Deepavali food guide: mithai, regional treats and edible firecrackers that ship pan-India

It is that time of the year again when back-to-back festivities leave us all in a cheery blur, and this year is no different. With the frenzy of Dussehra and Durga Puja just about fading, Deepavali season is here in all its glory. If you are looking to stock up on sweet treats for guests, or to send them to loved ones in another city, this guide has you covered. We explore everything from collectible mithai tins and regional ladoos to edible firecrackers and festive hampers that travel well and you can savour them long after the festivities are wrapped up. A mithai tin at Halwaipop | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Mithai pop tins @ Halwaipop, New DelhiAfter quitting a corporate gig in 2024, Aanchal Sewani launched the brand to showcase her love for design and traditional mithai. “The idea took root when I was studying in Singapore. I noticed that friends who were vegan, diabetic or just mindful about what they ate held back at the mithai table. I wanted to make traditional mithai that everyone could enjoy, without turning it into fusion desserts,” says the 29-year-old. The Pop Tins in flavours of coffee kaju burfi, paan pista burfi, milk cake, and sugarfree kalakand are the brand’s signature offering and each tin is a single-flavour mithai packed in a collectible tin. “It is lined with our own custom-printed butter paper, and finished with a small brass spoon,” adds Aanchal, adding how most sweet boxes are discarded after their contents are stored in a jar. “The Pop Tin is designed to be eaten from, closed and kept. Once the mithai is gone, people reuse the tin and keep the brass spoon.” For the festive season, the brand also has four signature boxes that comprise diyas, mithai tins, mukhwas, decor accessories, and more. Boxes upwards of ₹2,350 on halwaipop.com Offerings Jhumpa’s Coconut ladoos and more @ Jhumpa’s, Jamshedpur This homemade snacks venture by Krishna Dey Kar began in the winter of 2022 with nimki (namak paras) and naru (coconut ladoos) following encouragement from her sister-in-law. “Over time, I expanded the range to include traditional favourites such as thekua and shakkar para. I also began delivering nolen gur, introducing customers to the distinctive taste of this traditional jaggery from my region,” says the 48-year-old, adding that her venture is aimed at sharing “authentic, homemade flavours and regional food traditions”.The Deepavali range for this year includes nimki (₹500 per kilo), shakkar para (₹550 a kilo), thekua (₹550 a kilo), and naru (₹700 a kilo). “I take about 4-6 days advance notice to make orders fresh, and we ship across India and abroad,” says Krishna. To order, call 92347 04569 Patakha Goodies at The Hill Station Co. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Edible firecrackers @ The Hill Station Co., Bengaluru Launched in New Delhi in 2020, Vaidika Wadhera launched her venture with the idea of “making celebrations possible during the rather gloomy days of lockdown”. Over the last six years, the edible gifting brand has expanded into Hyderabad and Bengaluru with its offerings, and also catered parties, alongside a daily-meal vertical called Tiffins by The Hill Station. “This year’s menu brings together playful interpretations of familiar festive favourites, regional Indian sweets and savoury snacks,” says the 30-year-old founder and chief baker who has had prior stints at The Oberoi Group, Gaa in Bangkok, and Kinara in Dubai. Phoolbagh, flower-shaped nankhatai bites at The Hill Station Co. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement The 2026 line-up comprises edible (and ignitable) diyas (₹150 per piece or ₹500 for a set of four); Patakha Goodies which comprises firecrackers made from a shortbread base (₹325 per portion); Phoolbagh, flower-shaped nankhatai bites (₹329 per bag); baked achari mathri bars in varied flavours (₹349 each); India in a Box which contains nine handcrafted mithais, each inspired by a different region of India (upwards of ₹750); Memories of Mithai which has four dessert bowls (₹1,100 each) inspired by traditional Indian desserts; peri peri pare; saffron fennel shakkar pare (₹275 per portion); Halwai’s Rocky Road with boondi, batashe, pedas, barfis, and roasted nuts (₹425 per bag); and Teen Patti-Sa! That brings together pattisa and coconut barfi, wrapped in a thin shell of