Whether you call it Diwali, Deepavali, or the Festival of Lights, there’s no denying that the holiday is one of the key celebrations for Singapore’s Indian community. Everyone has a little something to take away from the festivities, especially since a vital part of the holiday is in its decorations: think vibrant, multi-coloured lights draped over Serangoon Road, or the plethora of lamps and tea candles scattered around homes on this special day.
Like most of our Singaporean festivities, food also plays a large part in making Deepavali, well, Deepavali. That includes plenty of home-baked sweet treats and of course, some new menus that draw from India’s massive of cuisines and cooking styles. Here’s our pick of some mouth-watering Indian cuisine to celebrate the Festival of Lights with aplomb.
https://www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg/gourmet-travel/where-to-eat-deepavali-2020/
Deepavali
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Nothing says convivial, celebratory-style dining than biryani, a dish that’s essentially made to be shared. Look to Mr Biryani’s Hyderabad Dhum biryani if you’re as big of a stickler for authenticity as chef and co-founder Govinda Rajan, who attributes his restaurant’s success to an easy-going dining atmosphere and, of course, the fact that he goes the extra mile to get the right types of chilis and spices for anything he serves up. As a celebration of Mr Biryani’s first anniversary (and just in time for Deepavali), look forward to his firetop claypot dhum biryani set menu, exclusive to their AXA Tower outlet from Thursdays to Saturdays. The centrepiece of the restaurant – and this menu – their signature Hyderabad Dhum biryani will be prepared tableside, complete with a step-by-step explanation. You’d even get the chance to ladle in the goods yourself, if that’s what you want – before settling back for a twenty-minute wait. Plenty of time for good conversation, and a chance to whet one’s appetite on sides like a hulking lamb shank masala or fish tikka.
For those who wish to celebrate Deepavali at home, Mr Biryani is also offering some set packages with pre-selected sides and naan. Available throughout November. Enquire for details.
B1-24, AXA Tower. Tel: 8661-4273
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Those keen for an opulent feast can pop over to The Line at Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore. Known for their extravagant continental spreads, the folks over at The Line have shifted their focus to recreating some great Indian grub, including garlic grilled seabass, crab kofta with moilee, a mild, slightly-tart coconut-based sauce popular in Kerala, South India, as well as tandoori malai king prawn. They’ve updated their line-up of desserts as well to include some traditional sweets like kaju burfi and modernised treats like masala chai creme brulee. Of course, they’re still serving their usual bevy of close to ninety dishes and eight other cuisines from across the globe – all served tableside to order. Else, there’s always their take on Deepavali sweets gift boxes, that come in burgundy or yellow. Perfect for gifts, they contain an assortment of confectionaries including besan ladoo, a crumbly chickpea and cashew cookie, and doodh peda, an indulgent fudgy milk sweet fashioned from paneer, evaporated milk and ghee.
Available from November 12 – 15. Lower Lobby, Tower Wing, Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore. Tel: 6213-4398
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For a Deepavali epicurean experience, head down to Punjab Grill: its raison d’etre is to celebrate the grandiosity of India’s maharajas, both in its luxuriant interior décor and Northwestern, Punjab-focused menu. The restaurant is headed by Chef Javed Ahamad, who holds close to two decades of culinary experience across Indian restaurants in Singapore as well as the accolade of Asian Cuisine Chef of the Year by the World Gourmet Summit Awards (twice). For Deepavali, Punjab Grill is offering up a duology of special set menus, catered to vegetarian and non-vegetarians respectively, which include the likes of Amritsari jackfruit tacos and chicken (or paneer) tikka masala roulade. Dessert remains very much in focus – there’s a full dessert platter to end off the set menus, as well as gourmet dessert boxes to go which manage to blend classic desserts with exciting new ingredients.
B1-01A, The Shoppes at Marina Bay. Tel: 6688-7395
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Having first stepped into a kitchen in 1997, chef Kuldeep Negi brings to bear his considerable experience in Indian kitchens in Singapore and New Delhi for an exciting Deepavali menu that takes diners on a journey through not only North India’s culinary heritage, but Tiffin Room’s as well: its storied time with Raffles Singapore stretches back to 1892, with its restoration last year featuring wooden floorboards that hearken back to its design in the early 1900s. The food sticks to the traditional as well – think dill palak ka gosht, a spicy boneless lamb shank and spinach cury, or achari mahi tikka, which lends that characteristic tandoori oven-char to a pomfret fillet, served along with pickled spices, all presented in the restaurant’s signature tiffin boxes. End off the meal with some exclusive Divali desserts like mango ghevar, a Rajasthani sweet cake served alongside mango kulfi and fresh mango.
Available from November 5 – 15. Grand Lobby, Raffles Singapore. Tel: 6412-1816
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