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Diwali, often called the celebration of illumination, is a celebration of light over darkness. It’s the most widely marked festival in India and feels a bit like the Western Christmas season. Diwali is characterized by pyrotechnic displays, vibrant hues, endless parties and dining surfaces groaning under the substantial bulk of dishes and sweet treats. No Diwali is whole without boxes of sweets and preserved fruits shared among loved ones and relatives. Across the United Kingdom, these customs are maintained, dressing up, visiting temples, sharing tales from Indian lore to the kids and, crucially, assembling with pals from all walks of life and faiths. In my view, Diwali is about unity and sharing food that appears unique, but doesn’t keep you in the culinary space for long durations. This bread-based dessert is my take on the rich shahi tukda, while the ladoos are excellent for giving or to savor alongside some chai after the meal.

Effortless Ladoos (Featured at the Top)

Ladoos are some of the most recognizable Indian desserts, alongside gulab jamuns and jalebis. Imagine a traditional Indian halwai’s shop overflowing with confectioneries of all forms, tint and measurement, all skillfully made and liberally topped with ghee. Ladoos often take the spotlight, rendering them a favored option of offering for propitious moments or for offering to Hindu deities at places of worship. This version is one of the simplest, needing only a few components, and can be made in no time.

Prep 10 minutes
Cook 50 minutes along with cooling
Makes approximately 15-20

110g ghee
250g gram flour
¼ tsp ground green cardamom
a small amount of saffron (if desired)
50 grams of combined almonds and pistachios, heated and broken into pieces
180 to 200 grams of granulated sugar, according to preference

Liquefy the clarified butter in a non-stick skillet on a moderate heat. Reduce the temperature, incorporate the gram flour and cook, stirring constantly to integrate it into the melted ghee and to ensure it doesn’t stick or scorch. Persist with cooking and blending for 30-35 minutes. To begin with, the mixture will look like moist granules, but as you keep cooking and blending, it will transform into a peanut butter-like texture and smell wonderfully nutty. Avoid hurrying the process, or neglect the mixture, because it might burn rapidly, and the slow roast is critical for the typical, roasted flavor of the sweet balls.

Take the pan off the heat, blend the cardamom and saffron, if included, then leave to cool until moderately warm on contact.

Mix in the nuts and sweetener to the room temperature ladoo mix, stir completely, then tear off small chunks and shape with your hands into 15-20 spherical shapes of 4cm. Put these on a plate separated a bit and let them cool to room temperature.

These are ready to be enjoyed the ladoos right away, or place them in a tight-lid jar and maintain at room temperature for up to a week.

Traditional Indian Bread Pudding

This draws inspiration from Hyderabadi shahi tukda, a recipe that is usually prepared by frying bread in ghee, then immersing it in a dense, creamy rabdi, which is produced by heating whole milk for a long time until it thickens to a fraction of its original volume. My version is a better-for-you, straightforward and speedy version that demands minimal supervision and enables the oven to take over the task.

Prep a quick 10 minutes
Cook 60 minutes plus
Serves 4-6

12 slices stale white bread, crusts cut off
100g ghee, or liquid butter
4 cups of full-fat milk
One 397-gram can thickened milk
150g sugar, or as preferred
1 pinch saffron, immersed in 2 tablespoons of milk
a quarter teaspoon of cardamom powder, or the insides of 2 pods, powdered
¼ tsp ground nutmeg (optional)
1.5 ounces of almonds, coarsely chopped
40g raisins

Slice the bread into triangles, spread all but a teaspoon of the ghee on both faces of every slice, then set the triangular pieces as they fall in a greased, approximately 20cm by 30cm, rectangular baking dish.

Within a sizable container, mix the milk, sweetened milk and sugar until the sweetener incorporates, then blend the saffron and the liquid it steeped in, the spices including cardamom and nutmeg, if using. Empty the milk combination uniformly onto the bread in the pan, so each piece is saturated, then leave to steep for 10 to 15 minutes. Set the oven temperature to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6.

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

In the meantime, liquefy the rest of the clarified butter in a small pan on a medium heat, then sauté the almonds until golden. Turn off the heat, add the raisins and let them simmer in the remaining warmth, stirring constantly, for a minute. Sprinkle the nut and raisin mix over the pudding and serve warm or chilled, plain as it is or with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream.