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Diwali, often called the event of lamps, marks the triumph of good over evil. It’s the most broadly observed celebration across India and resembles the atmosphere of holiday festivities abroad. Diwali is characterized by fireworks, bright colours, continuous festivities and tables creaking under the immense load of food and desserts. No Diwali is whole without packages of confections and preserved fruits exchanged between loved ones and relatives. Across the United Kingdom, we keep those traditions alive, wearing traditional clothes, visiting temples, sharing tales from Indian lore to the little ones and, crucially, assembling with pals from all walks of life and faiths. In my view, Diwali represents togetherness and offering dishes that feels special, but won’t leave you in the cooking area for extended periods. This bread-based dessert is my take on the decadent shahi tukda, while the spherical sweets are ideal for presenting or to enjoy with a cup of chai after the feast.

Easy Ladoos (Featured at the Top)

Ladoos are among the most recognizable Indian desserts, alongside gulab jamuns and jalebis. Envision a classic Indian halwai’s shop bursting with confectioneries of all forms, tint and measurement, all professionally prepared and abundantly coated with ghee. Ladoos often take centre stage, rendering them a favored option of gift during auspicious occasions or for presenting to divine figures at religious sites. This version is one of the most straightforward, calling for a small set of items, and can be prepared in minutes.

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

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

Heat the ghee in a nonstick pan on a moderate heat. Lower the flame, mix in the chickpea flour and cook, stirring constantly to combine it with the liquid ghee and to make sure it doesn’t catch and burn. Keep cooking and stirring for half an hour to 35 minutes. To begin with, the combination will appear as moist granules, but as you continue cooking and mixing, it will transform into a peanut butter-like texture and emit a delightful nutty aroma. Avoid hurrying the process, or leave the mix unattended, because it can burn very easily, and the gentle heating is essential to the typical, roasted flavor of the confectioneries.

Remove the pan from the stove, blend the cardamom and saffron, if included, then leave to cool until moderately warm on contact.

Incorporate the nuts and sugar to the room temperature ladoo mix, stir completely, then break off small pieces and shape with your hands into 15-20 x 4cm balls. Set these on a platter spaced slightly apart and let them cool to room temperature.

You can now serve the sweets promptly, or store them in an airtight container and keep at room temperature for about seven days.

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 made by boiling whole milk for an extended period until it condenses to a fraction of its original volume. The recipe here is a healthier, easier and quicker alternative that requires a lot less tending to and lets the oven do all the heavy lifting.

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

A dozen slices stale white bread, edges trimmed
100 grams of ghee, or liquid butter
4 cups of full-fat milk
1 x 397g tin condensed milk
5 ounces of sugar, or according to taste
1 pinch saffron, steeped in 30ml of milk
a quarter teaspoon of cardamom powder, or the insides of 2 pods, powdered
¼ tsp ground nutmeg (as an option)
1.5 ounces of almonds, coarsely chopped
1.5 ounces of raisins

Slice the bread into triangles, spread all but a teaspoon of the ghee over both sides of every slice, then place the triangles as they land in an oiled, roughly 20cm x 30cm, oblong baking pan.

Using a big bowl, mix the milk, condensed milk and sugar until the sugar dissolves, then stir in the saffron and the liquid it steeped in, the cardamom and nutmeg, if included. Pour the milk mixture consistently across the bread in the dish, so each piece is saturated, then leave to steep for a short while. Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6.

Cook the pudding for 30 to 35 minutes, until the surface is golden brown and a skewer placed in the middle emerges clean.

At the same time, heat the leftover ghee in a little pot over medium heat, then fry the almonds until golden. Switch off the stove, mix in the raisins and let them simmer in the leftover temperature, stirring constantly, for a minute. Dust the almond and raisin blend over the dessert and offer heated or cooled, plain as it is or with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream.