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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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If you’re up for a drive out to the desert, the annual Death Valley Dark Sky festival is happening Feb. 6 to 8. Kind of like the Coachella of star gazing, the weekend is packed with opportunities to spot celestial bodies through telescopes and hear scientists talk about everything from black holes to cutting edge radio telescopes.
What to expect: Friday and Saturday will include outdoor star parties, where attendees can get access to the dozens of telescopes they’ll have set up. The weekend’s programming will include talks from NASA and Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientists, space-themed pub trivia at the Badwater Saloon and guided walks of the Death Valley spots that helped experts design missions off our planet.
And Earth flowers? If you need a more terrestrial reason to make the trip out to Death Valley? All that rain we had is making for good wildflower conditions.
If you’re up for a drive out to the desert, the annual Death Valley Dark Sky festival is happening Feb. 6 to 8.
Kind of like the Coachella of star gazing, the weekend is packed with opportunities to spot celestial bodies through telescopes and hear scientists talk about everything from black holes to cutting edge radio telescopes.
Cameron Hummels, a research scientist and director of astrophysics outreach at Caltech, said he’s headed out to this convening of star gazers in Death Valley for five years.
He said it’s one thing to go to public science talks or watch them on YouTube, “but to have a visceral experience of looking through a telescope at a dark night sky is like something you have to go to a place to do."
Friday and Saturday will include outdoor star parties, where attendees can get access to the dozens of telescopes they’ll have set up.
The weekend’s programming will include talks from NASA and Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientists, space-themed pub trivia at the Badwater Saloon and guided walks of the Death Valley spots that helped experts design missions off our planet.
“Because [Death Valley is] such an exposed landscape, it makes a really good planetary analog for a lot of the other locations in our solar system. Whether it’s the moon or Mars or some of the other objects in our solar system,” Hummels told LAist.
On Saturday, Hummels will lead a presentation on the “formation and evolution of galaxies.”
These dark sky events — known as astro-tourism — are becoming more popular, Hummels said. People seem to be increasingly interested in space in the last five years or so. And there are other pluses of laying out under the stars with a friend.
“I think anytime you get into the great outdoors you’re gonna have mental health benefits... I can highly recommend this to people as both an educational opportunity but [also] a place to see our place in the universe and have a fun chill weekend,” Hummels said.
And if you need a more terrestrial reason to make the trip out to Death Valley? All that rain we had is making for good wildflower conditions.
“Death Valley is poised for a better-than-average bloom, and with a little luck, it could even be better than that,” David Blacker, Death Valley National History Association executive director, wrote in his Wildflower Report earlier this month.
Organized by the National Park Service, the festival is a collaboration between NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Ames Research Center, Caltech and other institutions.
Death Valley Dark Sky Festival 2026
Friday, Feb. 6 to Sunday, Feb. 8.
All locations and times for talks, tours and star parties are listed on the National Park Service’s website.
All public events are free with entry to Death Valley National Park.
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According to the Recording Academy itself, the Grammy for best new artist is for musicians who are having "a breakthrough into the public consciousness." What did it look like to have a breakthrough moment in 2025? More often than not, it meant having a hit song on TikTok. At this weekend's Grammys, all eight best new artist nominees are musicians whose popularity skyrocketed thanks to the app.
The backstory: Last year, Luminate partnered with TikTok on a Music Impact report. It found what many powerbrokers in the music industry have known for awhile: The app is not only a large source of music discovery, but also a leading driver of chart success. According to the report, 84% of songs that entered Billboard's Global 200 chart went viral on TikTok first.
This year's Grammys: Looking at this year's Grammy nominations, the best new artist contenders run the gamut from indie darlings who started making music a decade ago to former Hype House TikTok creators who launched recording careers in 2025. All eight nominees used the app in their ascent to pop stardom — but did they rise through the music industry into TikTok virality? Or the other way around?
Read on ... to discover which new artists started on the app and which came up the old-fashioned way.
According to the Recording Academy itself, the Grammy for best new artist is for musicians who are having "a breakthrough into the public consciousness."
What did it look like to have a breakthrough moment in 2025? More often than not, it meant having a hit song on TikTok. At this weekend's Grammys, all eight best new artist nominees are musicians whose popularity skyrocketed thanks to the app.
"If there's anything that speaks to TikTok's power right now, I think it's this category in particular," says Robert Steiner, a media analyst at the music and entertainment insights company Luminate.
Last year, Luminate partnered with TikTok on a Music Impact report. It found what many powerbrokers in the music industry have known for awhile: The app is not only a large source of music discovery, but also a leading driver of chart success. According to the report, 84% of songs that entered Billboard's Global 200 chart went viral on TikTok first.
And music, in turn, is essential to the app as well. Steiner says going all the way back to its roots in Musically — a platform for lip-syncing videos — songs have been the currency for TikTok's biggest memes and dances.