chocolate (₹399 per set).All products barring the edible diyas and Memories of Mithai can be shipped pan-India. For details, visit @thehillstation.co on Instagram Ladoos at Aazol | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Heritage ladoos @ Aazol, Maharashtra Siddharth Purohit, 33 and his mother Apurva Purohit always wished to start a social impact venture together. In early 2020, right before COVID-19 hit, the duo attended a State government-organised exhibition wherein they chanced upon several self-help groups from across Maharashtra. “We were impressed by the taste and quality of the packaged foods they were selling; from the poha to the liquid jaggery and peanut chutney, everything was of superior quality to what one got at local city stores. Given the dearth of selling opportunities for these self-help groups outside this two-week exhibition, we decided to partner with them to help them sell their products year-round,” says Siddharth, who co-founded Aazol with his mother, a former media professional, in 2021. A former high-value management consultant, Siddharth talks about how they started off by retailing 30 products that were central to Maharashtra’s various regions and communities. They focussed on food that belonged to the centre of the plate (flour, rice, masala, ghee); on the side of the plate (chutney, papad, sweets); and beverages. Today, their catalogue spans sweets, ancient rice and flours, homemade chutneys, local papads, masalas and traditional Specialities. Offerings at Aazol | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement “We have worked with 35 self-help groups (SHGs), farmer producer organisations (FPOs) and small producers across Maharashtra, and 23 of these are active today. They reside in every corner of the State: from northernmost Dhule and Nandurbar to all along the Konkan coast including as far south as Sindhudurg, Solapur, Kolhapur, and even the easternmost hinterland of Vidarbha,” explains Siddharth, The highlight of their festive range is the newly-launched Heritage Ladoos Box (₹555 for 150g) that comprises two ladoos each of khapli, gond, and ragi. Other offerings include dry fruit gond ladoos, seven seed bar, soft coconut jaggery chikki bar, and Ratnagiri Alphonso aam ras.Details on aazol.in Assorted mithai at Bombay Sweet Shop | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Barfi bars @ Bombay Sweet Shop, MumbaiKnown for their playful twist to traditional creations, the brand’s new festive range has a few signatures and new launches as well. Choose from the pista khubani barfi that blends a pistachio barfi with tangy apricot; gulab orange roll for those who enjoy a hint of rose; the coffee hazelnut peda for the coffee aficionados; nutty date barfi with dry fruits, nuts, jaggery, seeds, and puffed amaranth, among others. These offerings are available in assorted boxes and hampers (upwards of ₹ 695)In the mood for chocolate? The chocolate meets mithai range includes Indie Bites with kaju katli; choco butterscotch barks; the Indie Bar with coconut caramel patissa (₹ 200), to name a few. Details on bombaysweetshop.com A gift bundle at The Farm | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Celebration bundles @ The Farm, ChennaiBringing their farm-fresh goodness to the festivities this year, The Farm has a range of curated gift boxes comprising mithais, fudgy toffee, and an assortment of spreads, jams and relishes.The Celebration Bundles (starting at ₹1,550) pair milk cake with festive toffee (marbled double milk, pistachio and almond), and buyers can choose from a range of bundles with different combinations of the two treats. For those who prefer something savoury, the Firecracker Box (₹1,400) features eight 60g bottles of condiments, including salted caramel sauce, chocolate hazelnut spread, smooth peanut butter, apple and cinnamon jam, balsamic onion relish, Bumbu Kacang (savoury peanut butter), stone-ground grainy mustard and Madras gunpowder. The Farm’s milk cake | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement The Deepavali Special Kanakambaram Cheese Box (₹2,500), which serves four to five, brings together Queso Coromandel, Provolone Dolce, flavoured labneh, chilli crisp whipped feta, milk cake, caramel toffee, Himalayan sun-dried tomatoes, assorted crackers, and mixed cherry tomatoes and olives.For orders, WhatsApp +91 9384677571. Pan-India shipping is available on selected products.