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Diwali, often called the festival of lights, is a celebration of good over evil. This is the most widely marked festival in India and resembles the atmosphere of holiday festivities abroad. Diwali is characterized by sparklers and fireworks, bright colours, endless parties and tables creaking under the immense load of culinary delights and sweets. Every Diwali celebration is whole without boxes of sweets and preserved fruits passed around friends and family. In the UK, the practices are preserved, wearing traditional clothes, attending religious sites, narrating ancient Indian stories to the kids and, most importantly, assembling with pals from every background and religion. For me, Diwali represents community and distributing meals that appears unique, but doesn’t keep you in the cooking area for extended periods. This bread-based dessert is my take on the decadent shahi tukda, while the spherical sweets are excellent for giving or to savor alongside some chai after the feast.

Effortless Ladoos (Featured at the Top)

Ladoos are some of the most recognizable Indian desserts, comparable to gulab jamuns and jalebis. Envision a classic Indian halwai’s shop filled with sweets of every shape, tint and measurement, all expertly crafted and liberally topped with ghee. Ladoos commonly hold a prominent position, making them a popular choice of present for festive events or for giving to gods and goddesses at temples. This version is one of the simplest, requiring just a handful of ingredients, and can be made in no time.

Prep 10 min
Cook 50 minutes plus chilling
Makes 15 to 20

110 grams of ghee
250 grams of gram flour
1/4 teaspoon of ground green cardamom
a small amount of saffron (as an option)
50g mixed almonds and pistachios, toasted and roughly chopped
180-200g granulated sugar, according to preference

Heat the ghee in a non-stick skillet on a moderate heat. Lower the flame, incorporate the gram flour and simmer, with constant mixing to blend it with the heated clarified butter and to ensure it doesn’t stick or scorch. Continue heating and mixing for half an hour to 35 minutes. At the start, the mixture will look like wet sand, but as you continue cooking and stirring, it will turn to a peanut butter consistency and smell wonderfully nutty. Don’t try to rush things, or neglect the mixture, because it might burn rapidly, and the gradual roasting is critical for the typical, roasted flavor of the ladoos.

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

Incorporate the nuts and sugar to the room temperature ladoo mix, mix thoroughly, then tear off small chunks and shape with your hands into 15-20 spherical shapes of 4cm. Set these on a platter with some distance between them and allow to cool to room temperature.

They can be served the ladoos right away, or place them in a tight-lid jar and maintain at room temperature for about seven days.

Classic Indian Bread Pudding

This takes inspiration from Hyderabad’s shahi tukda, a recipe that is usually prepared by sautéing bread in ghee, then drenching it in a heavy, luxurious rabdi, which is made by boiling whole milk for hours until it reduces to a small portion of its initial amount. My version is a more nutritious, simpler and faster option that demands minimal supervision and allows the oven to handle the work.

Prep 10 min
Cook 60 minutes plus
Serves 4 to 6

Twelve slices old white bread, edges trimmed
100 grams of ghee, or liquid butter
1 litre whole milk
A 397-gram tin thickened milk
150 grams of sugar, or to taste
a small pinch of saffron, immersed in 2 tablespoons of milk
a quarter teaspoon of cardamom powder, or the seeds from 2 pods, crushed
1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg (if desired)
40 grams of almonds, coarsely chopped
1.5 ounces of raisins

Cut the bread into triangles, apply almost all except a teaspoon of the ghee over both sides of each portion, then set the triangular pieces as they sit in a buttered, about 8x12 inches, rectangular ovenproof container.

Using a big bowl, beat the milk, thick milk and sweetener until the sugar melts, then stir in the saffron and its soaking milk, the cardamom and nutmeg, if added. Transfer the milk blend consistently across the bread in the pan, so everything is immersed, then let it sit for a short while. Heat the oven to 200 Celsius (180 fan)/390 Fahrenheit/gas 6.

Heat the pudding for half an hour or so, until the surface is golden brown and a skewer placed in the middle comes out clean.

In the meantime, liquefy the rest of the clarified butter in a small pan on a medium heat, then fry the almonds until lightly browned. Switch off the stove, mix in the raisins and leave them to cook in the remaining warmth, blending steadily, for a minute. Scatter the nut and raisin combination over the sweet dish and serve warm or chilled, plain as it is or with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream.