Karan Gokani's Delectable Delicacies for Diwali – Tasty Ideas

Diwali, frequently referred to as the festival of lights, marks the triumph of positivity over negativity. It stands as the most extensively celebrated Indian festival and has a similar vibe to holiday festivities abroad. It’s synonymous with sparklers and fireworks, bright colours, non-stop gatherings and dining surfaces groaning under the immense load of food and desserts. Every Diwali celebration is whole without containers of mithai and dehydrated fruits passed around friends and family. Across the United Kingdom, we keep those traditions alive, putting on festive attire, attending religious sites, reading Indian mythology to the children and, crucially, assembling with pals from diverse cultures and beliefs. Personally, the festival centers on unity and offering dishes that appears unique, but doesn’t require you in the cooking area for extended periods. The pudding made from bread is my version of the rich shahi tukda, while the ladoos are excellent for giving or to relish with a hot tea after the feast.

Simple Ladoos (Featured at the Top)

Ladoos are among the most famous Indian confections, alongside gulab jamuns and jalebis. Imagine a traditional Indian halwai’s shop bursting with treats in various shapes, hue and dimension, all professionally prepared and abundantly coated with traditional butter. These sweets frequently occupy centre stage, rendering them a favored option of offering for propitious moments or for giving to gods and goddesses at religious sites. This adaptation is among the easiest, needing only a few components, and can be prepared in minutes.

Prep a brief 10 minutes
Cook 50 minutes plus chilling
Makes approximately 15-20

4 ounces of clarified butter
250g gram flour
a quarter teaspoon of cardamom powder
a pinch of saffron (if desired)
2 ounces of assorted nuts, heated and broken into pieces
6-7 ounces of white sugar, according to preference

Heat the ghee in a nonstick pan on a moderate heat. Lower the flame, incorporate the gram flour and cook, stirring constantly to integrate it into the melted ghee and to make sure it doesn’t catch and burn. Continue heating and mixing for 30-35 minutes. At the start, the mix will resemble wet sand, but with further heating and blending, it will transform into a peanut butter-like texture and emit a delightful nutty aroma. Do not attempt to speed it up, or neglect the mixture, because it may scorch quickly, and the slow roast is critical for the typical, roasted flavor of the sweet balls.

Turn off the heat and take the pan, mix in the cardamom and saffron, if included, then set aside to cool until moderately warm on contact.

Add the nuts and sugar to the room temperature ladoo mix, mix thoroughly, then tear off small chunks and shape with your hands into 15 to 20 balls of 4cm. Put these on a plate separated a bit and leave to cool to room temperature.

You can now serve the sweets promptly, or keep them in a sealed container and keep at room temperature for as long as one week.

Classic Indian Bread Pudding

This is inspired by the shahi tukda from Hyderabad, a food that is commonly created by frying bread in ghee, then drenching it in a heavy, luxurious rabdi, which is created by simmering rich milk for an extended period until it condenses to a reduced quantity from the start. The recipe here is a healthier, easier and quicker alternative that needs much less attention and lets the oven do all the heavy lifting.

Prep 10 minutes
Cook 60 minutes plus
Serves about 4-6 people

A dozen slices stale white bread, edges trimmed
100g ghee, or liquid butter
1 litre whole milk
A 397-gram tin thickened milk
5 ounces of sugar, or as preferred
a small pinch of saffron, soaked in 2 tbsp milk
a quarter teaspoon of cardamom powder, or the seeds from 2 pods, crushed
a quarter teaspoon of nutmeg powder (if desired)
40 grams of almonds, broken into pieces
1.5 ounces of raisins

Trim the bread into triangular shapes, spread all but a teaspoon of the ghee over both sides of each portion, then place the triangles as they land in an oiled, about 8x12 inches, oblong baking pan.

Within a sizable container, whisk the milk, condensed milk and sugar until the sugar melts, then mix in the saffron and its soaking milk, the spices including cardamom and nutmeg, if included. Pour the milk mixture evenly over the bread in the dish, so everything is immersed, then leave to steep for 10-15 minutes. Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6.

Heat the pudding for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Meanwhile, melt the remaining ghee in a little pot over medium heat, then cook the almonds until lightly browned. Switch off the stove, add the raisins and let them simmer in the leftover temperature, blending steadily, for a minute. Dust the almond and raisin blend over the sweet dish and present hot or cold, simply on its own or alongside a portion of vanilla ice-cream.