Diwali

Diwali this year was all about:

- Food; we had a delicious menu of kalmi kabab, channa puri, maa ki dal, malai kabab, samosas, matri, kachoris, assorted sinful Indian sweets.It was a meal that will make me pay in inches.

- Friends old and new; Diwali started with four friends and then ended up with ten, all the more fun, noise and chatter.

-Firecrackers; it was a small display but it was entertaining, reminiscent of childhood pattakas, we had sparklers, dodgy chakras that had a mind of their own and noisy colourful rockets. It was just the right amount for the small patio space and we didn't have the bobbies knocking on the door.

- Tea lights; they were in every little diya I owned and they were oh-so-pretty.

- Rangoli; I couldn't source powder this year so I used flowers and the artistic input of my bil to end up with a pretty little mango design.

- Dressing up; yes we went the whole hog and it was lovely. All the girls dressed up in their Indian kurtas and jhumkas and the boys did their part too. It was the last touch to a good evening.

- Teen patti and charades; in true Diwali tradition we played teen patti (a form of Indian poker). We then moved on to charades to end the evening. It was a riot and we laughed the night away.

- Thumma; much of the Diwali menu this year was thanks to Thumma. If you haven't seen this Andhra gem, google "vah re vah "and try some of his recipes. He is entertaining at the very least and his recipes are all spot on.

This year we had a gathering of so many different people, old friends without whom the food would have never materialised, new friends without whom the evening would not have been as much fun. Here's wishing you all a Happy Diwali and a Prosperous New Year