Diwali Catering NYC

Diwali Catering That Brings the Festival of Lights to Your Event

Let’s be honest — Diwali is the most visually stunning holiday to cater, and most NYC caterers waste that opportunity by serving generic Indian buffet food on plain tables. A great Diwali catering setup pairs authentic regional Indian cuisine with festive presentation — marigold garlands, brass serving ware, diyas (clay lamps) along the buffet line, and a mithai display that looks as beautiful as it tastes.

Urban Affairs first added Diwali to our holiday catering menus in the late 1990s and has refined our Indian cuisine program every year since — serving both corporate teams and private families across all five boroughs.

Diwali Themed Catering Menu

Indian Festival Catering for NYC Corporate & Private Events

Celebrate the Festival of Lights with a vibrant Diwali catering menu inspired by traditional Indian flavors and festive dishes. Our Diwali buffet is designed for corporate celebrations, cultural events, and private gatherings across New York City, offering a rich selection of authentic curries, vegetarian specialties, fresh breads, and classic Indian desserts.

Build Your Menu

Served with your choice of two side dishes, two salads or raitas, one chutney, fresh naan or bread, and dessert.

$34.95 per guest – One Entrée
$39.95 per guest – Two Entrées
$44.95 per guest – Three Entrées

Appetizers

$45 per dozen

• Baked Onion Pakoras served with tomato chutney
• Onion Bhaji – crispy onion fritters with cumin and spices
• Aloo Chap – spiced mashed potato fritters with ginger and cumin
• Paneer & Corn Croquettes with fresh mango chutney
• Curried Potato and Pea Samosas with tamarind sauce
• Cauliflower Pakoras with mint chutney
• Indian Curried Shrimp
• Shrimp Tikka with fresh mango chutney
• Tandoori Chicken on crispy wafer with mango chutney
• Chicken Pakora with mint and tamarind dipping sauces

Chicken Entrées

• Chicken Haryali – chicken cooked with mint and cilantro
• White Coconut Chicken Curry with cashews and yogurt
• Chicken Saag Curry with spinach and herbs
• Chicken Korma in mild almond cream sauce with cardamom
• Chicken Vindaloo in spicy tomato and chili sauce
• Achari Murga Tikka – yogurt marinated chicken with pickled spices
• Saffron Malai Tikka – grilled chicken with yogurt, saffron, and herbs
• Rato Bhaleko Sizzler – Nepalese-style grilled chicken with peppers and onions
• Tandoori Chicken marinated with yogurt and traditional spices
• Chicken Kali Mirch – creamy chicken curry with black pepper
• Chicken Chili Masala – spicy garlic and green chili masala sauce
• Chicken Tikka Masala – classic tomato cream curry with cashews

Lamb & Goat Entrées

• Lamb Vindaloo with Kashmiri chili and spices
• Lamb Saag with fresh spinach
• Lamb Rogan Josh with cardamom and cinnamon
• Keema Mutter – minced lamb with green peas
• Sheekh Kebab – spiced minced lamb skewers
• Lamb Tikka marinated with yogurt and spices
• Indian Lamb Chops with curried cauliflower (+$6)
• Goat Curry slow simmered with traditional spices

Seafood Entrées

• Fish Madras Curry with coconut, mustard seeds, and curry leaves
• Salmon Amritsari – crispy gram flour battered salmon
• Shrimp Tikka Masala with creamy tomato sauce

Vegetarian & Vegan Entrées

• Aloo Gobi – potatoes and cauliflower in spiced curry sauce
• Kerau Paneer – paneer and green peas in tomato cream sauce
• South Indian Vegetable Curry
• Coconut Vegetable Curry
• Kadhai Paneer with peppers and crushed coriander
• Mixed Vegetable Curry
• Saag Paneer – paneer in fragrant spinach sauce
• Chole – chickpeas in spiced tomato curry

Side Dishes

Vegetable Dishes

• Daal Makhani – slow simmered black lentils with butter and cream
• Palak Paneer – spinach and cheese curry
• Mutter Paneer – peas and paneer curry
• Aloo Gobi – potatoes and cauliflower
• Mutter Mushroom – peas and mushrooms
• Bombay Potatoes
• Bhindi Masala – spiced okra
• Tarka Daal – yellow lentils with spices
• Hariyali Daal – lentils with spinach
• Saag Aloo – spinach and potatoes
• Chana Masala – chickpeas in tomato curry
• Mixed Vegetable Curry

