You don’t have to officially celebrate Diwali to get behind the Festival of Lights. These treats may be the start of your own delicious new tradition.
Justin Narayan
Diwali, the Festival of Lights, is an ancient Indian festival that celebrates light triumphing over darkness, and it has become a tradition that everyone can get behind. This year, Diwali’s main celebrations fall on Monday, October 20.
Growing up in a Christian family, we didn’t officially celebrate it, but the energy of our Indian community and close friends meant we were always part of the festivities.
It was a time filled with joyful chaos, like so many family get-togethers. Mum was always busy in the kitchen, making sweets to take to someone’s house. We’d spend the days touring the suburbs, visiting friends and family, eating and celebrating at every stop.
There would be different people and food at each stop, but one thing was always there: mithai, or Indian sweets. By the end of the tour, we’d have a wild collection – I’m talking six to 10 different kinds – including classics such as barfi, jalebi, gulab jamun and lakri mithai.
Today, when I go to a Diwali celebration, the guest list is more diverse. My friends and cousins bring partners from other cultures, and non-Indian neighbours drop in. It makes me think that in the future, Diwali might become a shared holiday for everyone, a bit like Christmas.
The next few recipes are all about celebrating the flavours of India in a way that is accessible, fun and, if you’re like me, full of nostalgia.
Whether you’re bringing a dish to a Diwali party or hosting your own, you’ll have a few sweet treats up your sleeve.
Pistachio barfi
If you’ve never tried it, barfi is a melt-in-your-mouth spiced milk fudge. The kind I grew up with at Diwali celebrations was an Indo-Fijian style: crumbly and warmly spiced with nutmeg and cardamom. This recipe isn’t groundbreaking; I simply wanted to create something using pistachios after seeing pistachio spreads pop up everywhere.
INGREDIENTS
- 60g caster sugar
- 20g ghee, plus extra for greasing
- 150g pistachio paste
- 90g milk
- 180g skim milk powder
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- ¼ tsp nutmeg, grated
- 30-40g salted pistachios, shelled and roughly chopped
METHOD
- Grease and line a 20cm x 20cm square baking tin with baking paper.
- In a pan over low heat, combine the caster sugar, ghee, pistachio paste and milk. Stir until the mixture is smooth and uniform. While stirring, add the milk powder, cardamom and nutmeg. Continue stirring until the mixture thickens and comes together into a soft, dough-like texture.
- Transfer the mixture into the greased baking tin. Press down gently to flatten the mixture, then sprinkle with the pistachios. Let it cool at room temperature for 1-2 hours until it’s firm enough to slice. Cut into squares – you should get about 20 pieces – then allow it to cool completely before serving.
Makes about 20 squares
Barfi-spiced chocolate caramel slice
Growing up as a first-generation Australian, I juggled two food cultures: the vibrant flavours of my Indian heritage and the familiar Australian bakery treats.
Now, as an adult, I find that cooking is a way to explore and celebrate that dual identity. So, combining the comforting feel of a caramel slice with the unique flavours of barfi felt like a natural, delicious progression.
INGREDIENTS
Base
- 200g unsalted butter
- ½ tsp vanilla essence
- 270g plain flour
- 70g desiccated coconut
- 190g brown sugar
- pinch of salt
Caramel
- 200g unsalted butter
- 190g brown sugar
- 2 x 385g cans condensed milk
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp cardamom powder (4g)
- ¾ tsp grated nutmeg (3g)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate topping
- 200g milk chocolate
- 150g dark chocolate
- 15g unsalted butter
- 20g salted pistachios, shelled and roughly chopped
METHOD
- To make the base, preheat the oven to 180C fan-forced (200C conventional). Line a 34cm × 24cm baking tray with baking paper. Melt the butter in a small pan on the stove or in short bursts in a microwave.
- Place the melted butter in a mixing bowl with the vanilla, then add the flour, coconut, sugar and salt, mixing until well combined. Place the mixture into the tray, spreading evenly and flattening using the back of a spoon or the base of a glass. Place the tray in the oven and bake until lightly golden, about 15 minutes. Set aside.
