Growing up, food was a big part of my family’s annual Diwali celebrations. Our dining table was always filled to the brim with an elaborate spread of homemade entrees and sweets. Chana masala (a chickpea curry made with onions, tomatoes, spices and herbs), biryani and fried fish (which was usually paired with rice and ghee, a type of clarified butter) were our main showstoppers on the menu. Accompanying them were freshly baked aloo (or potato) samosas, pan-fried aloo tikkis, pakoras, baingan bharta (eggplant curry) and sweets — so many sweets! There were gulab jamun, jaleebi, laddoo and barfi…just to name a few.
This year, I celebrated my first Diwali away from home after moving to New York City. In anticipation of the holiday, I stopped by Michelin-starred Chef Sujan Sarkar’s showcase at Smorgasburg to try a few of his festive bites.