"A lot of the trends that we see on TikTok are audio-based. Obviously video is part of it, but the sound is a huge aspect of it as well," Steiner says. "It was set up to really capitalize on audio becoming a key driver to the app, and I think as a result, it does seem like they created at least a segment of their user base that is very musically inclined."
Looking at this year's Grammy nominations, the best new artist contenders run the gamut from indie darlings who started making music a decade ago to former Hype House TikTok creators who launched recording careers in 2025. All eight nominees used the app in their ascent to pop stardom — but did they rise through the music industry into TikTok virality? Or the other way around?
The English singer is not a newcomer; as she told NPR's Morning Edition in September, she's been recording and releasing music for nearly a decade. In 2023, her album Messy was shortlisted for the U.K.'s Mercury Prize. But in 2025, the warm soul-pop melodies of her album The Art of Loving put her on the map in a major way. The single "Man I Need" became a hit on TikTok — it's been used in 1.7 million videos so far, according to the app — and quickly climbed the charts.
Did Olivia Dean come from TikTok or the music industry: The music industry.
Born out of a reality television competition show in 2023, KATSEYE is a global girl group seemingly created for TikTok virality — and so far, the sextet has delivered. In 2025, singles like "Gnarly" and "Gabriela" steadily climbed the charts; but perhaps more importantly, they soundtracked millions of videos on TikTok. Choreography from KATSEYE's Gap commercial (set to "Milkshake" by Kelis, not their own song) became a dance trend too, heralded as a clap back to Sydney Sweeney's controversial American Eagle jeans ad. In December, TikTok officially crowned KATSEYE its Global Artist of 2025.
Did KATSEYE come from TikTok or the music industry? Both.
The indie pop band started releasing synth-driven, bilingual songs nearly a decade ago and collaborated with Bad Bunny on his 2022 album Un Verano Sin Ti. But it was a demo of their song "No One Noticed," which lead singer María Zardoya released unofficially on her TikTok account, that would become the band's biggest song to date, and was later officially released on their 2024 album Submarine. Zardoya told podcast host Zach Sang that despite being a slower, introspective song — the opposite of what the band's label wanted at the time — fans gravitated towards it on social media.
Did The Marías come from TikTok or the music industry? The industry via the independent route — they built a fanbase and eventually landed a record deal with Atlantic, then hit big on the app.
Originally from Lafayette, La. — cue the Britney Spears comparisons — Addison Rae became a TikTok sensation in 2019 by posting videos of herself dancing to viral songs. She moved to Los Angeles, joined the Hype House and amassed millions of followers, all of which then helped build momentum for a music career. After a co-sign from Charli XCX on the "Von Dutch" remix, she released her effervescent debut album Addison in June.
Did Addison Rae come from TikTok or the music industry? TikTok.
Hailing from New York City's Lower East Side, the Gen Z rocker sombr has had his share of viral TikTok songs. His 2022 single "Caroline" was the first, helping him get signed to Warner Records when he was still 17 years old. Two more followed in 2025; his singles "Back to Friends" and "Undressed" were used on hundreds of thousands of TikTok videos and both steadily climbed Billboard's Hot 100 chart, months before sombr released his debut album I Barely Know Her.
Did sombr come from TikTok or the music industry? Both.
A child Broadway star and former Nickelodeon actor, it's safe to say Leon Thomas has been grinding for decades. After being mentored by Babyface for years, the 32-year-old has produced for artists ranging from his Victorious co-star Ariana Grande to Rick Ross. In 2024, he won a Grammy for best R&B song for his contributions to SZA's "Snooze." But Thomas' sophomore album, MUTT, landed him directly in the spotlight — its lead single took off on TikTok and climbed Billboard's Hot 100 chart. Of this year's best new artist contenders, Thomas is the most widely recognized by the Recording Academy; he landed five additional nominations, including for album of the year.
Did Leon Thomas come from TikTok or the music industry? The music industry.
Another member of the Hype House collective, Alex Warren went from posting massively popular pranking videos online to releasing a romantic ballad — and instant wedding playlist staple — that spent months climbing Billboard's Hot 100 chart. "Ordinary" became one of the biggest hits of the summer, and earned Warren an invitation to perform with country superstar Luke Combs at Lollapalooza.
Did Alex Warren come from TikTok or the music industry? TikTok.
Often drawing comparisons to previous best new artist winner Amy Winehouse, the 25-year-old had already released several albums before her 2024 single "Messy" went viral on TikTok. Young's songs had already been gaining traction on the app for a while — videos of her performing "Don't Hate Me" on a playground in 2023 racked up millions of views — but "Messy" became a different kind of phenomenon. Before performing at Coachella last spring, Young told NPR's Morning Edition that she does not identify as a TikToker, but recognized the massive impact the app has had on her career.
