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Diwali, often called the event of lamps, symbolizes the victory of good over evil. It’s the most broadly observed festival in India and feels a bit like the Western Christmas season. Diwali is characterized by fireworks, brilliant shades, continuous festivities and tables creaking under the substantial bulk of food and desserts. No Diwali is complete without containers of mithai and dried fruit shared among loved ones and relatives. Across the United Kingdom, the practices are preserved, wearing traditional clothes, attending religious sites, reading Indian mythology to the children and, above all, assembling with pals from diverse cultures and beliefs. For me, Diwali represents community and sharing food that appears unique, but won’t leave you in the kitchen for hours. 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 meal.

Easy Ladoos (Pictured Top)

Ladoos are among the most famous Indian confections, comparable to gulab jamuns and jalebis. Picture an Indian halwai’s shop overflowing with sweets of every shape, tint and measurement, all expertly crafted and abundantly coated with ghee. Ladoos commonly hold the spotlight, rendering them a favored option of present for festive events or for giving to gods and goddesses at religious sites. This particular recipe is one of the simplest, calling for a small set of items, and is ready quickly.

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

110 grams of ghee
250 grams of gram flour
¼ tsp ground green cardamom
1 pinch saffron (optional)
50 grams of combined almonds and pistachios, roasted and coarsely chopped
180-200g granulated sugar, according to preference

Liquefy the clarified butter in a nonstick pan on a moderate heat. Turn down the heat, incorporate the gram flour and cook, stirring constantly to blend it with the heated clarified butter and to prevent it from sticking or burning. Keep cooking and stirring for 30-35 minutes. Initially, the combination will appear as damp sand, but as you keep cooking and stirring, it will become similar to peanut butter and give off a rich nutty scent. Don’t try to rush things, or walk away from the blend, because it can burn very easily, and the gradual roasting is critical for the distinctive, nutty taste of the confectioneries.

Turn off the heat and take the pan, stir in the cardamom and saffron, if included, then allow to cool until slightly warm when touched.

Incorporate the nuts and sugar to the chilled ladoo blend, combine well, then tear off small chunks and shape with your hands into 15 to 20 balls of 4cm. Put these on a plate spaced slightly apart and allow to cool to normal temperature.

These are ready to be enjoyed the ladoos right away, or place them in a tight-lid jar and keep at room temperature for about seven days.

Traditional Indian Bread Pudding

This is inspired by the shahi tukda from Hyderabad, a dish that’s typically made by sautéing bread in ghee, then immersing it in a dense, creamy rabdi, which is produced by heating full-fat milk for an extended period until it condenses to a reduced quantity from the start. The recipe here is a healthier, easier and quicker alternative that needs much less attention and allows the oven to handle the work.

Prep a quick 10 minutes
Cook 1 hr+
Serves 4-6

12 slices day-old white bread, edges trimmed
100 grams of ghee, or liquid butter
1 liter of whole milk
1 x 397g tin thickened milk
150g sugar, or to taste
1 pinch saffron, immersed in 2 tablespoons of milk
1/4 teaspoon of ground cardamom, or the contents of 2 pods, ground
¼ tsp ground nutmeg (if desired)
1.5 ounces of almonds, roughly chopped
40 grams of raisins

Trim the bread into triangular shapes, coat nearly all but a spoonful of the ghee on both faces of each piece, then arrange the triangles as they sit in a buttered, approximately 20cm by 30cm, rectangular ovenproof container.

Using a big bowl, beat the milk, condensed milk and sugar until the sweetener incorporates, then blend the saffron and the liquid it steeped in, the cardamom along with nutmeg, if using. Pour the milk mixture consistently across the bread in the dish, so everything is immersed, then let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Preheat 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 pick stuck into the center comes out clean.

In the meantime, melt the remaining ghee in a small pan on a medium heat, then cook the almonds until lightly browned. Turn off the heat, mix in the raisins and allow them to heat in the residual heat, mixing continuously, for a minute. Scatter the nut and raisin combination over the sweet dish and offer heated or cooled, simply on its own or with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream.