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Diwali, often called the event of lamps, symbolizes the victory of good over evil. It stands as the most widely marked Indian festival and resembles the atmosphere of Christmas in the west. Diwali is characterized by pyrotechnic displays, brilliant shades, endless parties and dining surfaces groaning under the sheer weight of food and desserts. Every Diwali celebration is finished without packages of confections and dehydrated fruits passed around kin and companions. Across the United Kingdom, these customs are maintained, dressing up, attending religious sites, reading Indian mythology to the kids and, most importantly, gathering with friends from all walks of life and faiths. For me, Diwali is about togetherness and sharing food that feels special, but doesn’t require you in the cooking area for extended periods. The pudding made from bread is my interpretation of the indulgent shahi tukda, while the ladoos are ideal for presenting or to savor alongside some chai after the feast.

Simple Ladoos (Featured at the Top)

Ladoos are among the most famous Indian confections, alongside gulab jamuns and jalebis. Imagine a traditional Indian halwai’s shop bursting with sweets of every shape, tint and measurement, all skillfully made and generously laden with traditional butter. These sweets frequently occupy a prominent position, making them a popular choice of present for festive events or for presenting to divine figures at religious sites. This adaptation is one of the most straightforward, needing only a few components, and is ready quickly.

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

110g ghee
250g gram flour
a quarter teaspoon of cardamom powder
a small amount 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 Teflon-coated pan on a medium heat. Turn down the heat, add the gram flour and heat, while stirring continuously to combine it with the melted ghee and to ensure it doesn’t stick or scorch. Persist with cooking and blending for 30-35 minutes. Initially, the mixture will look like moist granules, but with further heating and blending, it will become similar to peanut butter and emit a delightful nutty aroma. Don’t try to rush things, or neglect the mixture, because it can burn very easily, and the gradual roasting is essential to the characteristic, nutty flavour of the ladoos.

Turn off the heat and take the pan, mix in the cardamom and saffron, if added, then set aside to cool until slightly warm when touched.

Mix in the nuts and sweetener to the chilled ladoo blend, combine well, then tear off small chunks and roll between your palms into 15 to 20 balls of 4cm. Put these on a plate spaced slightly apart and let them cool to normal temperature.

These are ready to be enjoyed the ladoos right away, or store them in an airtight container and maintain at room temperature for up to a week.

Traditional Indian Bread Pudding

This is inspired by the shahi tukda from Hyderabad, a food that is commonly created by frying bread in ghee, then immersing it in a dense, creamy rabdi, which is created by simmering rich milk for an extended period until it condenses to a reduced quantity from the start. The recipe here is a better-for-you, straightforward and speedy version that needs much less attention and enables the oven to take over the task.

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

12 slices old white bread, edges trimmed
100 grams of ghee, or melted butter
1 liter of whole milk
One 397-gram can thickened milk
150 grams of sugar, or to taste
1 pinch saffron, immersed in 2 tablespoons of milk
1/4 teaspoon of ground cardamom, or the insides of 2 pods, powdered
a quarter teaspoon of nutmeg powder (optional)
40 grams of almonds, roughly chopped
1.5 ounces of raisins

Slice the bread into triangles, coat nearly all but a spoonful of the ghee over both sides of each portion, then set the triangular pieces as they sit in a buttered, approximately 20cm by 30cm, rectangular baking dish.

Using a big bowl, mix the milk, sweetened milk and sugar until the sweetener incorporates, then stir in the saffron and the milk it was soaked in, the cardamom and nutmeg, if added. Empty the milk combination consistently across the bread in the dish, so it all gets soaked, then leave to steep for a short while. Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6.

Cook the pudding for half an hour or so, until the upper layer is browned and a pick stuck into the center emerges clean.

In the meantime, melt the remaining ghee in a small skillet on moderate flame, then fry the almonds until lightly browned. Switch off the stove, incorporate the raisins and leave them to cook in the residual heat, blending steadily, for a minute. Scatter the nut and raisin combination over the sweet dish and present hot or cold, plain as it is or with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream.