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Diwali, widely known as the event of lamps, marks the triumph of light over darkness. It’s the most broadly observed celebration across India and has a similar vibe to holiday festivities abroad. The occasion is linked to fireworks, vibrant hues, continuous festivities and dining surfaces groaning under the sheer weight of culinary delights and sweets. Every Diwali celebration is finished without packages of confections and dehydrated fruits exchanged between loved ones and relatives. Across the United Kingdom, the practices are preserved, dressing up, visiting temples, sharing tales from Indian lore to the little ones and, above all, assembling with pals from diverse cultures and beliefs. For me, Diwali is about community and distributing meals that feels special, but won’t leave 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 enjoy with a cup of chai after the meal.

Simple Ladoos (Shown Above)

Ladoos are one of the most famous Indian confections, right up there with gulab jamuns and jalebis. Envision a classic Indian halwai’s shop overflowing with sweets of every shape, colour and size, all skillfully made and liberally topped with ghee. Ladoos commonly hold centre stage, rendering them a favored option of gift during auspicious occasions or for offering to Hindu deities at religious sites. This particular recipe is among the easiest, requiring just a handful of ingredients, and is ready quickly.

Prep 10 min
Cook 50 min plus cooling
Makes 15-20

4 ounces of clarified butter
9 ounces of chickpea flour
¼ tsp ground green cardamom
a small amount of saffron (if desired)
2 ounces of assorted nuts, roasted and coarsely chopped
180 to 200 grams of granulated sugar, as per liking

Heat the ghee in a Teflon-coated pan on a medium heat. Turn down the heat, mix in the chickpea flour and heat, while stirring continuously to combine it with the liquid ghee and to make sure it doesn’t catch and burn. Persist with cooking and blending for half an hour to 35 minutes. To begin with, the mixture will look like wet sand, but as you continue cooking and blending, it will become similar to peanut butter and smell wonderfully nutty. Avoid hurrying the process, or neglect the mixture, because it may scorch quickly, and the gradual roasting is vital for the distinctive, nutty taste of the sweet balls.

Take the pan off the heat, stir in the cardamom and saffron, if using, then set aside to cool until slightly warm when touched.

Incorporate the nuts and sugar to the room temperature ladoo mix, combine well, then break off small pieces and roll between your palms into 15-20 spherical shapes of 4cm. Put these on a plate separated a bit and allow to cool to normal temperature.

You can now serve the ladoos immediately, or keep them in a sealed container and store in a cool place for up to a week.

Classic Indian Bread Pudding

This draws inspiration from Hyderabad’s shahi tukda, a dish that’s typically made by frying bread in ghee, then soaking it in a thick, rich rabdi, which is produced by heating whole milk for hours until it reduces to a reduced quantity from the start. My version is a more nutritious, simpler and faster option that requires a lot less tending to and allows the oven to handle the work.

Prep 10 min
Cook 60 minutes plus
Serves 4 to 6

12 slices day-old white bread, crusts removed
100 grams of ghee, or heated butter
1 liter of whole milk
1 x 397g tin thickened milk
5 ounces of sugar, or according to taste
a pinch of saffron, soaked in 2 tbsp milk
a quarter teaspoon of cardamom powder, or the seeds from 2 pods, crushed
¼ tsp ground nutmeg (optional)
1.5 ounces of almonds, roughly chopped
40 grams of raisins

Cut the bread into triangles, apply almost all except a teaspoon of the ghee on both faces of every slice, then place the triangles as they land in an oiled, approximately 20cm by 30cm, oblong baking pan.

Using a big bowl, mix the milk, sweetened milk and sugar until the sugar melts, then blend the saffron and the liquid it steeped in, the cardamom along with nutmeg, if included. Pour the milk mixture consistently across the bread in the container, so each piece is saturated, then let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6.

Cook the pudding for 30-35 minutes, until the surface is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the centre exits without residue.

At the same time, melt the remaining ghee in a small skillet on moderate flame, then cook the almonds until golden. Extinguish the flame, mix in the raisins and allow them to heat in the residual heat, blending steadily, for a minute. Dust the almond and raisin blend over the sweet dish and present hot or cold, plain as it is or accompanied by vanilla ice-cream.