Diwali, possibly the most important and spectacular event in the South Asian community, is a festival celebrating the triumph of good over evil, the beauty of our inner light protecting us from spiritual darkness, and quite honestly a reason to just eat copious amounts of festive Indian food. Nobody in the city does a Diwali menu quite like Tanvi and Akash Swar of Little Sister Baking, and if you didn't think they could top last year's menu, in my humble opinion they totally have.
Pre-orders for their Diwali menu went live October 3 and will be available for purchase until October 16. You'll be able to pick-up your goodies from the 10th to the 21st of October, and if you're keen to try before you buy (or maximize the amount of Diwali treats you can actually consume before the big day on October 24th) you can buy many of the menu selections at their location on 707 Dundas Street West. Everything will also be available for delivery all over the GTA.
In traditional Indian gift-giving style, this year their mithai boxes will include 1 of every 6 sweets they've created for the 2022 menu, and a few treats as well (think diyas); the box makes a beautiful hostess gift. You can also order a platter that will include sweet and savoury options. They'll be selling Happy Diwali cake toppers, lanterns, etc., so it'll be your one-stop-shop for that Diwali party you were invited too but can't find the time to prepare for; boxes and platters are only available for pre-order.
LSB Diwali 2022 Sweet Menu:
Anjir Akrod Financier | Fig and Walnut Financier
A financier is a small French almond cake; LSB adds fresh figs and toasted walnut, creating a gorgeous texture.
Kaju Katli Choux | Cashew Fudge Choux
This choux (a delicate French pastry dough) combines creamy cashews and buttermilk with cashew and coconut cream on the inside and toasted coconut flakes and cashew craqueline on top.
Gajar Halwa | Carrot Pudding
It's 2022, we all know what halwa is by now, and carrot halwa is a South Asian classic cooked in milk and sugar. LSB's take turns it into a British-style pudding with a moist spiced carrot cake topped with crème anglaise.
Chickoo Caramel Banoffee Sablé Breton
Chickoo (sometimes called sapodilla or naseberry) is a South Asian fruit that tastes like brown sugar; they turned chickoo into a silky caramel and topped it onto a Banoffee Sablé Breton biscuit with a camalized torched banana.
Pear Masala Chai Opera Cake
Your standard genoise cake soaked in chai syrup and layered with masala chai butter cream and dark chocolate; its topped with a crystallized dehydrated pear.
Kesar Pista Tart | Saffron Pistachio Tart
The dream team of South Asian flavours, saffron and pistachios, are combined into a mixed nut tart. "Pistachio-almond frangipane is topped with kesar custard and tiny pieces of pistachio, walnut and almond."
LSB Diwali 2022 Savoury Menu:
Bhindi Masala Focaccia | Spiced Okra Focaccia
Spicy bhindi masala and onions cover a fluffy focaccia, also known as a dream come true. This twist on a focaccia pairs really well with soft and fresh cheese.
Chicken Masala Tart
This hand-held open faced tart has chicken tikka, roasted green peppers and onions sitting in the LSB signature house-made flaky puff dough and drizzled with cilantro oil.
Mushroom Mattar Tart | Mushroom and Peas Tart
This classic veggie dish has spiced mushrooms and peas; like the chicken masala tart, it's sitting in their signature house-made flaky puff dough and drizzled with cilantro oil.
Tanvi and Akash are proud of their Diwali 2022 menu; it epitomizes the South Asian experience in Canada, bringing two cultures together in passionate, fusion dishes. When they first moved to Canada they had to make certain sabjis (dishes) with swiss chard because they couldn't find the same greens here that they had in India. Now combining local ingredients with South Asian recipes is a culinary art form practiced by Little Sister Baking. They are hoping to reflect the feeling of adaption and change in their food as a beautiful homage to Ontario's multiculturalism.
