Karan Gokani's Delicious Indulgences for the Diwali Festival – Recipes

Diwali, frequently referred to as the event of lamps, marks the triumph of positivity over negativity. It stands as the most widely marked festival in India and resembles the atmosphere of the Western Christmas season. Diwali is characterized by sparklers and fireworks, vibrant hues, continuous festivities and dining surfaces groaning under the sheer weight of food and desserts. Not a single Diwali is finished without packages of confections and preserved fruits exchanged between loved ones and relatives. Throughout Britain, these customs are maintained, putting on festive attire, going to places of worship, narrating ancient Indian stories to the children and, above all, meeting with companions from every background and religion. In my view, Diwali represents community and offering dishes that feels special, but doesn’t keep you in the kitchen for hours. The bread pudding is my interpretation of the decadent shahi tukda, while the spherical sweets are ideal for presenting or to savor alongside some chai after the meal.

Easy Ladoos (Featured at the Top)

Ladoos are among the most famous Indian confections, right up there with gulab jamuns and jalebis. Imagine a traditional Indian halwai’s shop overflowing with treats in various shapes, tint and measurement, all skillfully made and liberally topped with clarified butter. Ladoos commonly hold centre stage, establishing them as a top selection of gift during auspicious occasions or for presenting to divine figures at places of worship. This adaptation is one of the most straightforward, needing only a few components, and can be prepared in minutes.

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

4 ounces of clarified butter
250g gram flour
¼ tsp ground green cardamom
a small amount of saffron (if desired)
50 grams of combined almonds and pistachios, roasted and coarsely chopped
180 to 200 grams of granulated sugar, as per liking

Heat the ghee in a non-stick skillet on a medium heat. Turn down the heat, add the gram flour and heat, while stirring continuously to blend it with 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 damp sand, but as you continue cooking and mixing, it will become similar to peanut butter and smell wonderfully nutty. Don’t try to rush things, or walk away from the blend, because it can burn very easily, and the gentle heating is vital for the characteristic, nutty flavour of the confectioneries.

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

Add the nuts and sugar to the chilled ladoo blend, stir completely, then tear off small chunks and shape with your hands into 15-20 spherical shapes of 4cm. Place these on a dish with some distance between them and allow to cool to normal 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.

Traditional Indian Bread Pudding

This takes inspiration from Hyderabad’s shahi tukda, a food that is commonly created by sautéing bread in ghee, then soaking it in a thick, rich rabdi, which is produced by heating rich milk for an extended period until it condenses to a small portion of its initial amount. My version is a better-for-you, straightforward and speedy version that needs much less attention and allows the oven to handle the work.

Prep a quick 10 minutes
Cook 1 hr+
Serves 4 to 6

A dozen slices day-old white bread, crusts removed
100g ghee, or liquid butter
1 liter of whole milk
1 x 397g tin condensed milk
150g sugar, or to taste
1 pinch saffron, soaked in 2 tbsp milk
a quarter teaspoon of cardamom powder, or the insides of 2 pods, powdered
1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg (if desired)
40g almonds, coarsely chopped
40 grams of raisins

Slice the bread into triangles, spread all but a teaspoon of the clarified butter on each side of each portion, then place the triangles as they land in an oiled, roughly 20cm x 30cm, rectangular baking dish.

Using a big bowl, beat the milk, condensed milk and sugar until the sugar melts, then blend the saffron and the liquid it steeped in, the spices including cardamom and nutmeg, if added. Pour the milk mixture uniformly onto the bread in the dish, so it all gets soaked, then allow to soak for a short while. Heat 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 skewer placed in the middle emerges clean.

At the same time, melt the remaining ghee in a small skillet on moderate flame, then sauté the almonds until golden. Extinguish the flame, mix in the raisins and leave them to cook in the leftover temperature, stirring constantly, for one minute. Scatter the nut and raisin combination over the dessert and present hot or cold, plain as it is or accompanied by vanilla ice-cream.

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