Vegan Diwali Recipes So Good You’ll Make Them All Year

Published October 16, 2025 by Gregory Dicum. Last Updated October 20, 2025.

Diwali is the Indian Festival of Lights celebrated by hundreds of millions of people this month. It’s a cross-cultural event, celebrated by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, and others. It’s increasingly celebrated in America as well, with three states (PA, CT, CA) now recognizing Diwali as a state holiday.

The festival takes place over five days and is marked by oil lamps, sparklers, gifts, and festive family meals. Diwali symbolizes the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil and is the biggest holiday of the year in India.

One of the most fun aspects of Diwali is all the food—especially the sweets! Diwali food is often vegan, so making it all vegan is just a matter of being mindful of a few key ingredients like yoghurt, butter, and ghee.

With more than two million members and supporters, PETA India is one of the most active PETA entities. Since 2000, the dedicated team has been busy all over the country advocating for good over evil in the food, clothing, entertainment, and experimentation industries.

PETA India’s work includes getting glue traps banned in Indian states, successfully pressing the government of India to ban the export of reptile skins and various fur items for fashion, and even introducing animatronic elephants to temples, helping real elephants live in nature. Elephants are highly social, intelligent animals who live in matrilineal groups. They care for one another, young and old, and show respect for their dead, touching the bones of the departed with their trunks in apparent mourning. They belong in nature, living their best lives, not chained.

Happy Diwali to all, whether you have two legs or four!

Vegan Diwali Starters

Indian cuisine is loaded with appealing snacks and starters. Here are two classics that your guests will devour.

Vegan Samosas

Iconic Indian snacks, samosas are triangular pastries folded around a savory, curried potato mixture and fried. Served with bright cilantro and piquant tamarind sauces, these can be made at home. But it’s also perfectly OK to buy a bunch of vegan samosas from an Indian restaurant and heat them up in the oven ahead of time.

Vegan Chivda/Namkeen

Chivda is a savory-sweet pan-roasted snack mix made from rice flakes, spices, herbs, and nuts. It’s not hard to make and it will wow your guests.

Vegan Diwali Mains

One of the great things about curries is that not only can you make them ahead of time, but they actually get better with more time for the flavors to meld. You can make your Chana Masala and Aloo Gobi ahead of time and keep them in the fridge for a day or two. They also freeze beautifully, so you could make them weeks ahead if you like.

Vegan Chana Masala

Chana Masala is a hearty and delicious staple you would do well to add to your repertoire. A spicy chickpea curry (“chana” means chickpeas and “masala” means a spice mix), chana masala is often vegan by default. It’s a year-round favorite in India, and as long as you have the spices on hand, it’s a pretty simple dish.

Vegan Aloo Gobi

Aloo Gobi is another classic curry that is often vegan. “Aloo” means potatoes, and “Gobi” means cauliflower, which gives you an idea of the main ingredients. Onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, and spices round out this simple dish with a complex flavor.

Vegan Jeera Rice

“Jeera” means cumin. Whole, toasted cumin seeds elevate this delicate and fragrant dish of basmati rice to something extraordinary—perfect for your Diwali gathering.

Vegan Diwali Sides

Any Indian meal comes with a colorful array of sauces, chutneys, and breads. Here are the basics that will set the stage for your vegan Diwali feast.

Vegan Raita

A cooling blend of vegan yogurt, grated cucumber, and spices, raita balances the heat of Indian food like a cooling salve.

Vegan yogurt made from plant milk spares gentle cows from having their milk stolen from their calves to make it. Cows are excellent mothers who form strong bonds with their young. Yet, calves are separated from their mothers by dairy industry workers, and male calves are often consigned to cramped cages so they are unable to move much, ensuring that their bodies develop poorly. The soft, pale muscle tissue of these abused babies is marketed as “veal.”

Vegan Papadum

Cracker-like rounds of chickpea or lentil flour, papadums are inherently vegan. Don’t bother trying to make them from scratch. Instead, do what people in India do: buy them uncooked and put them in the microwave or air fryer just before eating. (Traditionally, papadums are deep fried, but everyone uses these other methods now—they work better and are healthier).

Vegan Achar

Another item to buy. This spicy pickle can be made from many things. Lime, chili, or green mango are classics. A little goes a long way, but if your guests can handle it, this is a great way to let them add even more spice to their plates.

Vegan Diwali Desserts

If you have a sweet tooth, you’re in for a treat! Sweets and desserts of all kinds are beloved features of Diwali gifts and food spreads. Cane and palm sugar have been fixtures in Indian cooking for thousands of years—so much so that it’s very common to see sweets offered to Hindu deities.

Vegan Kaju Katli

“Kaju” means cashew. Kaju katli is made from cashews, blended with sugar and water and optional aromatic spices and herbs. This is one of those recipes that takes basic ingredients and uncomplicated techniques to create something transcendent.

Vegan Gulab Jamun

A classic Indian dessert, Gulab Jamun is rarely vegan. It is usually made from dairy—concentrated fats and proteins from milk stolen from cows who produce it for their calves. Cows need their milk; humans don’t.

So this recipe, upgraded with breadcrumbs, is extra-special. Oozing sweet, floral syrup, the soft fried balls melt in your mouth. You will eat too many.

Vegan Coconut Laddu

Another simple dessert that is somehow more than the sum of its parts, laddu is loved by everyone. These coconut balls are easy to make, and the sweet itself is ancient, with versions of laddu dating back thousands of years. You’ll often see pyramids of laddus presented to Lord Ganesha, who is said to love them.

Vegan Diwali Drinks

Indian drinks are underappreciated in the West. They’re often quite sweet and flavored with flowers and spices for a delicately complex experience. It’s effortless to make them vegan.

Vegan Masala Chai

As with chana masala, “masala” means a spice mix, and “chai” simply means tea. Have some vegan masala chai ready at all times during Diwali to serve to any guests who might drop by.

Vegan Rose Milk

Rose milk is just that—almond milk mixed with rose and a sweetener. It’s dead simple to make, and it tastes simply divine.

This recipe includes fresh coconut. You can substitute canned coconut milk to make it even easier. Choose a brand that does not use monkey forced labor.

Shubh Deepawali!

That means Happy Diwali. Whether you’re putting on a full spread for friends or just making one or two of these dishes on your own, it’s a great time of year to reflect on goodness and light. As the nights grow longer, there’s nothing like treating yourself to a good meal and remembering that, before long, the light will return.

And since personal renewal is often a Diwali theme, this is a great time to …

go vegan!

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