Did Lola Young come from TikTok or the music industry? The music industry.
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More than a century after it first opened its doors, the Vermont Square Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library is still operating out of its original building, nestled among the homes on West 48th Street.
The backstory: The Vermont Square Branch was built in 1913 on what had been park land that was donated by the City of Los Angeles. It was funded with a Carnegie Foundation grant, the philanthropy of industrialist Andrew Carnegie, who funded the arts, higher education and public libraries after making his fortune in steel in the late 19th century.
Why it matters: For generations, it’s been considered a safe place and gathering spot for people who may otherwise have no place to go. Today, the neighborhood council uses the room in the library’s basement for meetings, the grassy area out back is a place to relax, and for some, the building is a refuge from hot- and cold-weather days.
Read on ... to learn more about why this branch means so much to the community.
More than a century after it first opened its doors, the Vermont Square Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library still is operating out of its original building, nestled among the homes on West 48th Street.
It’s not just a library. For generations, it’s been considered a safe place and gathering spot for people who otherwise may have no place to go. Today, the neighborhood council uses the room in the library’s basement for meetings, the grassy area out back is a place to relax, and for some, the building is a refuge from hot- and cold-weather days.
Of course, people also go there to read books, for free access to the internet and for children’s programming. But they also go there to find peace and quiet amid the hustle and bustle of inner-city Los Angeles.
“It feels safe. It’s pretty big. It’s nice inside and comfortable. There are people to talk to, and I can meet friends,” resident Moses Rogers told The LA Local.
The Vermont Square Branch was built in 1913 on what had been park land donated by the city of Los Angeles. It was funded with a Carnegie Foundation grant, the philanthropy of industrialist Andrew Carnegie, who funded the arts, higher education and public libraries after making his fortune in steel in the late 19th century.
The library is not the oldest branch in the city system, but it’s the first library building owned by the city. All other city libraries and facilities were housed in rented spaces.
It was designed in the architectural style of the Italian Renaissance, and you still can find the original circulation desk, windows that allow in natural light, old furniture and marble fixtures inside the library.
Branch manager Martha Sherod has worked at the library for 13 ½ years and calls the Vermont Square Branch a hidden treasure that some in the neighborhood can overlook. She said some people think it’s a government building, but for the people who grew up using the library, it symbolizes being home.
“People come here for a purpose, they want to be here. We really like serving them,” Sherod told The LA Local. “Now that I’ve been here so long, I’ve seen kids grow up from being little kids to college students. So, it’s really been a joy for me.”
Sherod said the branch holds about 24,000 items and has 4,500 visitors a month on average. The library also offers adult and teen programming, including free legal advice, health screenings, arts and crafts and book club activities.
“The library isn’t just for quietly sitting and reading. There’s usually a lot of good activities happening. There are resources that you can use at home by downloading or just coming in here,” Sherod said.
The Vermont Square Branch was designated by the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission in 1983 after the community rallied to keep the building from being replaced. The exterior of the building remains the same, although the library was retrofitted for earthquake safety in 1990, a process that caused the branch to close to the public for six years.
Longtime Vermont Square resident Fletcher Fair told The LA Local she’s been going to the branch since the late 1960s, and the library will always be a cornerstone of the community.
“It’s the neighborhood library, and that’s where everyone went and prospered. We hung out, studied and partied,” she said. “There were a lot of events here.”
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The first measles case of the year in Los Angeles County has been confirmed by the county public health department.
Details: Public health officials said Friday a county resident who recently traveled abroad has been confirmed to have measles. Authorities have not identified locations, other than healthcare settings, where the person could have exposed others.
Read on ... to find more information.
The first measles case of the year in Los Angeles County has been confirmed by the L.A. County Department of Public Health.
County public health officials said Friday a county resident who recently traveled abroad has been confirmed to have measles. Authorities have not identified any locations, other than healthcare settings, where the person could have exposed others.
Affected healthcare facilities are contacting patients and employees about potential exposure. County officials also are in the process of identifying those who may have had contact with the person.
Measles spreads easily through the air and can stay on surfaces for many hours. Those infected can spread the virus before showing symptoms, which can take weeks to appear.
Symptoms include a fever above 101 degrees; cough; runny nose; red, watery eye; and a rash that typically starts on the face.
So far, 588 measles cases of measles have been reported in the U.S. this year, the highest number of cases in a January since the U.S. eliminated measles in 2000. Most of these cases are linked to outbreaks in South Carolina, Arizona and Utah.
The L.A. County Department of Public Health is encouraging Angelenos to check their immunization statuses for a measles, mumps, rubella vaccine to determine if they’re protected against the virus.
Residents also should notify their health providers for guidance in the case of a potential exposure.
If symptoms develop, contact a healthcare provider via phone as soon as possible. L.A. Public Health advises people not to go physically into a health care facility before notifying them of measles symptoms.
