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An upcoming festival of lights will bring traditional street food, music and cultural performances to the city next month.
The Dunedin Indian Association will present The Rout Group Diwali Festival of Lights at the Edgar Centre Breeze Arena on November 1.
Celebrated each year by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains, as well as secular Indians, Diwali marks the spiritual victory of light over darkness.
With stage shows, music, henna tattoos and plenty to eat, the event promises to be a delight for all the senses.
Among those bringing a taste of their heritage to the celebration are Dosa Etc owners Srikanth Subbarao and his wife Vinutha Subramanya.
The pair, who grew up in the southern Indian cities of Mysore and Bangalore, came to Dunedin about 20 years ago when Dr Subbarao began his PhD at the University of Otago.
Good South Indian food was hard to find in the city then, and so were other Indians.
“If you find any Indian, we will catch that person and take home,’’ Dr Subbarao joked.
Most Indian restaurants in New Zealand focused on northern cuisine, which typically relied on heavy cream, while the southern food the couple grew up with was lighter and coconut-based.
“South Indian cuisine is very different to North Indian cuisine in terms of flavours,” he said.
When the Covid-19 pandemic paused his consulting work, the pair used the time to pursue a long-held passion to showcase authentic South Indian food in Dunedin.
Ms Subramanya had always enjoyed cooking for their circle of friends.
“People used to love our food, you know. They said it’s very authentic, very tasty.”
That encouragement prompted them to open a restaurant in January 2022.
The couple found it difficult to introduce unfamiliar dishes to the local market at first.
The restaurant began as 100% vegan but responded to demand by adding meat
“So that made a huge difference. And we are still here thriving,” Ms Subramanya said.
At the Diwali festival, the pair will serve their most popular dishes, including dosa, a gluten-free crepe made from fermented batter.
“It is a three day process to make the batter,” Dr Subbarao said.
Festival-goers will also have the chance to try idli, steamed rice cakes.
“Idli is again a fermented dish which is made out of rice and lentils,” Ms Subramanya said.
Rounding out the menu is vada, a light, ring-shaped savoury snack.
“Vada is like a fritter. It looks like a doughnut but made with fermented batter,” Dr Subbarao said.
These classic offerings will be served alongside sambar, a traditional lentil and vegetable stew, and fresh coconut chutney.
Ms Subramanya said their recipes came from both sides of the family and were “passed on through generations”.
“My mother-in-law is also a great cook. So I’ve learnt a lot from her too,” she said.
The Diwali event is run by the Dunedin Indian Association.
President Dr Rohit Jain thanked the event’s sponsors, including title sponsor The Rout Group and platinum partners Wealthify, Novelty Sweets and Global Homes Dunedin.
Diwali Festival of Lights
Presented by the Dunedin Indian Association
Sunday, November 1,
2pm-8pm
Breeze Arena, Edgar Centre
Dance music, free henna tattoos, street food, cultural show
Free entry, no alcohol