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Diwali, widely known as the festival of lights, marks the triumph of good over evil. It’s the most broadly observed celebration across India and has a similar vibe to holiday festivities abroad. The occasion is linked to pyrotechnic displays, vibrant hues, continuous festivities and countertops straining under the immense load of culinary delights and sweets. Not a single Diwali is complete without boxes of sweets and dried fruit passed around loved ones and relatives. Across the United Kingdom, these customs are maintained, dressing up, visiting temples, reading Indian mythology to the kids and, above all, meeting with companions from every background and religion. Personally, Diwali represents unity and offering dishes that feels special, but doesn’t keep you in the cooking area for extended periods. This bread-based dessert is my take on the rich shahi tukda, while these ladoos are ideal for presenting or to savor alongside some chai after the banquet.

Simple Ladoos (Pictured Top)

Ladoos are one of the most iconic Indian sweets, comparable to gulab jamuns and jalebis. Imagine a traditional Indian halwai’s shop bursting with confectioneries of all forms, colour and size, all expertly crafted and liberally topped with traditional butter. These sweets frequently occupy centre stage, rendering them a favored option of present for festive events or for offering to Hindu deities at religious sites. This version is among the easiest, calling for a small set of items, and is ready quickly.

Prep 10 minutes
Cook 50 minutes plus chilling
Makes 15 to 20

4 ounces of clarified butter
250 grams of gram flour
¼ tsp ground green cardamom
a small amount of saffron (optional)
2 ounces of assorted nuts, toasted and roughly chopped
180 to 200 grams of granulated sugar, according to preference

Melt the ghee in a Teflon-coated pan on a moderate heat. Lower the flame, add the gram flour and heat, while stirring continuously to blend it with the liquid ghee and to prevent it from sticking or burning. Continue heating and mixing for 30 to 35 minutes. At the start, the mixture will look like wet sand, but with further heating and stirring, it will turn to a peanut butter consistency and smell wonderfully nutty. Don’t try to rush things, or leave the mix unattended, because it may scorch quickly, and the gentle heating is critical for the characteristic, nutty flavour of the ladoos.

Remove the pan from the stove, mix in the cardamom and saffron, if included, then set aside to cool until just warm to the touch.

Incorporate the nuts and sugar to the cooled ladoo mixture, stir completely, then break off small pieces and form using your palms into 15-20 spherical shapes of 4cm. Put these on a plate separated a bit and leave to cool to ambient temperature.

You can now serve the ladoos right away, or keep them in a sealed container and keep at room temperature for about seven days.

Traditional Indian Bread Pudding

This draws inspiration from Hyderabadi shahi tukda, a food that is commonly created by cooking bread in clarified butter, then drenching it in a heavy, luxurious rabdi, which is created by simmering rich milk for hours until it reduces to a reduced quantity from the start. This adaptation is a better-for-you, straightforward and speedy version that needs much less attention and lets the oven do all the heavy lifting.

Prep 10 min
Cook 1 hr+
Serves 4 to 6

A dozen slices old white bread, edges trimmed
3.5 ounces of clarified butter, or liquid butter
4 cups of full-fat milk
A 397-gram tin condensed milk
150 grams of sugar, or to taste
a small pinch of saffron, steeped in 30ml of milk
¼ tsp ground cardamom, or the contents of 2 pods, ground
¼ tsp ground nutmeg (optional)
40g almonds, roughly chopped
40g raisins

Cut the bread into triangles, spread all but a teaspoon of the clarified butter on each side of every slice, then arrange the triangles as they land in an oiled, roughly 20cm x 30cm, rectangular ovenproof container.

Within a sizable container, whisk the milk, condensed milk and sugar until the sweetener incorporates, then mix in the saffron and its soaking milk, the spices including cardamom and nutmeg, if included. Pour the milk mixture evenly over the bread in the pan, so everything is immersed, then allow to soak for a short while. Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6.

Bake the pudding for half an hour or so, until the upper layer is browned and a skewer placed in the middle comes out clean.

At the same time, heat the leftover ghee in a little pot over medium heat, then sauté the almonds until golden brown. Turn off the heat, incorporate the raisins and leave them to cook in the leftover temperature, mixing continuously, for a minute. Dust the almond and raisin blend over the sweet dish and serve warm or chilled, simply on its own or alongside a portion of vanilla ice-cream.