The roads in Little India are decked out in dazzling lights and colourful décor, as revelers prepare for Deepavali (or Diwali), one of the most important days in the Hindu calendar. It’s also a time when families gather for a celebratory meal of traditional dishes and mithai. But it's not only for a homecooked meal at grandma's—dining out can be equally festive.
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Rang Mahal

Perfect for gifts (or for you to snack on) are the festive mithais hand-crafted by the restaurant's culinary team. There are four flavours which come in box of 21 pieces or a premium box of 32 pieces.

You’ll be glad to know that the signature mango and pistachio flavours are back, alongside new savouries that include saffron-lentil, made with flavoured gram flour, fruit and nut, and studded with figs, dates and nuts.

If these aren’t enough, head down for its festive buffet lunch, a glorious spread consisting of regional Indian favourites, live stations and other classics. 

The buffet spread is on October 18, lunch only. For mithai orders, bookings and enquiries, please call 6850 7980 or email marketing@rangmahal.com.sg.

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Above Photo: Shahi Maharani

Shahi Maharani

The chefs at Shahi Maharani sure know how to up the ante; available for a limited period only, their lavish buffet spread boasts a collection of some of the best dishes from India’s popular food regions. You’ve got a dizzying array of chaats that will remind you of Mumbai, succulent kebabs you’ve probably had in Lucknow, as well as an array of tongue-numbing curries from Punjab, Hyderabad and Kashmir. Adding to the festive mood are the oil lamp displays and live musicians who’ll be playing all the classic Bollywood tunes throughout the meal.

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Bring the celebration home with a box of mithai sweets, availalbe in some interesting concoctions, from the fruity mango surprise, and kaju roll stuffed with pistachios, to the "ebony and ivory", made with chocolate milk burfi.

The menu is available on October 17 (lunch) and 18 (dinner). For mithai orders, enquiries and bookings, please call 6235 8840.

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Above Photo: Song of India

Song of India

Chef Manjunath Mural loves creating mithais to sweeten the celebration. The cult favourites are back, but for something different, there is also the sugary gula Melaka studded with melon seeds and saffron to even out the flavours.

Have these to go, or better yet, after a delicious celebratory meal here. He has crafted a degustation menu (with a vegetarian option) featuring delicious dishes such as chargrilled laksa chicken kebab and sambal barramundi tikka, inspired by local flavours, as well as the manglorian gassi (tiger prawns cooked in coconut gassi sauce), murg malai khumb (chicken roulade stuffed with a cheesy mushroom in lazeez sauce) and kashmiri nadru (young lotus root cooked in a coriander and mint cashew sauce), which pay tribute to his Indian roots.

(Related: Did The 2017 Michelin Guide Singapore Get It Right?)

The menu is available from October 18 to 22. For mithai orders, bookings and enquiries, please call 6836 0055 or email namaste@songofindia.com.sg.

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Above Photo: Punjab Grill

Punjab Grill

The first thing you must try here is the five-course menu, which comes in non-vegetarian and vegetarian options. The former has mouthwatering dishes such as the chicken thigh marinated in spices, and tender venison kebab stuffed with cheese and served with prune and betty chutney for appetisers, as well as tandoori duck, chicken nihari and keema kaleji pao (meat goat with spicy gravy) for the main course.

The vegetarian menu is equally delish with choices that include pumpkin, beetroot and zucchini kebabs for starters, and lotus root and potato keema pao; bhuna vegetables and exotic vegetable lollipops nihari for mains.

There are desserts to end the meal, but save room for the mithai. They have six flavours this year, from the usual suspects such as the alphonso mango mixed with white chocolate, nutty flaxseeds and motichoor paak, to the macadamia nuts with saffron swirl and finished with rose petal marmalade.

The mithai boxes are available until October 30, the Deepavali menu is available on October 18. For orders, enquiries and bookings, please call 6688 7395 or email info@punjabgrill.com.sg.

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Above Photo: Tandoor

Tandoor

You’ll find your sugar rush at Tandoor, which has prepared six mithai varieties with enticing flavours that include the all-time favourite badam chocolate, sweet and nutty dried fruits, aromatic anjeer rose petals and delightful kaju pistachio.

You can also satisfy your cravings for delicious Indian food via a specially crafted buffet spread filled with your favourite dishes. The chaat counter alone has three varieties—papdi, samosa and pani puri—but wait till you see the kebab station. It’s divided into the vegetarian and non-vegetarian options dishing out items like chicken infused with lemongrass, kaffir lime and jalapenos; mutton marinated in aromatic spices, as well as mushrooms stuffed with cheese and cooked in a tandoor oven.

The Deepavali buffet is available on October 15 and 18, lunch and dinner, and the mithai sweets are available until October 18. For orders, enquiries and bookings, please call 6733 8333 or email tandoor.hisinorchard@ihg.com.


 (Related: 2017 Michelin Guide Singapore: The Entire List Revealed)

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