If Diwali had a food menu for the entire country, it would look like a delicious mix of crispy masala dosa, paneer butter masala and enough kaju katli to keep the mithai boxes coming. This year, these three items emerged as some of the most-ordered favourites across India during the festive weekend. Swiggy's Diwali data shows that while every household had its own festive food traditions, masala dosa, kaju katli and paneer butter masala were among the most ordered dishes nationwide. The combination brings together a little bit of everything Indians love during celebrations: a hearty meal, a rich curry and, of course, something sweet to finish it off.
Kaju katli, in particular, was the undisputed star of festivities. It was followed by motichoor ladoo, rasgulla and gulab jamun.
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The festive appetite also translated into a significant jump in food delivery. Swiggy recorded a 10.7% increase in food delivery orders compared with the corresponding Diwali period last year.
On average, the platform delivered 97,545 food orders every hour during the three-day festive period, November 6 to 8.
In Hyderabad, a customer ordered 57 packets of assorted sweets worth Rs 41,895. A Mumbai customer spent Rs 41,772 on seven assorted sweet hampers on Diwali.
The celebration also moved beyond home kitchens. Swiggy Dineout saw Diwali bookings rise by 38.5% compared with last year, with families choosing to take their festive feasts to restaurants. Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi, and Chennai led these bookings between November 6 and 7, while Ahmedabad, Jaipur, and Chandigarh topped bookings among emerging markets.
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A grand feast in Mumbai racked up a bill of Rs 1,34,210 on November 6. Meanwhile, group bookings took centre stage in Gujarat, with large bookings of 30 people each in Surat and Ahmedabad.