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Diwali, often called the event of lamps, symbolizes the victory of positivity over negativity. It stands as the most broadly observed Indian festival and resembles the atmosphere of Christmas in the west. The occasion is linked to fireworks, vibrant hues, endless parties and dining surfaces groaning under the substantial bulk of food and desserts. No Diwali is finished without boxes of sweets and dried fruit exchanged between loved ones and relatives. Across the United Kingdom, the practices are preserved, dressing up, attending religious sites, reading Indian mythology to the little ones and, most importantly, assembling with pals from diverse cultures and beliefs. In my view, the festival centers on togetherness and offering dishes that feels special, but doesn’t keep you in the culinary space for long durations. The pudding made from bread is my take on the indulgent shahi tukda, while these ladoos are excellent for giving or to savor alongside some chai after the banquet.

Effortless Ladoos (Pictured Top)

Ladoos are one of the most recognizable Indian desserts, right up there with gulab jamuns and jalebis. Envision a classic Indian halwai’s shop bursting with treats in various shapes, hue and dimension, all skillfully made and abundantly coated with clarified butter. These sweets frequently occupy the spotlight, establishing them as a top selection of present for festive events or for offering to Hindu deities at places of worship. This version is one of the simplest, requiring just a handful of ingredients, and can be prepared in minutes.

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

4 ounces of clarified butter
9 ounces of chickpea flour
¼ tsp ground green cardamom
a pinch of saffron (as an option)
50 grams of combined almonds and pistachios, roasted and coarsely chopped
180 to 200 grams of granulated sugar, according to preference

Melt the ghee in a non-stick skillet on a moderate heat. Lower the flame, incorporate the gram flour and heat, while stirring continuously to combine it with the liquid ghee and to ensure it doesn’t stick or scorch. Keep cooking and stirring for 30-35 minutes. At the start, the mixture will look like moist granules, but as you keep cooking and mixing, it will turn to a peanut butter consistency and give off a rich nutty scent. Do not attempt to speed it up, or neglect the mixture, because it can burn very easily, and the slow roast is essential to the distinctive, nutty taste of the confectioneries.

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

Add the nuts and sugar to the chilled ladoo blend, mix thoroughly, then tear off small chunks and roll between your palms into 15 to 20 balls of 4cm. Put these on a plate with some distance between them and allow to cool to room temperature.

They can be served the ladoos immediately, or place them in a tight-lid jar and store in a cool place for as long as one week.

Classic Indian Bread Pudding

This is inspired by the shahi tukda from Hyderabad, a dish that’s typically made by frying bread in ghee, then immersing it in a dense, creamy rabdi, which is created by simmering whole milk for hours until it reduces to a fraction of its original volume. This adaptation is a more nutritious, simpler and faster option that needs much less attention and enables the oven to take over the task.

Prep a quick 10 minutes
Cook 1 hour or more
Serves 4-6

Twelve slices day-old white bread, crusts removed
100 grams of ghee, or heated butter
1 litre whole milk
1 x 397g tin condensed milk
150g sugar, or to taste
a small pinch of saffron, steeped in 30ml of milk
a quarter teaspoon of cardamom powder, or the contents of 2 pods, ground
1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg (as an option)
40g almonds, broken into pieces
1.5 ounces of raisins

Cut the bread into triangles, spread all but a teaspoon of the clarified butter on each side of each piece, then arrange the triangles as they fall in a greased, approximately 20cm by 30cm, oblong baking pan.

Using a big bowl, mix the milk, condensed milk and sugar until the sugar dissolves, then mix in the saffron and the liquid it steeped in, the spices including cardamom and nutmeg, if using. Transfer the milk blend uniformly onto the bread in the container, so each piece is saturated, then allow to soak for 10 to 15 minutes. Set the oven temperature to 200 Celsius (180 fan)/390 Fahrenheit/gas 6.

Bake the pudding for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the centre exits without residue.

At the same time, heat the leftover ghee in a small pan on a medium heat, then sauté the almonds until golden brown. Switch off the stove, mix in the raisins and let them simmer in the residual heat, mixing continuously, for one minute. Dust the almond and raisin blend over the dessert and present hot or cold, just as it is or with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream.