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Diwali, which starts on Sunday, is a time for spirituality, to reconnect with friends and loved ones — and enjoy the best of India’s regional desserts. Here’s where to find them.
Dessert destinations: We highlight Indian eateries from Riverside County to Artesia to Fullerton.
What to buy? Oh, so many different options. Boxes of Jalebi, cashew and mango flavored Barfi, Ghewar with Rabdi, or a salted caramel Gulab Jamun — enjoy your Indian culinary tour.
Diwali in greater L.A. is something else. While I love the endless aisles of spices in nearly every Indian grocery store, I’m tickled that in the time it would take to find a reliable recipe and laboriously cook it into a Diwali treat, I could simply drive over a nearby Indian eatery and satisfy my cravings.
I’ve lived in many cities in the U.S., but on many days, and particularly over Diwali, Los Angeles feels more like my hometown Mumbai than anywhere else. Its culturally complex energy, its neighborhoods and restaurants exude a warmth and familiarity that soothes the nostalgia for my homeland.
After we moved here in 2010, we took the time to explore much of SoCal’s Indian restaurant scene, and kept finding more and more great places. It seems Indian restaurants are experiencing a coming of age.
Here are some of my family's favorite sweet treats for Diwali (or really any time).
Our initial introduction to living in SoCal was Riverside County, with its dusty, arid and hot climate, which immediately reminded my husband, Uma, of his hometown, New Delhi.
In no time, we found New India Sweets & Spices, blocks away from the campus of UC Riverside.
Primarily a grocery store, I was surprised to find a fairly extensive confections or mithai section behind a glass case, all sold by weight; it felt guilt-free to purchase "just a Boondi Ladoo or three." Our daughter discovered they carry Badana throughout the year — small beads of fried and sweetened chickpea flour that resemble larger and more addictive dippin’ dots. In the winter months, they have Atta Pinni, a wheat and jaggery-based Ladoo preparation with warming spices and edible gum — a traditional Indian energy bar, one of those "good-for-you" kind of things only grandmas seem to know how to make.
Growing more comfortable, we began exploring the region and discovered BAPS, Shayona in Chino Hills. The large complex is evocative of temple complexes in India, and is a sight for homesick eyes. The on-site spacious Shayona Cafe offers a seasonal menu that adheres to the guidelines of the Swaminarayan sect, excluding garlic or onions. The cafe offers umpteen pre-packed treats both sweet and savory, including traditional mithai in boxes, as sampler packs.
Familiar ones include Boondi Ladu, Kaju Katli, and a Gujarati version of a fudge-like winter preparation called "paak." My kryptonite is their boxes of Jalebi, swirls of deep-fried batter sweetened in a sticky sugar syrup. I will consume at least a few pieces before I get to our car.
Many friends encouraged us to head to Artesia, unofficially titled “Little India." The retail strip exudes an energy that I have not experienced elsewhere in the country, and seeing its many regional Indian cuisines made me feel like I was in a culinary theme park.
At Saffron Spot we found falooda, an ice-cream float with traditional Kulfi ice cream and sweet basil seeds. Uma was delighted to learn that Tirunelveli Halwa was on the menu at Anjappar. This traditional south Indian dessert reminded him of childhood visits with his grandparents, deep in rural Tamil Nadu. Made by cooking down the milk extracted from wheat berries, it's a regional favorite.
Surati Farsan Mart has many kinds of fudge-like preparations under the broad category of "Barfi" with flavors like cashew, and mango, as well as ladoo varieties, plus savories to enjoy while an order is filled. They also carry pre-packed sampler packs that are particularly popular during Diwali. The sampler packs also make welcome hostess gifts.
More recently, we discovered a newcomer to the Artesia strip, Bhooke. It steals the scene with classic desserts from the desert state of Rajasthan, including Ghewar and Mawa Kachori. Both are technique-heavy preparations, best left to the hands of an expert.
Ghewar is made by pouring a thin stream of batter directly into hot ghee that creates a fine lattice like structure. Drizzled with sugar syrup, it is sometimes served with Rabdi, a rich and creamy sauce-like dessert. Mawa Kachori is a large handmade flaky pastry, stuffed with sweetened milk solids, or mawa and nuts and then deep fried in ghee. What’s not to love?
Bustling and popular Fullerton includes two of my favorite destinations, especially for desserts.
