Festivals are never complete without the aroma of sweets, frying in ghee, wafting through the house. For most of you, festival memories start with Grandma’s recipes—the ones that tasted like heaven whenever she used to cook them. Among her absolute favourites were two party snacks that were a regular at every celebration: shankarpali and Bombay mixture.
Shankarpali: Sweet, Simple, and Full of Love
No celebration was ever quite complete without Grandma hiding a jar of shankarpali in the cupboard. Those little golden triangles, crunchy outside and softly sweet within, never lasted more than a day. Someone would snatch a handful, another, and before long, the jar would be empty. Grandma always insisted that the dough had to be the right consistency—too stiff and they’d become hard, too soft and they’d soak up the oil. That was her secret for the perfect crunchiness.
As kids, we would gather around the kitchen, waiting for the first batch to come out of the wok, never able to resist but to “steal” some before they had a chance to cool off. Even today, that initial crunchy bite brings with it the memories of the beaming smiles of those holiday mornings.
Bombay Mixture: Crunch in Every Handful
If Shankarpali was the delicate sweetness of the season, Bombay mixture was the ideal contrast. Spicy, tart, and textured, it was a snack that felt every bit festive. Fried gram flour noodles, poha, peanuts, and a combination of spices, each handful slightly different yet always familiar.
Grandma never used a measure when seasoning it—she used instinct, a pinch of this, a sprinkle of that. For some reason, it was always perfectly done. Great steel tins of Bombay mixture would be circulated around while everyone sat gossiping, hearing about family business. It was never a snack; it was part of the occasion itself.
More Than Just Food
What distinguished these recipes was not merely their taste but the manner in which they brought people together. Rolling shankarpali dough turned into a family affair, with kids proudly cutting unbalanced shapes while Grandma grinned over their handiwork. Preparing bowls of Bombay mixture was an excuse for everyone to linger at the table longer, swapping gossip among bites. These snacks weren’t accompaniments; they were the pulse of celebratory gatherings.
Bringing the Past into the Present
Of course, not all houses have time to make these recipes from scratch anymore. Life moves quicker, kitchens are more hectic, and yet the yearning for these flavours remains. The beauty is that such festive favourites remain within reach. Thanks to Swiggy Instamart, your favourite shankarpali jars and Bombay mixture packets can be home-delivered in an instant to be portioned out just like they used to be.
Festival food is not just a list of recipes; it’s memory, warmth, and tradition in a bite. Shankarpali and Bombay mixture can be simple, yet combined, they embody decades of tales and celebrations. Prepared lovingly at home or ordered conveniently through Swiggy Instamart, they still keep festive tables set, reminding us that some traditions are too precious to be let go.
