Diwali falls on Sunday, 8 November 2026. That gives offices in Sunnyvale about four weeks to plan a team lunch for the week before, and families about four weeks to decide who is cooking on the day. For a lot of households the answer is “nobody”: the kitchen is busy with sweets and the house is busy with guests, so the main meal comes from a restaurant. This guide covers what to order from Desi Dhaba for both situations, how far ahead to book, and how to build a spread that feeds vegetarians and meat-eaters from the same table.
Diwali 2026 dates and when to book
- Diwali (Lakshmi Puja): Sunday, 8 November 2026
- Office celebrations: most teams hold theirs on the Thursday or Friday before, 5 or 6 November, or on the Monday after
- Book by: two weeks before your date for anything over 20 people, so the kitchen can schedule tandoor time and staff; smaller orders can go through the online menu a few days ahead
Desi Dhaba’s catering page lists office lunches, family gatherings and large events as the three things it caters. Diwali week is the one time of year when all three land in the same fortnight, so earlier is better.
Office Diwali lunch: a menu that works for 10 to 50 people
An office lunch has three constraints: it has to hold on a buffet table for an hour, it has to be easy to serve from a tray, and it has to cover everyone’s diet without anyone asking. This structure does that.
Starters (pick two)
- Samosa — the one everybody recognises; order enough for two per person
- Paneer Pakora — vegetarian, crisp, and still good at room temperature
- Chicken Seekh Kabab — from the tandoor; a halal option that eats like finger food
Mains (pick one vegetarian, one chicken, one lamb or goat)
- Dal Makhani — black lentils; the safest crowd-pleaser on the vegetarian side
- Paneer Tikka Masala or Shahi Paneer — one creamy paneer dish is enough
- Butter Chicken — the chicken dish people expect at an office Diwali
- Chicken Tikka Masala — if the group skews toward a tomato-forward sauce
- Lamb Curry or Goat Curry — for the table that wants something slower-cooked
Rice and bread
- Veg Plau Rice or Plain Rice as the base
- Chicken Biryani or Mix Vegetable Biryani if you want rice to be a dish, not a side
- Garlic Naan and Tandoori Roti — naan for most, roti for anyone avoiding butter
Finish
- Gulab Jamun and Kheer. Both travel well and both are Diwali sweets in their own right.
- Chai, served in a dispenser, closes it properly.
Menu card — Butter Chicken
Tandoori chicken in a buttery tomato-cream sauce. Order it with Garlic Naan.
Family Diwali dinner: the home-table spread
A family gathering is different: fewer people, more courses, and the food is eaten over an evening rather than a lunch hour. Build it in rounds.
Round one, with the first guests: Samosa Chaat or Aloo Tikki Chaat on a platter, Chilli Paneer for the people who want heat, and a Tandoori Mix Grill in the middle of the table. The mix grill brings tandoori chicken, seekh kabab and tikka in one order, so you cover the grill course without ordering four things.
Round two, the proper meal: Butter Chicken, Saag Paneer, Chana Masala, Lamb Korma, Goat Biryani, a stack of Butter Naan and a Lacha Paratha or two. Add Cucumber Salad and the Onion & Chilli Salad so the table has something sharp next to the rich dishes.
Round three, with the lights: Gajar Halwa, warm, with Gulab Jamun, and Mango Lassi for anyone who has had enough chai.
Menu card — Garlic Naan
Tandoor-baked naan brushed with garlic. The bread that gets ordered twice.
Keeping the table vegetarian-friendly
Many families eat vegetarian on Diwali itself, and most offices in Sunnyvale have a vegetarian share well above the national average. Desi Dhaba’s Vegetarian Entrée list is long enough to run a full Diwali menu without touching the meat side:
- Creamy: Shahi Paneer, Malai Kofta, Veg Navratan Korma
- Spinach and greens: Saag Paneer, Saag (Spinach), Mushroom Saag
- Dry and roasted: Aloo Gobi, Jeera Aloo, Bhindi, Baingan Bharta
- Lentils and beans: Dal Makhani, Dal Tadka, Chana Masala
- Vegan options: Chilli Tofu (Vegan) on the appetizer list; ask the kitchen which curries are made without cream or butter
One practical rule: order vegetarian dishes in the same quantity as the meat dishes, not half. At a Diwali table the vegetarian curries get eaten by everyone.
Sweets, because it is Diwali
Desi Dhaba’s dessert list is short and all three items are Diwali sweets: Kheer (rice pudding), Gulab Jamun (syrup-soaked dough balls) and Gajar Halwa (carrot halwa). For an office, Gulab Jamun is the easiest to portion. For a family dinner, Gajar Halwa served warm is the one people remember.
Menu card — Gulab Jamun
Soft, syrup-soaked, and the sweet most people expect to see on Diwali.
How to place the order
- Family gatherings and orders under about 15 people: build the order on the online menu. Pickup and delivery are both available, and you can set the time so the food arrives when the guests do.
- Office lunches and larger gatherings: use the catering page on the website to send the headcount, the date and the dishes above. The team will confirm quantities and timing.
- Both: ordering direct from the restaurant means Desi Dhaba sees the full order and the full ticket, with no third-party commission between you and the kitchen.
Desi Dhaba is at 415 N Mary Ave, Suite 101, in Sunnyvale, close to the Mary Avenue exit off Central Expressway and a short drive from the Moffett Park offices.
FAQ
When is Diwali in 2026? Sunday, 8 November 2026. Most office celebrations in the Bay Area take place on the Thursday or Friday before.
How far ahead should I book Diwali catering in Sunnyvale? Two weeks for anything over 20 people. Smaller family orders can be placed a few days ahead on the online menu.
Is Desi Dhaba’s food halal? Yes; Desi Dhaba serves halal Indian food. See the catering page for details.
Can you cater a fully vegetarian Diwali meal? Yes. The vegetarian entrée list includes paneer dishes, lentils, chana masala, saag and dry vegetable dishes, plus vegan options such as Chilli Tofu.
Do you deliver Diwali orders? Delivery and pickup are both available through the online ordering page. Larger catering orders are arranged through the catering page.
Book your Diwali order
Four weeks is enough time to do this properly. Pick the date, count the heads, and send the list.
Order direct from Desi Dhaba for pickup or delivery · For office and large orders, use the catering page.