Diwali is described most often by its lights - the diyas flickering on windowsills, the fireworks, the candles in every room of the house. But for anyone who grew up with the festival, the food is equally central. The mithai boxes arriving from relatives. The smell of ghee heating on the stove for halwa. The gathering of family around a table set with more dishes than the surface can reasonably hold. The lights are what Diwali looks like. The food is what it feels like.
In Den Haag, celebrating Diwali authentically requires knowing where to find food that actually reflects the tradition - not a generic curry night dressed up with some orange decorations, but the real thing. Here is everything you need to know.
What Diwali Actually Is
Diwali - the Festival of Lights - is one of the most significant festivals in the Hindu calendar, observed across five consecutive days in October or November according to the Hindu lunar calendar. It marks the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile and the triumph of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance. Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, is also honoured during Diwali - which is why it is considered an auspicious time for new beginnings, new investments, and new ventures.
While Diwali is primarily a Hindu festival, it is also celebrated in modified forms by Sikhs (as Bandi Chhor Divas, marking the liberation of Guru Hargobind Singh), Jains (as Mahavira's nirvana), and some Buddhist communities. In the Netherlands, where the Indian, Surinamese-Hindustani, and South Asian diaspora is significant, Diwali is a community occasion that crosses religious and cultural lines.
The Food Traditions of Diwali
The food of Diwali falls into two distinct categories, and both matter.
Mithai - the sweets: Diwali is the festival most closely associated with Indian sweets. Boxes of mithai are exchanged between families and friends - ladoo (chickpea flour balls), barfi (milk fudge in flavours ranging from plain to pistachio to coconut), jalebi (crispy fried spirals soaked in syrup), gulab jamun (milk solid dumplings in rose syrup), and halwa (a dense, grain-based sweet cooked in ghee). The giving of sweets is the social act of Diwali, as central as the fireworks.
The feast: Beyond the sweets, Diwali brings together family and community around the largest meal of the season. Dishes vary by region - Punjabi families make chana masala and puri, Gujarati celebrations feature dal baati churma, Bengali Diwali includes fish and rice dishes - but the common thread is abundance, generosity, and food that takes effort to make.
How to Celebrate Diwali in Den Haag
Den Haag has a significant Indian and Hindustani community, and Diwali is observed both publicly and privately across the city. The Hindostaanse Organisaties in Den Haag coordinate community events. Many families hold private dinners for extended family and close friends. Some restaurants and community halls host Diwali dinners for those who want to celebrate without cooking for thirty people at home.
For smaller groups celebrating at a restaurant, Chopras on Leyweg 986 is the recommended choice in Den Haag. The kitchen understands Diwali food traditions - the food is not adapted for a European audience but cooked as it is meant to be cooked. The atmosphere is warm and festive without requiring a private event booking.
For larger Diwali celebrations - extended family dinners, community gatherings, cultural association events - Chopras' private event hall accommodates 25 to 80 guests and is available for hire. The catering comes from the same kitchen as the restaurant.
What to Order at Chopras for Diwali
Pani Puri: Start the meal with pani puri - the hollow shells filled with spiced potato and chickpea, dunked in sharp mint and tamarind water. This is Diwali street food at its most celebratory. Loud, fun, communal.
Samosa Chaat: Crushed samosa under yogurt, chickpeas, tamarind chutney, mint chutney, and sev. One of the great street food dishes of the Indian subcontinent, and a natural Diwali starter.
Butter Chicken (€18.50): The Diwali main course across Punjabi households - creamy, tomato-forward, deeply spiced with fresh-ground garam masala. At Chopras, made with tandoor-cooked chicken and sauced fresh daily.
Dal Makhani (€18.50): Slow-cooked black lentils in cream and butter - a Diwali staple in North Indian households. This dish symbolises abundance in the same way the festival does: it takes time, it is generous, it is rich.
Gulab Jamun: On the dessert menu - the warm milk-solid dumplings in rose syrup that appear on every Diwali table. Order a plate for the table. This is the appropriate ending to a Diwali meal.
How to Book a Diwali Dinner at Chopras
For a table at the restaurant during Diwali, book as early as possible. Diwali coincides with some of the busiest weeks of the year for Chopras - the South Asian community in Den Haag celebrates seriously, and tables fill up quickly in the weeks around the festival. Call +31 6 30645930 or use the contact page to reserve.
For a private event - a family Diwali dinner in the event hall, a community celebration, or a Diwali-themed corporate event - contact Chopras via the catering enquiry form as early as possible. October and November bookings for the event hall go quickly. The earlier you contact us, the more flexibility there is in menu planning.
The party venue page has full details of the event hall capacity, what is included, and how the booking process works. The full menu covers all the dishes available for Diwali dinners at the restaurant.
Diwali happens once a year. The food should be worthy of the occasion.