Diwali, frequently referred to as the celebration of illumination, marks the triumph of positivity over negativity. This is the most broadly observed Indian festival and has a similar vibe to holiday festivities abroad. The occasion is linked to sparklers and fireworks, vibrant hues, endless parties and countertops straining under the sheer weight of culinary delights and sweets. No Diwali is finished without packages of confections and dehydrated fruits shared among loved ones and relatives. Across the United Kingdom, these customs are maintained, wearing traditional clothes, going to places of worship, sharing tales from Indian lore to the kids and, most importantly, gathering with friends from diverse cultures and beliefs. In my view, the festival centers on unity and distributing meals that appears unique, but doesn’t require you in the cooking area for extended periods. This bread-based dessert is my take on the decadent shahi tukda, while the spherical sweets are excellent for giving or to enjoy with a cup of chai after the meal.
Ladoos are some of the most iconic Indian sweets, alongside gulab jamuns and jalebis. Imagine a traditional Indian halwai’s shop filled with confectioneries of all forms, colour and size, all skillfully made and liberally topped with ghee. These sweets frequently occupy centre stage, rendering them a favored option of gift during auspicious occasions or for presenting to divine figures at temples. This version is among the easiest, requiring just a handful of ingredients, and is ready quickly.
Prep 10 min
Cook 50 minutes plus chilling
Makes 15 to 20
110 grams of ghee
250 grams of gram flour
¼ tsp ground green cardamom
1 pinch saffron (optional)
2 ounces of assorted nuts, roasted and coarsely chopped
180-200g granulated sugar, as per liking
Melt the ghee in a Teflon-coated pan on a medium flame. Reduce the temperature, incorporate the gram flour and heat, while stirring continuously to integrate it into the melted ghee and to make sure it doesn’t catch and burn. Continue heating and mixing for half an hour to 35 minutes. Initially, the combination will appear as wet sand, but as you continue cooking and stirring, it will turn to a peanut butter consistency and emit a delightful nutty aroma. Avoid hurrying the process, or walk away from the blend, because it might burn rapidly, and the gentle heating is vital for the typical, roasted flavor of the sweet balls.
Take the pan off the heat, blend the cardamom and saffron, if using, then allow to cool until moderately warm on contact.
Mix in the nuts and sweetener to the cooled ladoo mixture, combine well, then break off small pieces and roll between your palms into 15 to 20 balls of 4cm. Place these on a dish spaced slightly apart and let them cool to ambient temperature.
These are ready to be enjoyed the ladoos immediately, or keep them in a sealed container and maintain at room temperature for up to a week.
This draws inspiration from the shahi tukda from Hyderabad, a dish that’s typically made by frying bread in ghee, then immersing it in a dense, creamy rabdi, which is created by simmering whole 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 lets the oven do all the heavy lifting.
Prep 10 min
Cook 1 hour or more
Serves 4-6
A dozen slices day-old white bread, crusts cut off
100g ghee, or liquid butter
1 liter of whole milk
1 x 397g tin condensed milk
5 ounces of sugar, or as preferred
a pinch of saffron, steeped in 30ml of milk
1/4 teaspoon of ground cardamom, or the seeds from 2 pods, crushed
a quarter teaspoon of nutmeg powder (if desired)
40g almonds, roughly chopped
40 grams of raisins
Cut the bread into triangles, apply almost all except a teaspoon of the ghee over both sides of every slice, then set the triangular pieces as they fall in a greased, roughly 20cm x 30cm, oblong baking pan.
In a large bowl, mix the milk, thick milk and sweetener until the sugar dissolves, then mix in the saffron and the milk it was soaked in, the spices including cardamom and nutmeg, if using. Transfer the milk blend evenly over the bread in the pan, so each piece is saturated, then leave to steep for a short while. Preheat the oven to 200 Celsius (180 fan)/390 Fahrenheit/gas 6.
Bake the pudding for 30 to 35 minutes, until the upper layer is browned and a pick stuck into the center emerges clean.
Meanwhile, melt the remaining ghee in a small pan on a medium heat, then cook the almonds until lightly browned. Extinguish the flame, add the raisins and leave them to cook in the remaining warmth, mixing continuously, for one minute. Dust the almond and raisin blend over the sweet dish and present hot or cold, simply on its own or accompanied by vanilla ice-cream.
