New Delhi, Nov. 8 -- Write down everything that goes into the sweets of any Indian festival and the list is surprisingly short. Wheat, rice, rava, besan, flour, milk, ghee, sugar or jaggery, a few nuts and raisins. These jars sit in every kitchen through the year. At Deepavali, the same jars turn into the laddoos, barfis, kheers and everything that's both auspicious and delicious. Thinking about a decade ago, there was not much that needed to be bought to be festival-ready in the kitchen-it was the same few pantry items refilled, along with a few fresh ingredients like milk and fruits.

We rarely give ourselves credit for this minimalism that exists in our roots. Celebration has come to mean excess, with gift hampers popping at us from ev...