Hosting a last-minute Diwali do: Add glam to your party with these starters

If you’re one of those who’s making last minute plans of throwing a Diwali party at home, then, we are here to your rescue. While an Indian main course is usually the preferred cuisine during this time, you can jazz up your menu by adding a dash of bite-sized glam to your party.

Here are some quick, easy-to create and nibble-perfect starters that will get your party going and will prove to be the perfect accompaniment to your card games and champagne flutes.

From vegetarian options that put a fun rendition to the mean green broccoli to lamb dumplings to go with your whiskey cocktails, here are some gastronomical inspirations that will leave your guests impressed with your festive platter. Take your pick and celebrate like the perfect party host.

1. Broccoli with Lemon Almond Butter

Ingredients: 1 head fresh broccoli cut into florets, 1/4 cup butter, melted, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp lemon zest and 1/4 cup blanched slivered almonds

Method: Steam or boil broccoli until tender, for 4 to 8 minutes. Drain. Now, in a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice, lemon zest, and almonds. Pour over hot broccoli, and serve- By chef Gajendra Singh

2. Spicy Corn Fritters

Ingredients: 150gm corns, 1 small boiled potato, 1 small chopped onions, 2 garlic cloves, 2 green chillies, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1 tbsp maida, 1 tbsp besan, 1tbsp olive oil

Method: Saute onions, garlic, corn and chillies. Boil corn and make a smooth paste. Transfer this into a bowl and add potato, salt, red chilly to make a stiff dough. In another bowl mix maida, besan, baking powder and soda, parsley, salt and water. Shape the corn mix into balls and coat with maida mix and deep fry- By chef Gajendra Singh

3. Lamb and ricotta dumplings

Ingredients: 200gm boneless lamb, 200gm ricotta cheese, 20gm pinenuts or 1 gm cashewnuts, 5gm parsley, 20gm cilantro, 5gm chilli pepper, 50gm tomato and 5gm cinnamon

Method: Take the lamb and mince it. To the mince add chopped parsley, chopped cilantro and chilli pepper. Season it with sea salt and chili pepper. Squeeze in a fresh lime and make dumplings. Stuff it with ricotta cheese or cottage cheese, pinenuts or cashewnuts. Keep it in the chiller. Now, make salsa rossa by blending pomodoro/marzano or regular tomato and cook with garlic. Add cinnamon powder. Steam dumplings and toss it with salsa rossa. Season with salt- By chef Nishant Choubey

4. Shitake and filo mille feuille with red pepper pesto

Ingredients: 60 gm shitake mushroom, 100ml red wine – 100 ml, 1 tsp rosemary a few filo pastry, 40 gm red pepper, 30gm pine, 40ml olive oil, 20gm fresh bread ,20 gm shallots, 10gm garlic and 20 gm butter

Method: Take shitake mushroom. use fresh if there otherwise dry is fine. Soak it in warm water for 1 hr untill it gets soft. Drain the same. Cook It with red wine, chopped shallots, and garlic. Chill it in refrigerator. Cut the filo sheets in a neat square.brush melted butter across the edges of filo pastry .Layer the glazed shitake neatly on top of the lined filo pastry Fold it from all the sides and make like a parcel. Freeze the parcels in a freezer.In the meanwhile roast the red pepper in a moderate oven (temp about 180 degrees centigrade) for 20 minutes. Keep it in a covered container for 10 minutes. Deskin the peppers .Blend it with Pinenuts, parmesan cheese, olive oil and fresh bread. Season and keep it cold.bake the filo parcels at 200 degree centigrade for almost 15 minutes .cut and plate it with red pepper pesto and black olive - By chef Durgesh Tyagi

5. Zucchini and Cheese Sausages

Ingredients: 200gms zucchini grated, 1/2 cup bread crumbs, 25g butter, 1 onion, 150gm cheddar cheese, 1 egg, a little salt and pepper and vegetable oil.

Method: Squeeze the excess liquid out of zucchini. Heat the butter in a frying pan and fry the onion until soft. Add the grated zucchini and cook until softened. Mix with the grated cheese, half the breadcrumbs, the egg yolk and seasoning. Shape into sausages, using floured hands. Dip into the lightly beaten egg white and then roll in the remaining breadcrumbs. Fry till golden brown- By chef Gajendra Singh