Diwali 2025: Chefs Share Sweet Recipes For Your Festive Thali
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Diwali is incomplete without diyas, rangolis, family get-togethers, and shared laughter over a thali filled with a range of mithai. Since the best way to celebrate good over evil is with something sweet, traditional Indian desserts are an essential part of the festive season. 

While you may already be making the staples an annual tradition, Diwali is the perfect time to try new recipes and fill your home with innovative sweets. To help you get started, here is a collection of easy mithai recipes shared by chefs all across the country. Why don’t you follow these step-by-step recipes and whip up restaurant-level sweets right in your kitchen?

Kaju Katli

By Meenanath Pawar, Executive Chef, Ira by Orchid Mumbai

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups cashew nuts
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 tsp ghee (for greasing)
  • Silver vark (optional, for garnish)

Instructions:

  1. Add cashew nuts to a mixer grinder and pulse until they turn into a fine powder. 
  2. Avoid continuous grinding, as this may cause cashews to release oil and form a paste. Sieve the powder to remove any lumps and set aside.
  3. In a large kadai/pan, combine sugar and water. Stir well and let it boil for about 5 minutes, until it reaches a string consistency.
  4. Add the cashew powder to the syrup and mix until thoroughly combined. Continue stirring until a smooth paste forms.
  5. Transfer the mixture onto a greased butter paper. 
  6. Using a spatula, fold the mixture until it cools slightly and forms a dough. Knead gently to make a soft, pliable dough.
  7. Place the dough between two butter papers and roll it evenly with a rolling pin to a medium thickness.
  8. Apply silver vark on top (optional). Cut into neat diamond shapes and your mithai is ready.

Millet Ladoo

By Chef Varun Inamdar, Godrej Millets Cookbook, Godrej Vikhroli Cucina

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup mixed millet flour
  • 1 cup peanut powder
  • 1 cup jaggery
  • 2 tbsp water
  • ½ tbsp cardamom
  • 2 tbsp ghee

Instructions:

  1. Dry roast the mixed millet flour in a heavy pan on a low flame for 6-7 minutes until golden brown and fragrant.
  2.  Set aside on a plate to cool. Heat jaggery in a pan along with water.
  3. Let the jaggery melt into golden syrup. Add in the flour, peanuts, cardamom powder, and ghee and mix well. 
  4. Roll into lemon-sized balls. Keep stored in an air-tight container. 
  5. Serve at room temperature.

Gud Coconut Barfi

By Chef Praveen Kumar, Sous Chef, The Orchid Hotel, Pune

Ingredients:

  • 200 gm jaggery (gud)
  • 400 gm fresh coconut, grated
  • 100 gm ghee
  • 1 tsp cardamom powder
  • 1 tsp nutmeg powder
  • 1 gm saffron

Instructions:

  1. In a non-stick pan or kadhai, take ghee and jaggery, and saute.
  2. Once the jaggery has a slightly brownish colour, add fresh coconut and mix well.
  3. Turn off the flame and add cardamom, nutmeg powder, and saffron.
  4. On a steel plate, apply ghee to the surface, then pour the coconut-jaggery mix and flatten it with a rolling pin to a thickness of 1 inch.
  5. Once mixed, let it cool to room temperature, and then cut it into your desired shape. Let the barfi set for 4-5 hours before serving.