Chef Karan Gokani's Delectable Treats for the Diwali Festival – Tasty Ideas

Diwali, widely known as the event of lamps, symbolizes the victory of light over darkness. This is the most broadly observed celebration across India and resembles the atmosphere of Christmas in the west. It’s synonymous with sparklers and fireworks, vibrant hues, non-stop gatherings and countertops straining under the immense load of food and desserts. No Diwali is whole without packages of confections and dehydrated fruits passed around loved ones and relatives. Across the United Kingdom, we keep those traditions alive, wearing traditional clothes, attending religious sites, narrating ancient Indian stories to the children and, most importantly, assembling with pals from all walks of life and faiths. Personally, the festival centers on unity and offering dishes that appears unique, but won’t leave you in the kitchen for hours. This bread-based dessert is my take on the rich shahi tukda, while the ladoos are perfect to gift or to relish with a hot tea after the meal.

Effortless Ladoos (Featured at the Top)

Ladoos are one of the most iconic Indian sweets, alongside gulab jamuns and jalebis. Picture an Indian halwai’s shop overflowing with treats in various shapes, tint and measurement, all expertly crafted and abundantly coated with ghee. Ladoos commonly hold centre stage, establishing them as a top selection of present for festive events or for presenting to divine figures at religious sites. This adaptation is one of the most straightforward, requiring just a handful of ingredients, and can be prepared in minutes.

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

110g ghee
9 ounces of chickpea flour
¼ tsp ground green cardamom
a small amount of saffron (if desired)
50g mixed almonds and pistachios, roasted and coarsely chopped
6-7 ounces of white sugar, according to preference

Heat the ghee in a nonstick pan on a moderate heat. Lower the flame, mix in the chickpea flour and cook, stirring constantly to integrate it into the heated clarified butter and to ensure it doesn’t stick or scorch. Keep cooking and stirring for 30 to 35 minutes. At the start, the mixture will look like moist granules, but as you keep cooking and blending, it will become similar to peanut butter and smell wonderfully nutty. Do not attempt to speed it up, or leave the mix unattended, because it can burn very easily, and the gradual roasting is critical for the distinctive, nutty taste of the sweet balls.

Take the pan off the heat, blend the cardamom and saffron, if included, then allow to cool until just warm to the touch.

Mix in the nuts and sweetener to the room temperature ladoo mix, combine well, then tear off small chunks and roll between your palms into 15-20 x 4cm balls. Set these on a platter separated a bit and allow to cool to room temperature.

You can now serve the ladoos immediately, or keep them in a sealed container and maintain at room temperature for about seven days.

Indian Bread Pudding

This takes inspiration from Hyderabadi shahi tukda, a recipe that is usually prepared by sautéing bread in ghee, then drenching it in a heavy, luxurious rabdi, which is made by boiling whole milk for hours until it reduces to a fraction of its original volume. This adaptation is a healthier, easier and quicker alternative that requires a lot less tending to and enables the oven to take over the task.

Prep a quick 10 minutes
Cook 60 minutes plus
Serves 4 to 6

Twelve slices old white bread, edges trimmed
100g ghee, or heated butter
1 litre whole milk
A 397-gram tin sweetened condensed milk
5 ounces of sugar, or according to taste
1 pinch saffron, steeped in 30ml of milk
¼ tsp ground cardamom, or the seeds from 2 pods, crushed
a quarter teaspoon of nutmeg powder (optional)
1.5 ounces of almonds, broken into pieces
40g raisins

Cut the bread into triangles, spread all but a teaspoon of the ghee on both faces of each piece, then place the triangles as they sit in a buttered, approximately 20cm by 30cm, rectangular baking dish.

Within a sizable container, mix the milk, thick milk and sweetener until the sweetener incorporates, then mix in the saffron and the liquid it steeped in, the cardamom along with nutmeg, if included. Transfer the milk blend evenly over the bread in the dish, so each piece is saturated, then allow to soak for 10-15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6.

Heat the pudding for 30-35 minutes, until the surface is golden brown and a skewer placed in the middle comes out clean.

At the same time, liquefy the rest of the clarified butter in a small skillet on moderate flame, then fry the almonds until golden. Switch off the stove, incorporate the raisins and let them simmer in the remaining warmth, mixing continuously, for a minute. Sprinkle the nut and raisin mix over the pudding and serve warm or chilled, just as it is or accompanied by vanilla ice-cream.