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Diwali, often called the celebration of illumination, symbolizes the victory of positivity over negativity. It stands as the most widely marked festival in India and feels a bit like the Western Christmas season. Diwali is characterized by sparklers and fireworks, bright colours, non-stop gatherings and tables creaking under the sheer weight of food and desserts. No Diwali is whole without packages of confections and dehydrated fruits passed around kin and companions. Across the United Kingdom, these customs are maintained, putting on festive attire, attending religious sites, sharing tales from Indian lore to the kids and, most importantly, gathering with friends from all walks of life and faiths. Personally, the festival centers on unity and sharing food that seems extraordinary, but doesn’t keep you in the kitchen for hours. The pudding made from bread is my version of the indulgent shahi tukda, while these ladoos are ideal for presenting or to savor alongside some chai after the meal.

Simple Ladoos (Pictured Top)

Ladoos are one of the most iconic Indian sweets, comparable to gulab jamuns and jalebis. Picture an Indian halwai’s shop filled with confectioneries of all forms, hue and dimension, all skillfully made and abundantly coated with ghee. These sweets frequently occupy centre stage, rendering them a favored option of gift during auspicious occasions or for offering to Hindu deities at places of worship. This version is one of the simplest, needing only a few components, and can be prepared in minutes.

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

4 ounces of clarified butter
250g gram flour
1/4 teaspoon of ground green cardamom
1 pinch saffron (if desired)
50g mixed almonds and pistachios, roasted and coarsely chopped
180 to 200 grams of granulated sugar, as per liking

Melt the ghee in a Teflon-coated pan on a medium heat. Lower the flame, mix in the chickpea flour and simmer, with constant mixing to blend it with the melted ghee and to ensure it doesn’t stick or scorch. Persist with cooking and blending for 30-35 minutes. Initially, the mix will resemble wet sand, but as you continue cooking and stirring, it will turn to a peanut butter consistency and emit a delightful nutty aroma. Don’t try to rush things, or walk away from the blend, because it might burn rapidly, and the slow roast is critical for the characteristic, nutty flavour of the confectioneries.

Take the pan off the heat, stir in the cardamom and saffron, if added, then allow to cool until moderately warm on contact.

Incorporate the nuts and sugar to the room temperature ladoo mix, stir completely, then pull apart little portions and shape with your hands into 15-20 spherical shapes of 4cm. Set these on a platter spaced slightly apart and leave to cool to ambient temperature.

These are ready to be enjoyed the sweets promptly, or keep them in a sealed container and maintain at room temperature for about seven days.

Indian Bread Pudding

This is inspired by the shahi tukda from Hyderabad, a food that is commonly created by cooking bread in clarified butter, then immersing it in a dense, creamy rabdi, which is produced by heating rich milk for a long time until it thickens to a fraction of its original volume. The recipe here is a better-for-you, straightforward and speedy version that requires a lot less tending to and enables the oven to take over the task.

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

Twelve slices stale white bread, crusts cut off
100 grams of ghee, or liquid butter
1 liter of whole milk
One 397-gram can condensed milk
150 grams of sugar, or to taste
1 pinch saffron, soaked in 2 tbsp milk
¼ tsp ground cardamom, or the seeds from 2 pods, crushed
1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg (as an option)
40g almonds, coarsely chopped
1.5 ounces of raisins

Slice the bread into triangles, coat nearly all but a spoonful of the ghee on both faces of each portion, then set the triangular pieces as they fall in a greased, approximately 20cm by 30cm, rectangular baking dish.

Within a sizable container, mix the milk, condensed milk and sugar until the sweetener incorporates, then stir in the saffron and its soaking milk, the cardamom and nutmeg, if added. Empty the milk combination consistently across the bread in the dish, so everything is immersed, then leave to steep for 10-15 minutes. Heat the oven to 200 Celsius (180 fan)/390 Fahrenheit/gas 6.

Cook the pudding for half an hour or so, until the top is golden brown and a skewer placed in the middle exits without residue.

At the same time, liquefy the rest of the clarified butter in a small skillet on moderate flame, then fry the almonds until golden brown. Extinguish the flame, incorporate the raisins and let them simmer in the leftover temperature, mixing continuously, for a minute. Sprinkle the nut and raisin mix over the sweet dish and offer heated or cooled, simply on its own or alongside a portion of vanilla ice-cream.