Gulab jamun

Made from sugar, spice and all things nice, these doughnuts are the sweet spot of any Diwali feast.

- GEORGIE MEREDITH

In India, you will find these small, sticky spheres on show at weddings, birthdays and festivals, where they’re cooked and displayed en masse in large, round pans. They’re made from a milky, deep-fried dough, which is bathed in sugar syrup perfumed with cardamom, saffron and rose water.

Originally a medieval Iranian creation, these celebratory sweets are now a much-loved mithai, or dessert, in India, particularly around the vibrant festival of Diwali, which is celebrated over five days in November by Hindus, Jains and Sikhs.