The first is Spice Social with a casual vibe, and a fancy bar. Their meals are flavorful, and offer both a mix of traditional and fusion eats, but their desserts push the envelope without going overboard. My favorite is their Gulabi Paratha: a layered paratha, stuffed with Gulab Jamun and served with ice-cream.
Down the street is another family friendly restaurant, Khan Saab. This alcohol-free restaurant has received a Michelin Bib Gourmand award twice (2021, 2023) for good reason. Their zero-proof cocktails are excellent, every dish is executed with perfection, and the desserts are worth saving room for. Chef Imran "Ali" Mookhi offers two stand out desserts, both including chocolate: a Chocolate Gulab Jamun, offering the best excuse to eat Nutella served with a chocolate wafer, and a Chocolate Samosa, served with vanilla ice-cream. In the spirit of the festive season, it is only fair to order both.
Over time, we learned that traveling into downtown Los Angeles requires a fair bit of planning. Although there is no good time to be on the highways, we discovered three worthy destinations. Baar Baar is a newer restaurant that offers a delicious and fun-filled cocktail menu, elegant dining options, and exquisite desserts.
Elevating the classics into portrait worthy desserts, Chef Sujan has curated a handful of masterpieces. The Coconut Payasam Cassata is a layered dessert with the delicate flavors of a creamy payasam, a traditional South Indian dessert, served as a cassata. The Mango Ghewar here elevates the traditional Rajasthani dessert. Served over a mango jelly with a dollop of chilled mango kulfi, soft mascarpone mousse and topped with crunchy pistachio, it is a symphony of textures.
Meanwhile, Tulsi Eatery offers three convenient locations across the city: Northridge, DTLA and Westwood, making it hard to miss. Two easy-to-love desserts hit the spot every time —Shrikhand, a classic dessert of sweetened smooth yogurt flavored with cardamom, and a salted caramel Gulab Jamun, an easy favorite for anyone who loves the sweet-salty combo.
Roots Indian Bistro on Melrose offers another delicious avatar of Gulab Jamun, this time as a churro, served with a coconut dust.
With each trip to the beach, we stumbled into a new restaurant and returned to those who would get their Indian flavors just right. Rangeen Kitchen is a small, friendly eatery in Laguna Niguel. This owner-operated restaurant offers a California-fresh and flavor-forward menu, including classic Indian dishes and fresh takes on them, but their desserts make it worth a visit. Chocolate Pani-puri is a fun take on the classic savory Pani-puri, where the puff is dipped in chocolate and filled with a sweet cream. The melt-in-your-mouth Saffron and Rose Pana Cotta is topped with a chia seed and pomegranate syrup and pistachios.
Tustin’s Masala Bae surprised me with two desserts I did not expect to see outside India — Qubaani ka meetha and a Hyderabadi Fruit Custard. These two are quintessential comfort foods for many people from India, the desserts one would expect to serve a family member. Rich, decadent and yet simple, Qubaani ka meetha is made with preserved apricot, served with vanilla ice cream and topped with almonds. At the same time, a Hyderabadi fruit custard is another familiar dessert - mixed fruits topped with a chilled vanilla custard and served with assorted dried fruits and nuts — simplicity at its best.
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A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from following through on plans to freeze billions of dollars in childcare and welfare funding to California and four other Democrat-led states. Friday’s ruling came less than a day after the states filed suit.
What’s next: The temporary order expires in 14 days. The court battle will continue to play out, with further decisions by the judge expected in the coming weeks, after more arguments from both sides.
The context: In halting childcare and welfare benefits to hundreds of thousands of low-income Californians, the Trump administration wrote that “recent federal prosecutions” are driving concerns about “systemic fraud.” But an LAist review found fraud in the targeted programs appears to be a tiny fraction of the total spending. Prosecutions that have been brought around child care benefits amount to a small fraction of 1% of the federal childcare funding California has received, according to a search of all case announcements in the state. When pressed for details about what specific prosecutions justify the freeze in California, administration officials have offered few specifics.
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A federal judge has ordered Los Angeles to pay more than $1.8 million in attorneys’ fees and costs to the L.A. Alliance for Human Rights and other organizations that sued the city over what it deemed an inadequate response to the homelessness crisis.
