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Diwali, often called the event of lamps, marks the triumph of good over evil. It’s the most extensively celebrated Indian festival and resembles the atmosphere of the Western Christmas season. Diwali is characterized by fireworks, brilliant shades, non-stop gatherings and countertops straining under the substantial bulk of dishes and sweet treats. Not a single Diwali is complete without boxes of sweets and dried fruit passed around kin and companions. In the UK, the practices are preserved, dressing up, attending religious sites, narrating ancient Indian stories to the little ones and, above all, meeting with companions from every background and religion. In my view, the festival centers on unity and distributing meals that appears unique, but won’t leave you in the cooking area for extended periods. The pudding made from bread is my take on the indulgent shahi tukda, while these ladoos are perfect to gift or to savor alongside some chai after the meal.

Effortless Ladoos (Pictured Top)

Ladoos are some of the most recognizable Indian desserts, comparable to gulab jamuns and jalebis. Imagine a traditional Indian halwai’s shop bursting with sweets of every shape, hue and dimension, all professionally prepared and abundantly coated with ghee. Ladoos often take the spotlight, establishing them as a top selection of present for festive events 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 made in no time.

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

4 ounces of clarified butter
250g gram flour
a quarter teaspoon of cardamom powder
a pinch of saffron (optional)
2 ounces of assorted nuts, toasted and roughly chopped
180-200g granulated sugar, according to preference

Heat the ghee in a Teflon-coated pan on a moderate heat. Reduce the temperature, mix in the chickpea flour and heat, while stirring continuously to blend it with the melted ghee and to prevent it from sticking or burning. Keep cooking and stirring for 30 to 35 minutes. To begin with, the mixture will look like wet sand, but as you continue cooking and blending, it will turn to a peanut butter consistency and give off a rich nutty scent. Avoid hurrying the process, or walk away from the blend, because it may scorch quickly, and the gradual roasting is critical for the typical, roasted flavor of the confectioneries.

Take the pan off the heat, blend the cardamom and saffron, if added, then allow to cool until slightly warm when touched.

Mix in the nuts and sweetener to the chilled ladoo blend, mix thoroughly, then break off small pieces and form using your palms into 15 to 20 balls of 4cm. Place these on a dish separated a bit and allow to cool to room temperature.

You can now serve the sweets promptly, or place them in a tight-lid jar and maintain at room temperature for as long as one week.

Traditional Indian Bread Pudding

This takes inspiration from Hyderabadi shahi tukda, a dish that’s typically made by sautéing bread in ghee, then immersing it in a dense, creamy rabdi, which is created by simmering rich milk for hours until it reduces to a fraction of its original volume. The recipe here is a more nutritious, simpler and faster option that requires a lot less tending to and allows the oven to handle the work.

Prep 10 min
Cook 1 hr+
Serves 4 to 6

12 slices day-old white bread, edges trimmed
3.5 ounces of clarified butter, or melted butter
1 liter of whole milk
A 397-gram tin thickened milk
150g sugar, or as preferred
1 pinch saffron, soaked in 2 tbsp milk
¼ tsp ground cardamom, or the insides of 2 pods, powdered
a quarter teaspoon of nutmeg powder (as an option)
40g almonds, broken into pieces
1.5 ounces of raisins

Trim the bread into triangular shapes, apply almost all except a teaspoon of the ghee on both faces of each piece, then place the triangles as they land in an oiled, approximately 20cm by 30cm, rectangular baking dish.

Within a sizable container, beat the milk, condensed milk and sugar until the sweetener incorporates, then mix in the saffron and the milk it was soaked in, the cardamom along with nutmeg, if added. Transfer the milk blend consistently across the bread in the container, so each piece is saturated, then allow to soak for a short while. Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6.

Heat the pudding for 30-35 minutes, until the upper layer is browned and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Meanwhile, heat the leftover ghee in a small skillet on moderate flame, then fry the almonds until lightly browned. Turn off the heat, incorporate the raisins and leave them to cook in the leftover temperature, stirring constantly, for a minute. Sprinkle the nut and raisin mix over the pudding and present hot or cold, plain as it is or accompanied by vanilla ice-cream.