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Diwali, widely known as the celebration of illumination, is a celebration of light over darkness. It stands as the most broadly observed Indian festival and resembles the atmosphere of Christmas in the west. The occasion is linked to pyrotechnic displays, vibrant hues, continuous festivities and countertops straining under the sheer weight of food and desserts. No Diwali is finished without containers of mithai and dehydrated fruits passed around loved ones and relatives. Across the United Kingdom, these customs are maintained, dressing up, visiting temples, sharing tales from Indian lore to the kids and, crucially, assembling with pals from diverse cultures and beliefs. Personally, Diwali is about togetherness and offering dishes that appears unique, but won’t leave you in the kitchen for hours. This bread-based dessert is my version of the decadent shahi tukda, while the ladoos are ideal for presenting or to enjoy with a cup of chai after the banquet.

Effortless Ladoos (Shown Above)

Ladoos are among the most famous Indian confections, comparable to gulab jamuns and jalebis. Imagine a traditional Indian halwai’s shop filled with treats in various shapes, hue and dimension, all skillfully made and generously laden with clarified butter. Ladoos often take the spotlight, making them a popular choice of present for festive events or for presenting to divine figures at places of worship. This version is one of the simplest, needing only a few components, and can be prepared in minutes.

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

110g ghee
250g gram flour
a quarter teaspoon of cardamom powder
a small amount of saffron (as an option)
50g mixed almonds and pistachios, roasted and coarsely chopped
180-200g granulated sugar, according to preference

Melt the ghee in a non-stick skillet on a medium flame. Turn down the heat, add the gram flour and simmer, with constant mixing to combine it with the liquid ghee and to ensure it doesn’t stick or scorch. Keep cooking and stirring for 30 to 35 minutes. At the start, the combination will appear as wet sand, but as you continue cooking and mixing, 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 slow roast is essential to the characteristic, nutty flavour of the confectioneries.

Take the pan off the heat, mix in the cardamom and saffron, if included, then set aside to cool until just warm to the touch.

Add the nuts and sugar to the cooled ladoo mixture, combine well, then tear off small chunks and form using your palms into 15 to 20 balls of 4cm. Place these on a dish with some distance between them and allow to cool to ambient temperature.

You can now serve the ladoos right away, or place them in a tight-lid jar and keep at room temperature for up to a week.

Classic Indian Bread Pudding

This draws inspiration from Hyderabadi shahi tukda, a recipe that is usually prepared by sautéing bread in ghee, then soaking it in a thick, rich rabdi, which is created by simmering rich milk for a long time until it thickens to a fraction of its original volume. The recipe here is a better-for-you, straightforward and speedy version that needs much less attention and lets the oven do all the heavy lifting.

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

A dozen slices day-old white bread, crusts cut off
100 grams of ghee, or heated butter
1 liter of whole milk
1 x 397g tin thickened milk
5 ounces of sugar, or as preferred
a small pinch of saffron, immersed in 2 tablespoons of milk
a quarter teaspoon of cardamom powder, or the contents of 2 pods, ground
a quarter teaspoon of nutmeg powder (as an option)
1.5 ounces of almonds, roughly chopped
1.5 ounces of raisins

Slice the bread into triangles, spread all but a teaspoon of the ghee on both faces of each portion, then set the triangular pieces as they land in an oiled, about 8x12 inches, rectangular baking dish.

In a large bowl, mix the milk, sweetened milk and sugar until the sugar melts, then blend the saffron and its soaking milk, the cardamom along with nutmeg, if included. Pour the milk mixture evenly over the bread in the dish, so everything is immersed, then allow to soak for 10 to 15 minutes. Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6.

Cook the pudding for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the centre emerges clean.

At the same time, melt the remaining ghee in a little pot over medium heat, then cook the almonds until golden brown. Extinguish the flame, add the raisins and let them simmer in the remaining warmth, stirring constantly, for one minute. Dust the almond and raisin blend over the sweet dish and offer heated or cooled, plain as it is or alongside a portion of vanilla ice-cream.