Who else is ready for picturesque vistas, incredible food & more!?
Indian festivals are an occasion to dress up, and November is the month of Diwali – the festival of lights. Add some simple accents like colorful pillows or throws, some tea lights, bright and golden sarees, and hang dupattas or fabric to act as curtains. Use vibrant colors – orange and vibrant fuscia and yellow are the colors of choice for this party setting. This provides a rich, layered tabletop that’s inviting and luxurious. Flowers, layered fabrics or saris, and lots of gold will do the trick!
You can also use our Indian Mandala Coloring Pages and cut them out, tape them together into a banner, and hang them around.
Indian food isn’t just food, it is also an experience! Indian cuisine has so much to choose from! Many regions have their own cuisine. There are many categories of food, too. The food you serve can be small plates and nibbles, like chaat snacks, or an elaborate dinner menu with North Indian or restaurant-style curries, or a casual backyard barbecue.
A chaat bar can use papdis (Indian crackers), tikkis (cutlets or potato/veggie patties), or samosas as the base for toppings. These can include cooked potatoes, cooked chickpeas, chickpea curry, pomegranate, sweet chutneys, hot chutneys, mint chutneys, and more. Garnishes can be chopped onions, cucumber, cilantro, sev (chickpea noodles), and other farsan (savory snacks).
Backyard Barbecue: For the outdoor type of menu think barbecue-able veggie kebabs, tikkas (marinated veggie or tofu tikka), and chutneys. There are many different marinades recipes in the many cuisines in India. Make some at home or buy them premade. Add pre-baked samosas, kachoris (savory pastries), and batata vadas (mashed potato fritters) to round up the spread.
Restaurant-style or North Indian menu: Indian restaurants favor North Indian foods that are heavy with luscious curries. The sauces have complex flavor profiles and are rich and creamy. Add veggies, tofu, veggie “meat” balls, beans, or meat substitutes to the sauces. Make a spread with popular dishes like tikka masala, malai kofta, butter tofu, naan, palak paneer, pulao, or biryani.
South Indian Spread: South Indian cuisine is diverse and very allergy-friendly with many gluten-free options. Make a spread with pre-made idlis (steamed rice and lentil cakes), vadas (fried or baked lentil cakes), dosa crepes, chutneys, sambhar (lentil soup), and veggie sides. Dosa crepes have many filling options, which, like chaat, can be served as you would a taco bar.
Round out any of these spreads with drinks like masala chai, mango juice, and lassi (yogurt smoothie).
Desserts like laddoos (ball-shaped sweets), Gajar Halwa (pudding), Gulab Jamun (doughnuts), and assorted burfis (milk-based sweets) work well with any of the themes as well.
Passport and Stamp
Keep up with all the fun destinations by printing this passport booklet. Each destination will have a stamp the resident can color to cut and glue to the passport.
Crafts to Do
Virtual Tours & YouTube Links
Movies Set in India that will Make You Want to Be There
Explore India in a Novel or Memoir
Music Playlists
Check out printable products!