The details: In addition to $1.6 million in attorneys’ fees and $5,000 in costs to L.A. Alliance, the judge awarded about $200,000 in fees and $160 in costs to the Los Angeles Catholic Worker and Los Angeles Community Action Network.
Why now: The city is appealing the decision.
Why it matters: In his order, released Tuesday, the judge compared the recent award to the millions of taxpayer dollars city officials agreed to pay an outside law firm representing L.A.in the settlement.
Read on ... for more about this week's order.
A federal judge has ordered Los Angeles to pay more than $1.8 million in attorneys’ fees and costs to the L.A. Alliance for Human Rights and other organizations that sued the city over what it deemed an inadequate response to the homelessness crisis.
The city is appealing the decision.
L.A. Alliance is a group of business owners and residents who sued the city and county of Los Angeles in 2020 in an effort to push both governments to provide more shelter to unhoused people in the region.
The city of L.A. settled with the plaintiffs in 2022, and U.S. District Judge David O. Carter is overseeing the city’s progress in keeping up with the terms of that agreement. The judge found the city breached its agreement in multiple ways in a ruling last summer.
Specifically, the judge found that the city did not provide a plan for how it intends to create 12,915 shelter beds, as promised, by 2027. The court also found the city “flouted” its responsibilities by failing to provide accurate, comprehensive data when requested and did not provide evidence to support the numbers it was reporting, according to court documents.
In addition to $1.6 million in attorneys’ fees and $5,000 in costs to L.A. Alliance, Carter awarded about $200,000 in fees and $160 in costs to the Los Angeles Catholic Worker and Los Angeles Community Action Network.
The organizations are considered “intervenors” in the suit, representing people experiencing homelessness on Skid Row. Their attorneys include those from the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles.
In his order, released Tuesday, Carter compared the recent award to the millions of taxpayer dollars city officials agreed to pay an outside law firm representing L.A. in the settlement.
Carter wrote in the order that the attorneys' fees and costs to L.A. Alliance and others “is reasonable, especially in light of the approximately $5.9 million that the City’s outside counsel is charging.”
LAist’s housing and homelessness coverage was cited several times in the order.
“It has fallen to plaintiff, intervenors, and journalists to point out the deficiencies in the city’s reporting,” Carter wrote, referring to data the city is required to report to the court as part of the settlement.
“Plaintiff and intervenors must be compensated for this,” he said.
Attorneys representing the city filed a notice of appeal with the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on Thursday.
L.A. City Attorney Hydee Feldstein-Soto’s office did not respond to LAist’s requests for comment by phone or email.
Shayla Myers, senior attorney with the Unhoused People's Justice Project at the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, told LAist the intervenors participated in the case without compensation “because it's incredibly important given what is at stake in these proceedings that unhoused folks have a voice.”
Matthew Umhofer, an attorney for L.A. Alliance, told LAist he’s thrilled the court is imposing accountability on the city, including sanctions for violating the settlement agreement. But Umhofer said he’s saddened that L.A. Alliance is going to have to keep fighting to hold the city to its promises.
“The obvious city strategy here is hire a big, good law firm to fight on absolutely every front in hopes that the plaintiffs, the intervenors or the court will ultimately give up trying to hold the city accountable,” he said.
The parties are scheduled to appear in federal court in downtown L.A. on Monday, when a hearing will resume to determine whether the judge will hold the city of Los Angeles in contempt of court.
Carter has said in documents that he’s concerned “the city has demonstrated a continuous pattern of delay” in meeting its obligations with court orders under the settlement and that the “delay continues to this day.”
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Smorgasburg L.A. reopens this Sunday with 13 new food vendors joining the downtown market's annual grand reopening at the Row.
Why now: The January grand reopening with new vendors is a longstanding tradition that kicks off the year ahead. Vendors apply through Smorgasburg's website, and the team meets with every applicant to taste their food before acceptance. Competition remains fierce, with many more applicants than available spots. This year marks the market's 10th anniversary celebration in June.
Why it matters: The new vendor class demonstrates the resilience of L.A.'s independent food scene, following a challenging year for the restaurant industry, with concepts ranging from a Grammy-nominated producer's Persian-influenced pizza to Southern fried fish honoring Black migration history.
Every January, the open-air downtown food fair reopens after its winter break and announces new additions to its carefully selected group of regular vendors.
