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Diwali, widely known as the celebration of illumination, symbolizes the victory of light over darkness. This is the most broadly observed celebration across India and feels a bit like the Western Christmas season. Diwali is characterized by sparklers and fireworks, vibrant hues, non-stop gatherings and countertops straining under the immense load of dishes and sweet treats. Not a single Diwali is finished without containers of mithai and dried fruit exchanged between loved ones and relatives. Across the United Kingdom, these customs are maintained, dressing up, attending religious sites, sharing tales from Indian lore to the little ones and, crucially, assembling with pals from every background and religion. For me, the festival centers on community and distributing meals that appears unique, but doesn’t require you in the cooking area for extended periods. This bread-based dessert is my interpretation of the rich shahi tukda, while the ladoos are ideal for presenting or to enjoy with a cup of chai after the meal.

Simple Ladoos (Pictured Top)

Ladoos are some of the most famous Indian confections, right up there with gulab jamuns and jalebis. Picture an Indian halwai’s shop overflowing with treats in various shapes, hue and dimension, all skillfully made and generously laden with clarified butter. Ladoos often take a prominent position, establishing them as a top selection of offering for propitious moments or for offering to Hindu deities at religious sites. This particular recipe is one of the most straightforward, requiring just a handful of ingredients, and can be prepared in minutes.

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

110g ghee
250 grams of gram flour
a quarter teaspoon of cardamom powder
a pinch of saffron (as an option)
2 ounces of assorted nuts, roasted and coarsely chopped
180 to 200 grams of granulated sugar, as per liking

Melt the ghee in a nonstick pan on a moderate heat. Turn down the heat, mix in the chickpea flour and cook, stirring constantly to integrate it into the heated clarified butter and to make sure it doesn’t catch and burn. Continue heating and mixing for 30-35 minutes. At the start, the mix will resemble wet sand, but as you continue cooking and stirring, it will turn to a peanut butter consistency and give off a rich nutty scent. Don’t try to rush things, or leave the mix unattended, because it can burn very easily, and the gentle heating is critical for the distinctive, nutty taste of the confectioneries.

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

Add the nuts and sugar to the cooled ladoo mixture, mix thoroughly, then pull apart little portions and roll between your palms into 15 to 20 balls of 4cm. Put these on a plate separated a bit and allow to cool to normal temperature.

You can now serve the ladoos immediately, or keep them in a sealed container and store in a cool place for up to a week.

Indian Bread Pudding

This is inspired by Hyderabadi shahi tukda, a food that is commonly created by cooking bread in clarified butter, then soaking it in a thick, rich rabdi, which is produced by heating full-fat milk for an extended period until it condenses to a fraction of its original volume. My version is a better-for-you, straightforward and speedy version that demands minimal supervision and enables the oven to take over the task.

Prep 10 minutes
Cook 1 hour or more
Serves 4 to 6

A dozen slices day-old white bread, crusts cut off
100g ghee, or melted butter
4 cups of full-fat milk
A 397-gram tin thickened milk
5 ounces of sugar, or according to taste
a pinch of saffron, soaked in 2 tbsp milk
1/4 teaspoon of ground cardamom, or the insides of 2 pods, powdered
¼ tsp ground nutmeg (if desired)
1.5 ounces of almonds, broken into pieces
40g raisins

Trim the bread into triangular shapes, spread all but a teaspoon of the ghee on both faces of every slice, then place the triangles as they sit in a buttered, approximately 20cm by 30cm, rectangular baking dish.

In a large bowl, whisk the milk, thick milk and sweetener until the sugar dissolves, then blend the saffron and the milk it was soaked in, the cardamom and nutmeg, if added. Pour the milk mixture uniformly onto the bread in the pan, so it all gets soaked, then leave to steep for a short while. Heat the oven to 200 Celsius (180 fan)/390 Fahrenheit/gas 6.

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

In the meantime, heat the leftover ghee in a small skillet on moderate flame, then fry the almonds until lightly browned. Switch off the stove, incorporate the raisins and let them simmer in the residual heat, mixing continuously, for 60 seconds. Dust the almond and raisin blend over the pudding and offer heated or cooled, plain as it is or with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream.