On 29th October, Malaysia will come together for yet another celebration, the festival of lights! Deepavali is one of the most important Hindu celebrations that is observed by Hindus all around the world. The festival signifies the victory of good over evil, knowledge over ignorance, and hope.

As always in Malaysia, food is a big deal during celebrations, and Deepavali is no exception. Besides the delicious savoury grub like vindaloos, tandooris, thosais, kurma, and briyani, you can also expect to see an abundance of sweet treat and snacks from ladoos, cookies, candies, and a variety of murukus.

To get into the spirit of things, here are recipes to some Indian sweet treats and snacks that you can whip up at home in no time at all. Be warned, Indian sweets are notoriously sugar-heavy, so make sure your pantry is well-stocked before attempting any of these.

1. Gulab jamun

These little balls are deep fried and then soaked in a sugar syrup, making them sweet, milky, and chewy. You can add some spices or rose water in the sugar syrup to take it up a notch for special occasions. Generally, gulab jamun is made with bread but this recipe by Kanak’s Kitchen is easy enough to make with milk powder:

2. Murukku

This is a local favourite – its popular during all celebrations, not just Deepavali. In my household, it’s a staple snack! There are plenty variations of murukku from the common butter murukku like this recipe or others made with different spices and flour in many shapes and sizes. Murukkus are more of a snack than a dessert, so these make great little treats to offer guests with a glass of tea. You can sprinkle some icing sugar on freshly fried murukkus for that hit of sugar – or for a truly Malaysian twist, a sprinkle some Milo instead! No, that’s not weird at all.

With this recipe by Jeyashri Suresh, you’ll be making murukkus from scratch like a pro. The only equipment you might need to purchase is the mould. You’ll be able to find it at Indian stores. Make sure to get a nice, hardy one that will last you a long, long time. You can use a piping bag with a small star nozzle, if you have one, but make sure to use a reusable cloth piping bag instead of the light plastic ones since the dough is a lot thicker than icing, and it will tear the plastic apart at the seams as you squeeze. Trust me, I’ve tried.

3. Nei urundai

Nei urundai literally tranlsates to ghee balls, and in Hind these are called besan ladoo. Nei urundais are easily my favourite Indian snack. When made well, these little balls of chickpea flour, ghee, and cashews will melt in your mouth like the best buttery scones. They are earthy, nutty, and probably the least sugary of all the sweets listed here. My grandmother used to add lots of chopped cashews and raisins fried in a bit of ghee – the raisins are surprising pops of flavour that complement the nuttiness of the cashews and chickpea flour. Watch this tutorial by Jeyashri Suresh for the basic recipe and tweak it as you wish

4. Jalebi

Another sweet treat that’s first fried and then dunked in a sugar syrup is jalebi. These snacks look like murukku, but are actually made mainly of flour and yogurt. Unlike gulab jamun, the sugar syrup that jalebi’s are soaked in is infused with saffron, giving them a savoury note. Archana of Archana’s Kitchen has a helpful tutorial on making Jalebis. In her recipe, Archana leaves the batter to ferment for 24 hours, so if you’re making these for a party, make sure to mix the batter ahead of time.

5. Almond burfi

These almond snacks are sweet, obviously, nutty, and a joy to eat. With a few simple ingredients and a little stirring, you’ll end up with tasty morsels of Indian fudge that will surely be a hit with your guests. Jeyashri Suresh‘s tutorial is easy enough to follow, so don’t skip this.