The Diwali Festival is coming up tomorrow night, which is the darkest night of the year. Puneeta Chhitwal-Varma joined us this morning to shine a light on how to make this year’s festival better for the planet.

“Diwali is about shining a light into the darkest corners of your home and your life, and that’s what we do when living green,” said Chhitwal-Varma.

Chhitwal-Varma said one of the key principles of Diwali is Seva, which is an intentional and selfless service. She says one way to practice this is by taking care of the planet.

“[Seva is also] how we can think of ways to support the community and the people outside our friends and family,” she said. 

Chhitwal-Varma has three recipes that people can gift to friends and family for Diwali. 

Candied Walnuts

She says to make a batch at the beginning of the season and they will stay at room temperature for weeks. For a more economical option, she recommends swapping out with pumpkin seeds. 

Toasted coconut Burfi

Chhitwal-Varma describes Burfi as an Indian fudge. Her toasted coconut burfi with pecans was one of the stars of her 2021 edition of How to Shop Your Pantry eBook. 

Apple Peda

This is a rustic sweet named after its shape. Made with slow-cooked apples with Indian paneer, which is a fresh soft cheese. Chhitwal-Varma says she often swaps out apples with pumpkin. 

She says all these recipes are made in the spirit of low-waste by using plates and bowls from her local “Buy Nothing, Sell Nothing” Facebook group. She says the group is the first step to a circular economy. 

“What that basically means is, when you have something that is in great condition and you don’t have use for it anymore, but someone else may have use for it, you should give it away,“ said Chhitwal-Varma.

She encourages people to find “Buy Nothing, Sell Nothing” groups in their own communities. If they can’t, Chhitwal-Varma encourages people to start one themselves.

All recipes can be found here.