- To make the caramel, melt the butter and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat, and stir until bubbling. Add the condensed milk, salt, cardamom, nutmeg and vanilla and stir constantly until golden and just starting to bubble. Pour the mixture over the base, spread evenly, and bake for 15 minutes. Remove it from the oven and let it cool completely.
- To make the chocolate topping, place the chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl or in the top of a double boiler over boiling water, and heat until melted. Spread the melted chocolate over the caramel layer. Sprinkle over the pistachios. Chill for four hours or overnight until set.
- To serve, remove the slice from the tray, place it on a chopping board and trim the edges using a sharp, hot knife. Wipe the knife on a clean, damp cloth between cuts. Lightly mark the squares (or fingers) by scoring through the chocolate layer. Then cut the slice into even pieces.
Makes about 15 pieces
Rasmalai tres leches
I’ve long held a theory that there’s a strong, and perhaps surprising, connection between Indian and Mexican cultures. Consider the bold use of chillies, the clear parallels between chutney and salsa, and even the prevalence of magnificent moustaches – the links are everywhere.
This theory was solidified the first time I tasted tres leches cake. The texture and flavour immediately transported me back to my first experience with rasmalai, a spongy dumpling soaked in sweetened milk infused with saffron and cardamom. At its core, they are the same concept.
That’s why I love the idea of this rasmalai-inspired cake. It makes the vibrant flavours of Indian sweets feel more accessible, especially for those who might be more comfortable baking a cake than poaching a milk dumpling. And for an even easier shortcut, you can simply use a store-bought sponge cake and start the recipe from the soaking step.
INGREDIENTS
Sponge cake
- 1-2 tsp unsalted butter to grease the tray
- 5 eggs
- 200g caster sugar
- 100ml full-cream milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 200g plain flour
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp of salt
Rasmali leches soaking liquid
- 385g can condensed milk
- 385 can evaporated milk
- 150ml milk
- 5-6 green cardamom pods
- pinch of saffron
Cream topping
- 300ml thickened cream
- 1 tbsp icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cardamom powder
- 30g pistachios, roughly chopped
METHOD
- Preheat oven to 180C fan-forced (200C conventional). Grease a 34cm x 24cm cake tin with the unsalted butter. Separate five eggs, placing the whites in one bowl and the yolks in another. Using a stand mixer or whisk, beat the egg whites until frothy, then gradually add about half of the sugar, whisking as you go, until you have stiff, white peaks.
- Add the remaining sugar to bowl with the yolks and beat until pale and the mixture has doubled in size. Add the milk and vanilla extract, and beat or whisk until combined.
- Combine the plain flour, baking powder and salt, and, using a sieve, add them to the egg yolk mixture. Whisk or beat on low until the mixture is just combined.
- Using a spatula, fold the whisked egg whites into the batter. Start by mixing it quickly but then become more gentle until just combined. Gently pour the batter into the prepared cake tin, smoothing the top with a spatula.
- Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool completely.
- “Lazy” people start here: For the leches-style soaking liquid, place all the soaking ingredients into a small saucepan over a medium heat, stirring to combine. Just before it comes to a simmer (about 90C), remove the pan from the heat, and let it cool for an hour. Then strain and set aside.
- Using a fork or skewer, poke as many holes as you can across the top of the cake. Pour about half of the soaking mixture over the cake, ensuring it’s evenly distributed, and let it sit for 10 minutes. Pour the remaining mixture over the top, then place the cake in the fridge overnight (a minimum of a few hours will work if you’re short on time).
- To serve, place thickened cream, icing sugar and vanilla into a mixing bowl and whisk until you have soft peaks. Spread the cream over the cake and top with an even dusting of cardamom and pistachios. To serve, slice into 8 and place onto a rimmed plate or bowl with any extra soaking liquid.
Serves 8
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