Like most Indian households, Diwali in our family wasn’t about extravagant decorations, handmade rangoli at our doorstep, or elaborate sweet and savory dishes. It was more of a simple family affair and by family, I mean my parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, and us children. It involved at least 30 of us getting together first at our family business location (a modest auto repairs store) for the ceremonial prayers. While the adults prayed, the 12 of us siblings (we are cousins but still inseparable) would excitedly run to the little warehouse in the back, fiddling with spare parts and ball bearings of various sizes. As soon as the adults were done, we would excitedly line up at the cash counter where our grandfather would hand us our little money bags containing 10 rupees each.

Next, we would head over to our grandfather’s house where the adults would sprawl all over the living room floor and play "Flush"  for the rest of the day. The kids would run upstairs to the roof and would open up their own little casino, playing cards with small change. Now, it might sound like I belong to a family with a major gambling addiction, but in fact playing cards during Diwali is very much part of the celebration. We’d end the evening with fireworks and a big dinner with the whole family.

I still follow the family tradition of focusing more on spending quality time with family and friends rather than food, but do manage to put together a little something each year for this special day. Here is a quick and easy recipe for crispy coconut and almond wontons using local ingredients in Singapore.