🔗 Share this article

Diwali, frequently referred to as the festival of lights, is a celebration of positivity over negativity. This is the most widely marked celebration across India and feels a bit like Christmas in the west. The occasion is linked to pyrotechnic displays, bright colours, non-stop gatherings and countertops straining under the sheer weight of food and desserts. Not a single Diwali is finished without containers of mithai and dehydrated fruits shared among loved ones and relatives. Across the United Kingdom, we keep those traditions alive, dressing up, visiting temples, reading Indian mythology to the children and, most importantly, gathering with friends from all walks of life and faiths. For me, Diwali is about togetherness and distributing meals that seems extraordinary, but doesn’t keep you in the kitchen for hours. The bread pudding is my take on the decadent shahi tukda, while these ladoos are excellent for giving or to relish with a hot tea after the banquet.

Easy Ladoos (Featured at the Top)

Ladoos are one of the most recognizable Indian desserts, comparable to gulab jamuns and jalebis. Picture an Indian halwai’s shop filled with sweets of every shape, colour and size, all skillfully made and generously laden with traditional butter. Ladoos often take the spotlight, establishing them as a top selection of gift during auspicious occasions or for presenting to divine figures at places of worship. This version is one of the most straightforward, calling for a small set of items, and is ready quickly.

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

4 ounces of clarified butter
250g gram flour
¼ tsp ground green cardamom
1 pinch saffron (if desired)
50g mixed almonds and pistachios, toasted and roughly chopped
180 to 200 grams of granulated sugar, according to preference

Melt the ghee in a non-stick skillet on a medium heat. Turn down the heat, mix in the chickpea flour and cook, stirring constantly to integrate it into the liquid ghee and to ensure it doesn’t stick or scorch. Keep cooking and stirring for 30-35 minutes. To begin with, the combination will appear as damp sand, but with further heating and stirring, it will transform into a peanut butter-like texture and give off a rich nutty scent. Avoid hurrying the process, or leave the mix unattended, because it might burn rapidly, and the slow roast is vital for the typical, roasted flavor of the confectioneries.

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

Add the nuts and sugar to the cooled ladoo mixture, mix thoroughly, then break off small pieces and form using your palms into 15-20 x 4cm balls. Put these on a plate spaced slightly apart and let them cool to normal temperature.

You can now serve the ladoos right away, or store them in an airtight container and keep at room temperature for as long as one week.

Traditional Indian Bread Pudding

This is inspired by Hyderabad’s shahi tukda, a food that is commonly created by cooking bread in clarified butter, then soaking it in a thick, rich rabdi, which is made by boiling full-fat milk for hours until it reduces to a reduced quantity from the start. This adaptation is a better-for-you, straightforward and speedy version that requires a lot less tending to and allows the oven to handle the work.

Prep 10 min
Cook 1 hour or more
Serves 4-6

12 slices stale white bread, crusts removed
100g ghee, or melted butter
1 liter of whole milk
One 397-gram can thickened milk
5 ounces of sugar, or to taste
a small pinch of saffron, soaked in 2 tbsp milk
¼ tsp ground cardamom, or the insides of 2 pods, powdered
1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg (if desired)
40g almonds, roughly chopped
40 grams of raisins

Trim the bread into triangular shapes, coat nearly all but a spoonful of the ghee on both faces of each portion, then arrange the triangles as they sit in a buttered, approximately 20cm by 30cm, rectangular ovenproof container.

In a large bowl, mix the milk, sweetened milk and sugar until the sugar melts, then stir in the saffron and the milk it was soaked in, the cardamom along with nutmeg, if added. Empty the milk combination uniformly onto the bread in the container, so everything is immersed, then allow to soak for 10-15 minutes. Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/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, melt the remaining ghee in a small skillet on moderate flame, then sauté the almonds until lightly browned. Switch off the stove, add the raisins and leave them to cook in the leftover temperature, blending steadily, for 60 seconds. Scatter the nut and raisin combination over the sweet dish and present hot or cold, simply on its own or alongside a portion of vanilla ice-cream.