Deepavali is a time of joy, celebration, and of course—FOOD! But for F&B operators, it can also mean a busy lunch rush with more customers coming in, often on tight schedules. Customers want flavourful festive meals, but they don’t want to wait too long.
The question is:
How can you serve authentic Deepavali dishes quickly without compromising on taste or quality?
The answer lies in pre-made meals and ready-to-serve strategies. With some smart prep, you can delight your customers, handle the rush, and boost sales this festive season.
Lunchtime crowds are always in a hurry, but during Deepavali, expectations are even higher. Families, office workers, and groups of friends step out together—and long wait times can quickly lead to? That’s right. Frustration.
Cooking everything from scratch on the spot not only slows service but may also cost you repeat customers.
And you DON’T want that.
That’s where pre-made meals and smart prep make all the difference. Picture this: big pots of curry gravy simmering during off-peak hours, meats already marinated and waiting for the grill, or fragrant festive rice cooked in batches so it only needs a quick reheat. With the heavy lifting done ahead of time, all you need to do is assemble and serve—keeping the lunch rush smooth and steady.
The same goes for your menu design—build it around components that can be prepped in advance: rice, sauces, chutneys, vegetables. It’s like having your very own festive toolkit ready to go, making service faster and easier when the orders start pouring in.
And let’s not forget the grab-and-go crowd. Office workers will love festive boxes that are ready in minutes—a Deepavali thali set with rice, curry, dhal, and a sweet treat, all neatly portioned and packed. Quick, satisfying, and in-themed.
With a little planning (and the right pre-made meals), you’ll breeze through the lunch rush, keep customers smiling, and make sure every seat in your restaurant keeps turning over fast. Ka-ching!
Now that the basics of speed and prep are covered, let’s talk about what really gets customers excited—festive menus that’s under the big spotlight on every Deepavali in Malaysia:
Problem: Big pots can taste UNEVEN if rushed or stirred inconsistently.
Solution: Batch-cook your curry base during off-peak hours. To maintain a consistent, savoury depth in a large batch of curry, using a standardised ingredient like TUMIX® Chicken Stock helps ensure every serving has the same delicious, real chicken taste.
Problem: Biryani or ghee rice MUST be fragrant and balanced across many portions.
Solution: Prepare the spice base and rice in advance, layer and steam where needed. To keep the taste balanced across every batch, using AJI-NO-MOTO® helps bring out umami and enhances the overall aroma so every portion tastes rich and complete.
Problem: Vegetables can lose colour or go SOGGY if not handled right.
Solution: Blanch or par-cook vegetables in bulk and chill them. Finish with a quick toss when serving. For fast, consistent seasoning at the pass, a sprinkle of AJI-SHIO® Flavoured Pepper just before plating adds that familiar kick without extra prep.
(You may ask, “How much to add?”—Malaysian chef’s secret is: agak-agak! That’s right. Guess. Feel your way through a recipe. Trust your instinct. Start small, taste, adjust. You’ll know when it feels enough.)
Problem: Keeping fried items crunchy during busy service is TRICKY.
Solution: Par-fry (or goreng separuh masak) or use holding methods that preserve texture, then finish to order. Using standardised seasoned flour or quick finish seasonings helps maintain a consistent flavour across batches—so each tray tastes the same and photos look the same, every time. A smart pre-made method can make a difference.
Now that’s instagrammable!
Problem: Mithai and sweets need SHELF-STABILITY and reliable taste.
Solution: Make sweets like laddu or coconut candy ahead and portion them. Pair desserts with small pre-made syrups or toppings so each serving looks polished with minimal handling.
Deepavali is all about joy, togetherness, and of course—good food. The lunch rush might test your kitchen, but with pre-made meals and a little smart prep, you can keep things running smoothly without missing the festive spirit.
When customers get their food fast, tasty, and hassle-free, they leave with smiles (and full bellies). And those smiles? They’re what bring people back, again and again.
Ajinomoto Food Biz Partner
