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Diwali, often called the celebration of illumination, symbolizes the victory of positivity over negativity. This is the most widely marked celebration across India and resembles the atmosphere of the Western Christmas season. It’s synonymous with pyrotechnic displays, vibrant hues, non-stop gatherings and dining surfaces groaning under the immense load of food and desserts. Every Diwali celebration is complete without boxes of sweets and dried fruit shared among friends and family. In the UK, these customs are maintained, dressing up, visiting temples, sharing tales from Indian lore to the kids and, above all, gathering with friends from every background and religion. In my view, Diwali is about unity and offering dishes that appears unique, but doesn’t keep you in the kitchen for hours. The bread pudding is my take on the indulgent shahi tukda, while the ladoos are excellent for giving or to relish with a hot tea after the meal.

Simple Ladoos (Featured at the Top)

Ladoos are one of the most famous Indian confections, alongside gulab jamuns and jalebis. Imagine a traditional Indian halwai’s shop overflowing with treats in various shapes, colour and size, all expertly crafted and abundantly coated with clarified butter. These sweets frequently occupy the spotlight, rendering them a favored option of gift during auspicious occasions or for offering to Hindu deities at religious sites. This adaptation is among the easiest, calling for a small set of items, and can be made in no time.

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

110g ghee
9 ounces of chickpea flour
¼ tsp ground green cardamom
a pinch of saffron (optional)
2 ounces of assorted nuts, roasted and coarsely chopped
180-200g granulated sugar, as per liking

Melt the ghee in a nonstick pan on a medium flame. Turn down the heat, add the gram flour and cook, stirring constantly to combine it with the heated clarified butter and to prevent it from sticking or burning. Continue heating and mixing for 30 to 35 minutes. Initially, the combination will appear as moist granules, but as you keep cooking and blending, it will become similar to peanut butter and emit a delightful nutty aroma. Do not attempt to speed it up, or walk away from the blend, because it might burn rapidly, and the slow roast is vital for the distinctive, nutty taste of the ladoos.

Turn off the heat and take the pan, blend the cardamom and saffron, if using, then leave to cool until slightly warm when touched.

Add the nuts and sugar to the chilled ladoo blend, mix thoroughly, then tear off small chunks and form using your palms into 15 to 20 balls of 4cm. Set these on a platter with some distance between them and leave to cool to normal temperature.

These are ready to be enjoyed the sweets promptly, or keep them in a sealed container and keep at room temperature for up to a week.

Indian Bread Pudding

This is inspired by the shahi tukda from Hyderabad, a dish that’s typically made by cooking bread in clarified butter, then drenching it in a heavy, luxurious rabdi, which is created by simmering rich milk for an extended period until it condenses to a small portion of its initial amount. The recipe here is a better-for-you, straightforward and speedy version that needs much less attention and lets the oven do all the heavy lifting.

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

A dozen slices stale white bread, crusts removed
3.5 ounces of clarified butter, or heated butter
4 cups of full-fat milk
One 397-gram can thickened milk
150 grams of sugar, or to taste
1 pinch saffron, steeped in 30ml of milk
1/4 teaspoon of ground cardamom, or the contents of 2 pods, ground
a quarter teaspoon of nutmeg powder (if desired)
1.5 ounces of almonds, broken into pieces
40g raisins

Cut the bread into triangles, coat nearly all but a spoonful of the clarified butter on each side of each piece, then arrange the triangles as they land in an oiled, approximately 20cm by 30cm, rectangular ovenproof container.

Within a sizable container, beat the milk, condensed milk and sugar until the sweetener incorporates, then mix in the saffron and the liquid it steeped in, the cardamom along with nutmeg, if added. Pour the milk mixture uniformly onto the bread in the dish, so everything is immersed, then let it sit for a short while. Set the oven temperature to 200°C (180°C fan)/390°F/gas mark 6.

Cook the pudding for 30 to 35 minutes, until the surface is golden brown and a skewer placed in the middle exits without residue.

Meanwhile, liquefy the rest of the clarified butter in a little pot over medium heat, then cook the almonds until golden brown. Extinguish the flame, mix in the raisins and leave them to cook in the leftover temperature, stirring constantly, for 60 seconds. Sprinkle the nut and raisin mix over the dessert and offer heated or cooled, simply on its own or accompanied by vanilla ice-cream.