  • Mix in the peas. If your rice is almost done, then you can cook for another 1 or 2 minutes and then switch off heat. If it's still watery, then cook for another 3-4 minutes or so, covered, over low heat. Fluff the rice after a few mins and serve.
  • Make ahead instructions in notes. Store refrigerated for upto 3 days

Video

Notes

This menu is naturally dairy-free and soy-free. To make it nut-free, choose a nut-free non-dairy yogurt. For a gluten-free option, simply use gluten-free naan or flatbread.
Pair these dishes with some flatbread, naan, or pita bread. Just warm those up when you're ready to serve, and brush some vegan butter on them and sprinkle some chopped cilantro on the bread and over each of these dishes for a beautiful presentation. Drizzle some non-dairy cream, cashew cream, or thinned out non-dairy yogurt over the lentils and the chana saag. Serve it with mango chutney or tomato chutney, raita dip or an Indian pickle. I usually serve an Indian green or red chili pickle on the side.
To make the raita dip, take 1 cup of unsweetened, non-dairy yogurt and add 1/4 cup or more water to thin it out . Mix 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne in, and sprinkle some chopped cilantro over it. You can also add in some shredded cucumber, if you like.
Usually there is a side salad served with an Indian feast, as well, which is just sliced up or chopped up onion, tomato, radishes, and cucumber or other crunchy veggies of your choice. Add it on your table, and your feast is ready!
Make-ahead directions: You can make the sauce ahead and then make the 3 dishes the day-off. Or, you can make all 3 dishes and refrigerate them for upto 3 days in containers that can go into the oven. or freeze them in closed containers. 
Reheat: On the day of my Diwali party, reheat them all in the oven at about 310° F (155° C) to heat up for 15 to 20 minutes(350 deg F(180c) if frozen).
In the meantime, make rice. I don’t recommend making the rice ahead of time, because it tastes best fresh. Heat up flatbreads, plate salads and condiments and you are done! 
Bake the sauce for less active time! add everything except tomato purée and non dairy yogurt to a large baking dish. Mix and spread out and bake at 400 deg F for 30-40 minutes or until golden. Stir once in between. Then add the tomato purée and non dairy yogurt and bake again for 8-9 mins. You can bake the cauliflower tossed with the spices and oil at the same time!  
 
 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 624kcal | Carbohydrates: 87g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 678mg | Potassium: 1295mg | Fiber: 19g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 1531IU | Vitamin C: 87mg | Calcium: 240mg | Iron: 8mg