This year’s new vendor class demonstrates the resilience of L.A.'s independent food scene, ranging from a Grammy-nominated producer's Persian-influenced pizza to Southern fried fish celebrating Black American culinary traditions, to an LAist 2025 Tournament of Cheeseburger heavyweight contender.
The reopening also marks the start of Smorgasburg LA's 10th anniversary year, and will feature 41 returning vendors, who've helped build the regular event into a fun, family-friendly opportunity to try new, often cutting-edge food you may not be familiar with.
Doors open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at DTLA’s The Row, with free entry and free parking for the first two hours.
General manager Zach Brooks said this is his favorite time of year. "We add the new vendors at the beginning of the new year, everyone's excited."
Vendors apply through Smorgasburg's website, and the team meets with every applicant to taste their food before acceptance. Brooks said it's not a vetting process like "Shark Tank" but rather a matter of seeing if it's a good fit. Competition remains fierce, with many more applicants than available spots.
"I think it's just a testament to L.A. and the resilience of people who love this business and have a passion for it, and are going to continue to persevere and start their businesses and want to be out there selling food," Brooks said.
Here are a few highlights:
Long Beach-based Terrible Burger becomes Smorgasburg's new permanent burger vendor after standout appearances at LAist's Tournament of Cheeseburgers and the market's rotating Smorgasburger Stand. The smashburger pop-up, run by husband-and-wife team Nicole and Ryan Ramirez, specializes in burgers that draw from pop culture and global influences. They've made waves with a Korean barbecue burger topped with bulgogi barbecue sauce and a viral orange chicken sandwich, previously available only at their Tuesday night residency at Long Beach's Midnight Oil, making its L.A. debut Sunday.
"We have been big Smorgasburg fans for a really long time before we even started Terrible Burger. We would go to Smorgasburg on dates, just eat and hang out. And it was just always a little dream of, "oh, what if we ever sold food here?" Nicole Ramirez said.
Orange County-based Hot Grease, run by Asha Starks, is among four vendors graduating from residencies to permanent status. The Southern fried fish pop-up celebrates Black American history through food that honors Starks' family heritage.
"Folks often forget that there are Black folks in Orange County. My family came to Orange County during the second wave of the Great Migration, and they settled in Santa Ana... my food is very cultural. And the story, I feel like, is just as important to highlight," Starks said.
Hot Grease serves crispy buttermilk fried snapper with thick-cut fries and small-batch sauces like "Ill Dill" tartar. Honoring the fish fry's history as a site of mutual aid, Starks directs 3% of sales to the Potlikker Line, Hot Grease's reproductive justice mutual aid fund. For January, she's added fish and grits, black-eyed peas and collard greens.
Mamani Pizza, from the Grammy-nominated producer Farsi, part of the music production team Wallis Lane, started making Neapolitan-style pizzas at his West L.A. recording studio a year ago. What began as late-night pies for friends and artists became an underground hit. Most pizzas are traditional, but Farsi adds Persian touches like The Mamani, topped with ground wagyu koobideh, roasted Anaheim chilis, Persian herbs and pomegranate molasses.
Banana Mama - Asian-inspired pudding
Barranco's Yogurt - Oaxacan fruit yogurt
Franzl's Franks - Austrian sausages
Melnificent Wingz - Gourmet chicken wings
Piruchi - Peruvian street food
RuRu's Golden Tea - Karak chai
Stick Talk - vegan corn dogs
SouuLA - Taiwanese breakfast concept
Unreal Poke - Hawaiian poke
Zindrew Dumpling Shop - Spicy wontons
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All that rain didn’t just flood L.A. County streets, it chewed up our roads. You’re likely driving over more potholes than usual, so what do you do if your car gets damaged from one? You could get the government to pay for it.
How it works: You’ll want to take pictures of the pothole and your car. Then, submit a claim form. Personal property damage claims have a six-month filing period, and you’ll have to pay out-of-pocket first.
Manage your expectations: Keep in mind, this isn’t a quick way to cash. Claims can take months. You’ll also have to prove the agency was aware of the problem before your incident, such as by looking at street maintenance records for your area. Here are tips from the now-defunct site LAPotholes.com.
What’s next: Potholes continue to plague the city of L.A., and that’s probably not ending soon. In the next budget, StreetsLA (aka Bureau of Street Services) is proposing to prioritize funding for “large asphalt repair,” which means patching over sections rather than fully repaving streets, which some argue will lead to worse roads.
