Ms Bavani Sivalingam remembers a time when her grandmother would lay out a platter of sweet treats during Deepavali and, she, her sister and their cousins would stop whatever they were doing and swarm around the colourful snacks.
“We were like ants attracted to sweet food,” said the 39-year-old with a laugh. The administrative assistant’s favourite snack is the laddu, which many regard as the most common sweet treat of the festival.
Ms Sivalingam said: “The ball-shaped snack is usually made from chickpea flour and then combined with spices before being fried in ghee. I have a sweet tooth, so what I love most is when the snack is soaked in sugar syrup.”
Indian sweets like the laddu are a must during Deepavali as they are considered pure and are also used as an offering to the gods. They also represent good luck and joy during the festival, a sweet way to celebrate the happy occasion with family and friends.
Jai Prakash is a fan of jalebi and always snacks on those when he visits his relatives. The 22-year-old feels that the crunchy fried dessert cannot go wrong.
The undergraduate said: “Everyone will be happy after eating this irresistibly sweet snack dipped in saffron sugar syrup. Enjoy it freshly fried and you can’t stop at just one!”
Mdm Sumathi Krishnasamy echoes the sentiment that sweet treats are essential during Deepavali, especially with the wide variety of colours and flavours. The housewife enjoys the burfi, a confectionery made from milk and sugar. The snack is flavoured with ingredients like pistachio, cashew or dried fruit, with an edible gold or silver leaf pressed on top.
“I like to buy this snack for relatives who visit during Deepavali, and it can be commonly found in the neighbourhood Indian grocery stores in Ang Mo Kio during the festive season, together with many other delicious snacks which are reasonably priced,” said the 64-year-old.
Chinese
Laddu（甜奶球）、jalebi（炸糖浆甜面圈）和burfi（甜糕）等，是屠妖节必备的传统印度甜点。印度教徒认为这些甜点吉祥圣洁，可供奉给神灵。它们也象征好运和欢乐，是与亲朋好友欢庆佳节的不二之选。
Malay
Manisan kaum India seperti laddu, jalebi dan burfi wajib dihidangkan semasa Deepavali kerana ia dianggap suci dan digunakan sebagai bahan sembahan kepada dewa-dewa mereka. Ia juga dilihat sebagai penarik tuah dan kegembiraan semasa perayaan, sesuatu yang manis untuk menyambut acara tersebut bersama keluarga dan teman-teman.
Tamil
லட்டு, ஜிலேபி, பர்ஃபி போன்ற இந்திய இனிப்புப் பலகாரங்கள் இல்லாமல் தீபாவளி இல்லை. தூயவையாகக் கருதப்படும் இந்தப் பலகாரங்கள், இறைவனுக்குக் காணிக்கையாகப் படைக்கப்படுகின்றன. பண்டிகைக் காலத்தில் அதிர்ஷ்டமும் உற்சாகமும் அளிக்கும் இனிப்புகளுடன், குடும்பத்தோடும் நண்பர்களோடும் இனிப்பாகக் கொண்டாடி மகிழலாம்.