Rice

• Steamed Basmati Rice
• Lemon Rice
• Basmati Rice with Green Peas
• Vegetable Biryani with cashews
• Mushroom Rice
• Jeera Rice with cumin seeds
• Mutter Rice with peas
• Spiced Basmati Rice with lentils and caramelized onions

Salads & Raitas

• Garden Salad
• Mixed Baby Lettuce Salad with peas, carrots, and lemon beet vinaigrette
• Cucumber Raita with yogurt and cucumber
• Mixed Vegetable Raita with yogurt, cucumber, and carrots

Chutneys & Relishes

• Coconut Relish
• Cucumber and Red Pepper Relish
• Quince Date Chutney
• Mango Chutney
• Cilantro Chutney
• Mint Chutney
• Coconut Chutney

Breads

• Plain Naan
• Butter Naan
• Garlic Naan
• Onion Kulcha
• Potato Stuffed Naan
• Garlic Chili Naan
• Cheese Naan
• Roti
• Chapati

Desserts

$8.95 per guest

• Gulab Jamun – cottage cheese dumplings in sweet syrup
• Rice Pudding with nuts and raisins
• Kheer with cardamom, almonds, and saffron
• Coconut Rice Pudding with toasted coconut
• Rasmalai – cheese dumplings in sweet milk
• Fresh Fruit Salad
• Rose Panna Cotta
• Cardamom Panna Cotta
• Vegan Kaju Katli – Indian cashew fudge
• Coconut Cookies
• Jalebi – traditional sweet funnel cakes

Beverages

$7.95 per guest

• Mango Lassi
• Salted or Sweet Lassi
• Mocktail Pomegranate Margarita
• Mocktail Watermelon Breezer
• Lemonade with Rooh Afza, mint leaves, and sabja seeds

Diwali Menu Design — Vegetarian-Forward with Regional Depth

Here’s what most caterers won’t tell you: there is no single “Diwali menu.” North Indian Diwali features paneer dishes, naan, and rich gravies. South Indian Diwali centers on dosa, idli, and sambar. Gujarati families serve dhokla, thepla, and undhiyu. The menu should reflect your guests’ regional traditions — not a generic “Indian food” checklist.

Diwali Catering Menu

• Starters — samosas, pakoras, chaat station (pani puri, bhel puri, dahi vada)
• Vegetarian mains — paneer tikka masala, chana masala, baingan bharta, dal makhani, aloo gobi
• Non-vegetarian options — tandoori chicken, lamb rogan josh, chicken biryani (available on request)
• Breads and rice — garlic naan, jeera rice, peshawari naan, plain basmati
• Mithai (sweets) — gulab jamun, barfi, jalebi, rasgulla, kaju katli, ladoo
• Beverages — masala chai station, mango lassi, rose sherbet

Corporate Diwali Events — Inclusive Celebration for Diverse Teams

The risk with corporate Diwali events is limiting the celebration to food alone. Diwali is a multi-day festival of lights that carries deep spiritual and cultural meaning for Hindu, Sikh, Jain, and Buddhist communities. The catering should complement — not replace — the cultural programming that gives the event substance.
Urban Affairs builds corporate Diwali catering around communal sharing — family-style serving, live chaat stations where guests watch their plates assembled, and a mithai display that serves as the visual centerpiece of the room. We also provide cultural context cards that explain the significance of specific dishes and the tradition of sharing sweets during Diwali.

Pair with a Kwanzaa celebration in December and a Ramadan iftar in spring to build a year-round multicultural event calendar. Add a vegan catering option for guests who observe Jain dietary restrictions during Diwali.

Diwali Presentation and Venue Considerations

Diwali typically falls in October or November, which means indoor venues are standard for NYC events. That works in your favor for presentation — the Festival of Lights looks best in enclosed spaces where diyas, string lights, and marigold garlands create a warm glow that open-air venues dilute. Urban Affairs coordinates food presentation with the venue’s lighting design so the mithai display, chaat station, and main buffet become visual anchors rather than afterthoughts on a folding table.

For tech companies and financial firms in Midtown and FiDi that celebrate Diwali as part of their DEI programming, we build menus that introduce Indian cuisine to colleagues unfamiliar with the tradition while still satisfying guests who grew up with these dishes. The chaat station does double duty here — it’s interactive enough to spark conversation and authentic enough to earn respect from guests who know the difference between street-style pani puri and a corporate approximation.

Get a Custom Catering Quote for Your Event

Urban Affairs Catering & Events has been catering Diwali celebrations across New York City since 1995 — from corporate team events to private family gatherings with traditional mithai and regional menus. If you’re planning a Diwali event, request a catering quote here and we’ll get back to you within one business day.

Frequently Asked Questions