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Diwali, widely known as the celebration of illumination, symbolizes the victory of light over darkness. It’s the most broadly observed festival in India and has a similar vibe to Christmas in the west. The occasion is linked to fireworks, vibrant hues, continuous festivities and countertops straining under the sheer weight of dishes and sweet treats. Not a single Diwali is complete without packages of confections and dried fruit exchanged between friends and family. In the UK, these customs are maintained, wearing traditional clothes, visiting temples, sharing tales from Indian lore to the children and, most importantly, meeting with companions from all walks of life and faiths. In my view, Diwali is about unity and distributing meals that appears unique, but doesn’t keep you in the culinary space for long durations. This bread-based dessert is my interpretation of the rich shahi tukda, while the spherical sweets are perfect to gift or to savor alongside some chai after the banquet.

Simple Ladoos (Shown Above)

Ladoos are among the most famous Indian confections, right up there with gulab jamuns and jalebis. Picture an Indian halwai’s shop filled with treats in various shapes, hue and dimension, all skillfully made and generously laden with traditional butter. These sweets frequently occupy a prominent position, making them a popular choice of gift during auspicious occasions or for offering to Hindu deities at places of worship. This particular recipe is one of the simplest, requiring just a handful of ingredients, and can be made in no time.

Prep a brief 10 minutes
Cook 50 minutes plus chilling
Makes 15-20

110 grams of ghee
250 grams of gram flour
1/4 teaspoon of ground green cardamom
a pinch of saffron (if desired)
2 ounces of assorted nuts, toasted and roughly chopped
6-7 ounces of white sugar, to taste

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 heated clarified butter and to ensure it doesn’t stick or scorch. Keep cooking and stirring for half an hour to 35 minutes. To begin with, the combination will appear as damp sand, but as you keep cooking and stirring, it will transform into a peanut butter-like texture and give off a rich nutty scent. Don’t try to rush things, or walk away from the blend, because it can burn very easily, and the gradual roasting is vital for the characteristic, nutty flavour of the ladoos.

Take the pan off the heat, stir in the cardamom and saffron, if added, then set aside to cool until just warm to the touch.

Incorporate the nuts and sugar to the room temperature ladoo mix, combine well, then tear off small chunks and roll between your palms into 15 to 20 balls of 4cm. Place these on a dish separated a bit and allow to cool to normal temperature.

They can be served the ladoos right away, or place them in a tight-lid jar and store in a cool place for about seven days.

Classic Indian Bread Pudding

This draws inspiration from Hyderabadi shahi tukda, a dish that’s typically made by sautéing bread in ghee, then soaking it in a thick, rich rabdi, which is made by boiling full-fat milk for hours until it reduces to a reduced quantity from the start. This adaptation is a healthier, easier and quicker alternative that requires a lot less tending to and allows the oven to handle the work.

Prep 10 min
Cook 1 hour or more
Serves about 4-6 people

A dozen slices old white bread, crusts cut off
3.5 ounces of clarified butter, or melted butter
1 liter of whole milk
A 397-gram tin thickened milk
150g sugar, or according to taste
1 pinch saffron, immersed in 2 tablespoons of milk
a quarter teaspoon of cardamom powder, or the insides of 2 pods, powdered
1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg (if desired)
40g almonds, roughly chopped
40g raisins

Cut the bread into triangles, spread all but a teaspoon of the ghee on both faces of every slice, then arrange the triangles as they land in an oiled, about 8x12 inches, rectangular ovenproof container.

Using a big bowl, beat the milk, thick milk and sweetener until the sugar melts, then blend the saffron and the milk it was soaked in, the cardamom along with nutmeg, if included. Transfer the milk blend consistently across the bread in the dish, so it all gets soaked, then let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Set the oven temperature to 200 Celsius (180 fan)/390 Fahrenheit/gas 6.

Bake the pudding for 30-35 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a pick stuck into the center comes out clean.

In the meantime, melt the remaining ghee in a small skillet on moderate flame, then cook the almonds until golden brown. Extinguish the flame, add the raisins and allow them to heat in the residual heat, blending steadily, for one minute. Dust the almond and raisin blend over the pudding and present hot or cold, just as it is or alongside a portion of vanilla ice-cream.