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Diwali snacks without onion & garlic

Planning your Diwali snack platter? These three classics are naturally free of onion and garlic, pure vegetarian and easy to make ahead, so the festival days stay relaxed. Make the chivda and namak para a few days early, and the coconut ladoo on the day.

🌱 Pure veg🚫 No onion · garlic3 recipes

Recipe 1

Poha Chivda

⏱ 25 min · 🍽 About 6 cups

Ingredients

  • Thin poha – 200 g
  • Peanuts – 1/4 cup
  • Roasted chana dal – 2 tbsp
  • Cashews – 2 tbsp
  • Oil – 2 tbsp
  • Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
  • Hing – 1 pinch
  • Curry leaves – 15 to 20
  • Green chillies, slit – 2
  • Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
  • Salt – 3/4 tsp
  • Powdered sugar – 1 tsp

Steps

  1. Dry roast the thin poha in a wide pan on low heat for 8–10 minutes, stirring often, until crisp. Set aside.
  2. Heat oil and fry the peanuts on medium heat until crunchy. Add the roasted chana dal and cashews and fry for a minute.
  3. Add mustard seeds, hing, curry leaves and green chillies. Let them crackle, then add turmeric.
  4. Turn the heat to low, add the roasted poha, salt and powdered sugar, and toss gently for 2 minutes.
  5. Cool completely and store in an airtight jar. It stays crisp for up to 2 weeks.

Recipe 2

Namak Para

⏱ 40 min (includes resting) · 🍽 About 3 cups

Ingredients

  • Maida or wheat flour – 1 cup (125 g)
  • Ajwain – 1/2 tsp
  • Salt – 1/2 tsp
  • Ghee or oil (for the dough) – 2 tbsp
  • Water – about 1/3 cup, as needed
  • Oil – for deep frying

Steps

  1. Mix the flour, ajwain and salt. Add the ghee and rub it in with your fingers until the flour looks like breadcrumbs.
  2. Add water little by little and knead a stiff dough. Cover and rest for 15 minutes.
  3. Roll the dough about 3 mm thick and cut it into small diamonds or strips.
  4. Fry in medium-hot oil, a batch at a time, for 8–10 minutes until golden and crisp.
  5. Drain, cool completely and store airtight for up to 2 weeks.

Recipe 3

Coconut Ladoo

⏱ 15 min · 🍽 About 12 ladoos

Ingredients

  • Desiccated coconut – 1 1/2 cups (about 120 g), plus 2 tbsp for coating
  • Sweetened condensed milk – 200 g
  • Ghee – 1 tsp
  • Cardamom powder – 1/4 tsp
  • Chopped nuts – 1 tbsp (optional)

Steps

  1. Heat the ghee in a pan and roast the desiccated coconut on low heat for 2 minutes.
  2. Add the condensed milk and cardamom powder. Stir continuously for 4–5 minutes until the mixture thickens and leaves the sides of the pan.
  3. Mix in the chopped nuts and let it cool for a few minutes until easy to handle.
  4. Shape into about 12 small ladoos and roll each one in the extra coconut.
  5. Keep in the fridge and enjoy within 4–5 days.

💡 Tips

  • Roast poha and fry namak para on low to medium heat - high heat browns the outside before it turns crisp.
  • Let every snack cool completely before closing the jar, or the steam makes it soft.
  • For a lighter namak para, use wheat flour or half wheat, half maida.
  • Running short on an ingredient? Tell QuickChef what you have and it will suggest a festive snack from it.

Cook from what's already in your kitchen

Planning your festive menu? Tell QuickChef what's in your pantry and get more no-onion, no-garlic ideas with exact quantities and clear steps.

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Frequently asked questions

Are these Diwali snacks really free of onion and garlic?

Yes. All three recipes use no onion and no garlic - the flavour comes from curry leaves, hing, ajwain, green chilli and cardamom.

How far ahead can I make them?

Poha chivda and namak para keep well in an airtight jar for up to 2 weeks, so you can make them a few days before Diwali. Coconut ladoo is best made 1–2 days ahead and kept in the fridge.

Can QuickChef suggest snacks from what I already have?

Yes. Tell QuickChef what's in your kitchen - tap or type the ingredients - choose the number of people, and it suggests dishes with exact quantities and clear steps. Onion and garlic are left out by default.