Special occasion:

Five foodies celebrate Diwali

As a kid, Yudhika and her siblings were always giddy with anticipation in the run-up to Diwali. “Brightly tinted nuts, psychedelic syrups and exotic aromas had us all completely mesmerised,” she reminisces. “We always wore new clothes on Diwali – right down to our socks and shoes. We would stay home one year and visit family and friends the next to exchange sweet hampers.

Almost every home visited would welcome guests with a sweet delicacy to “sweeten” the next year. And the savouries were just heavenly – crisp pakoras served with a range of chutneys and the best samoosas, of course. It’s almost as though every hostess didn’t want you to go to the next stop without being fed and loved!” These days, Diwali is a doubly sweet celebration for Yudhika, as it happens over her daughter Tanvi’s birthday. “It always falls during the exams, so we tend to have a short but epic celebration before Tanvi and my son Rushill get back to the books.”

Yudhika’s pro tip: “Making banana puri can be daunting – it’s as if this delicacy can feel the fear! The trick is to not give up no matter how awful they look at first. Practice really does make perfect.”

“Growing up, exchanging parcels of sweet and savoury treats such as burfee, gulab jamun and samoosas with neighbours