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Diwali, often called the celebration of illumination, marks the triumph of light over darkness. This is the most widely marked celebration across India and feels a bit like Christmas in the west. The occasion is linked to sparklers and fireworks, vibrant hues, non-stop gatherings and countertops straining under the immense load of culinary delights and sweets. Not a single Diwali is whole without boxes of sweets and dried fruit passed around loved ones and relatives. Across the United Kingdom, we keep those traditions alive, dressing up, visiting temples, sharing tales from Indian lore to the children and, above all, assembling with pals from all walks of life and faiths. For me, Diwali is about togetherness and sharing food that appears unique, but doesn’t require you in the culinary space for long durations. The bread pudding is my take on the rich shahi tukda, while the ladoos are ideal for presenting or to enjoy with a cup of chai after the feast.

Effortless Ladoos (Shown Above)

Ladoos are some of the most famous Indian confections, alongside gulab jamuns and jalebis. Envision a classic Indian halwai’s shop overflowing with sweets of every shape, colour and size, all expertly crafted and liberally topped with traditional butter. Ladoos often take the spotlight, rendering them a favored option of present for festive events or for presenting to divine figures at religious sites. This particular recipe is one of the most straightforward, needing only a few components, and can be prepared in minutes.

Prep 10 minutes
Cook 50 minutes along with cooling
Makes approximately 15-20

110 grams of ghee
250 grams of gram flour
1/4 teaspoon of ground green cardamom
a pinch of saffron (optional)
50 grams of combined almonds and pistachios, toasted and roughly chopped
6-7 ounces of white sugar, to taste

Heat the ghee in a nonstick pan on a medium heat. Turn down the heat, incorporate the gram flour and cook, stirring constantly to integrate it into the liquid ghee and to make sure it doesn’t catch and burn. Continue heating and mixing for 30-35 minutes. To begin with, the mixture will look like moist granules, but with further heating and blending, it will transform into a peanut butter-like texture and give off a rich nutty scent. Avoid hurrying the process, or neglect the mixture, because it might burn rapidly, and the gentle heating is essential to the distinctive, nutty taste of the confectioneries.

Remove the pan from the stove, stir in the cardamom and saffron, if using, then set aside to cool until just warm to the touch.

Incorporate 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 allow to cool to normal temperature.

They can be served the sweets promptly, or keep them in a sealed container and keep at room temperature for about seven days.

Traditional Indian Bread Pudding

This takes inspiration from Hyderabad’s shahi tukda, a food that is commonly created by frying bread in ghee, then immersing it in a dense, creamy rabdi, which is created by simmering whole milk for hours until it reduces to a small portion of its initial amount. 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 minutes
Cook 1 hr+
Serves 4 to 6

12 slices day-old white bread, crusts removed
100g ghee, or liquid butter
1 litre whole milk
One 397-gram can condensed milk
150g sugar, or to taste
1 pinch saffron, immersed in 2 tablespoons of milk
a quarter teaspoon of cardamom powder, or the seeds from 2 pods, crushed
¼ tsp ground nutmeg (if desired)
40g almonds, broken into pieces
40g raisins

Trim the bread into triangular shapes, spread all but a teaspoon of the clarified butter on each side of each piece, then set the triangular pieces as they land in an oiled, about 8x12 inches, rectangular ovenproof container.

In a large bowl, beat the milk, thick milk and sweetener until the sweetener incorporates, then stir in the saffron and its soaking milk, the cardamom along with nutmeg, if using. Empty the milk combination consistently across the bread in the dish, so it all gets soaked, then leave to steep for a short while. Set the oven temperature to 200°C (180°C fan)/390°F/gas mark 6.

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

Meanwhile, heat the leftover ghee in a small pan on a medium heat, then cook the almonds until golden brown. Turn off the heat, incorporate the raisins and allow them to heat in the leftover temperature, mixing continuously, for a minute. Scatter the nut and raisin combination over the sweet dish and serve warm or chilled, just as it is or accompanied by vanilla ice-cream.