Dashain Shopping List: Groceries, Drinks and Guest Essentials
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A complete Dashain shopping list for Nepali households: masu essentials, festival groceries, drinks, snacks for guests and the household items to stock before the rush.
Dashain is the busiest time of year for shops across Nepal. In the week before Tika, popular items sell out and the roads are packed with people heading home. The families who have the calmest Dashain are the ones who shop early. Here is the list we would use ourselves.
Shop in two rounds
Round 1, around Ghatasthapana: everything that keeps. Rice, oil, ghee, spices, dry fruits, drinks, snacks, cleaning supplies.
Round 2, two or three days before Tika: fresh items. Milk, curd, paneer, bread, eggs and anything else perishable.
Kitchen staples for the festival
- Rice: extra for guests, plus basmati for pulao
- Ghee and oil: festival cooking uses far more than usual
- Masala: meat masala, garam masala, jeera, turmeric, chilli
- Whole spices: cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and bay leaves for masu and pulao
- Onion, garlic and ginger in bulk
- Chiura, the essential side for masu and achar
- Achar and pickles
Dry fruits and sweets
Dry fruits are part of the Tika plate in many homes, and a gift for relatives.
- Cashews, almonds, raisins and pistachios from dry fruits
- Coconut and dates
- Mithai and boxed sweets
- Chocolates for the children (and the adults)
Snacks for guests
From Saptami onwards, relatives drop in all day. Keep a stock of:
- Namkeen, bhujiya and peanuts
- Biscuits and cookies
- Chips and other packaged snacks
- Tea, sugar and milk, lots of it
Drinks
- Soft drinks and juice in big bottles
- Mineral water
- For the card games, if your family drinks: whisky, beer and soda. Liquor is sold only to adults aged 18 and over, and popular brands often run out right before Dashain, so buy early. Our party drinks guide helps with quantities.
- Ice, if you are hosting a crowd
Puja and Tika
- Rice for tika (akshata), and red tika powder
- Curd
- Incense, cotton wicks and ghee for the diyo
- Envelopes for dakshina, and new notes from the bank
Household and guest supplies
- Cleaning supplies for the big pre-Dashain clean
- Extra tissues and disposable plates
- Toilet paper, handwash and soap for the guest bathroom
- Garbage bags, many of them
Delivery during Dashain
Delivery times can run longer in festival weeks, and some days around Tika may have changed hours. Order early, pick your delivery window in advance, and check our notices on the website and app for exact festival hours. Store pickup at Koteshwor is a good option if you are passing by.
From all of us at Vhandar, we wish you and your family a very happy Dashain: good food, full homes and safe travels.
