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Diwali, frequently referred to as the celebration of illumination, is a celebration of good over evil. It stands as the most broadly observed festival in India and resembles the atmosphere of Christmas in the west. The occasion is linked to fireworks, brilliant shades, endless parties and countertops straining under the sheer weight of culinary delights and sweets. Every Diwali celebration is whole without packages of confections and dehydrated fruits shared among loved ones and relatives. Throughout Britain, these customs are maintained, wearing traditional clothes, going to places of worship, reading Indian mythology to the little ones and, most importantly, gathering with friends from all walks of life and faiths. Personally, Diwali represents unity and sharing food that seems extraordinary, but won’t leave you in the cooking area for extended periods. The bread pudding is my take on the rich shahi tukda, while the spherical sweets are perfect to gift or to savor alongside some chai after the banquet.

Simple Ladoos (Shown Above)

Ladoos are among the most iconic Indian sweets, alongside gulab jamuns and jalebis. Envision a classic Indian halwai’s shop overflowing with treats in various shapes, colour and size, all expertly crafted and abundantly coated with traditional butter. Ladoos often take the spotlight, making them a popular choice of gift during auspicious occasions or for presenting to divine figures at religious sites. This adaptation is one of the most straightforward, calling for a small set of items, and can be made in no time.

Prep 10 min
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 (optional)
50 grams of combined almonds and pistachios, heated and broken into pieces
180 to 200 grams of granulated sugar, as per liking

Melt the ghee in a nonstick pan on a moderate heat. Reduce the temperature, incorporate the gram flour and heat, while stirring continuously to combine it with the heated clarified butter and to prevent it from sticking or burning. Persist with cooking and blending for 30-35 minutes. To begin with, the combination will appear as damp sand, but as you continue cooking and mixing, it will turn to a peanut butter consistency and emit a delightful nutty aroma. Do not attempt to speed it up, or leave the mix unattended, because it can burn very easily, and the gentle heating is vital for the characteristic, nutty flavour of the confectioneries.

Turn off the heat and take the pan, stir in the cardamom and saffron, if using, then set aside to cool until just warm to the touch.

Mix in the nuts and sweetener to the chilled ladoo blend, combine well, then pull apart little portions and roll between your palms into 15 to 20 balls of 4cm. Set these on a platter spaced slightly apart and let them cool to room temperature.

You can now serve the ladoos immediately, or store them in an airtight container and maintain at room temperature for as long as one week.

Indian Bread Pudding

This draws inspiration from the shahi tukda from Hyderabad, a dish that’s typically made by frying bread in ghee, then soaking it in a thick, rich rabdi, which is created by simmering full-fat milk for an extended period until it condenses to a small portion of its initial amount. This adaptation is a healthier, easier and quicker alternative that requires a lot less tending to and enables the oven to take over the task.

Prep a quick 10 minutes
Cook 60 minutes plus
Serves about 4-6 people

A dozen slices day-old white bread, edges trimmed
3.5 ounces of clarified butter, or heated butter
4 cups of full-fat milk
1 x 397g tin thickened milk
5 ounces of sugar, or according to taste
a small pinch of saffron, immersed in 2 tablespoons of milk
¼ tsp ground cardamom, or the contents of 2 pods, ground
¼ tsp ground nutmeg (optional)
1.5 ounces of almonds, broken into pieces
1.5 ounces of raisins

Trim the bread into triangular shapes, spread all but a teaspoon of the ghee on both faces of each piece, then set the triangular pieces as they fall in a greased, approximately 20cm by 30cm, oblong baking pan.

Within a sizable container, whisk the milk, sweetened milk and sugar until the sugar dissolves, then mix in the saffron and the milk it was soaked in, the cardamom along with nutmeg, if added. Pour the milk mixture evenly over the bread in the container, so it all gets soaked, then leave to steep for 10 to 15 minutes. Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6.

Heat the pudding for half an hour or so, until the upper layer is browned and a toothpick inserted into the centre exits without residue.

In the meantime, heat the leftover ghee in a small pan on a medium heat, then cook the almonds until lightly browned. Switch off the stove, incorporate the raisins and let them simmer in the residual heat, stirring constantly, for 60 seconds. Scatter the nut and raisin combination over the sweet dish and serve warm or chilled, simply on its own or accompanied by vanilla ice-cream.