Indian Sweets You Should Not Miss
Must try Indian sweets
If you’ve come across Indian culture and traditions, then you will know that the majority of the Indian population, have a major sweet tooth!
Be it in India, UK, or any other place in the world… Indian people love a sweet dish as part of their meal or even a little something to nibble on during the day. Indian sweets are also a must for any occasion, celebration or festival, so of course, there is a natural love for Indian sweets AKA Mithai!
You may or may not have heard of some Indian sweets, there are a few which prove popular to most, however, there are also many that you may not have tried or seen, so we want to tell you a little more about them.
Indian sweets come in all shapes and sizes. Some are great to serve as a dessert following a hearty Indian meal, and some are the perfect option to give as a gift (which is what a lot of Indians will do) or as part of celebrations and festivals.
Starting with our favourite… Gajar Halwa
This dessert is like the Indian version of a carrot cake… without the cake part (ha!) Shredded carrots boiled in milk, sugar and of course, a generous amount of ghee. This mixture makes for a mouth-watering dessert which fills you with warmth and a feeling of ‘ahhh’ It tastes amazing with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, for that hot and cold mix.
What’s best is that Gajar Halwa is topped with almonds and pistachios for that little additional crunch.
We reckon you know this one… Gulab Jamun
This dessert is one of the most popular Indian sweets. Fried dumpling type balls made with milk powder and soaked in a sugar syrup which is infused with rose water and saffron. When you take that first bite into that moist spongy texture, with syrup oozing through, you just want more… such a delicious dessert which also tastes fantastic with ice cream.
Barfi… Have you tried it?
Barfi is a classic Indian sweet which is a little like an Indian version of fudge… or maybe brownie bites… Basically, its soft, sweet and moreish!
The ingredients for barfi is the basic to many Indian sweets… Majority of Indian sweets are made from a base of milk powder and sugar. You then have a range of flavours and toppings, e.g. adding coconut for a coconut barfi, or pistachio … you get the idea, right?
Shrikhand… Indian Ice Cream (sort of!)
Shrikand is a favourite at Indian weddings! It’s like the Indian version of ice cream… although it’s not really frozen. Made with strained yoghurt, mixed with sugar, cardamom and saffron, its pure indulgence with each spoon. Some like to add pistachios and almonds for that bite within the smooth texture.
Melt in your mouth Soan Papdi
If you’re looking for the kind of dessert which will literally melt in your mouth, Soan Papdi is the one for you. It’s almost like candy floss, melting as soon as it hits your tongue. Made with refined flour, sugar syrup, ghee and milk, Soan Papdi is guaranteed to give you that sugar rush you crave.
Sweet balls of … Ladoo
Ladoo is a popular Indian sweet across India. This sweet is made with gram flour, semolina, milk, sugar and ghee, rolled into balls of sweetness. Ladoo is a sweet which is usually distributed at the temple or at any religious occasion.
Swirls of sweetness… Jalebi
What Indian sweet list would be complete without jalebi? A dough made from refined flour, sugar syrup infused with saffron… Then you create squiggles of this dough in hot oil and fry for a delicious sweet crunch. Jalebi is best to eat straight out of the fryer, hot with the sugar syrup soaking through… we’re drooling!
Ice Ice Kulfi
Kulfi is the number one frozen dessert in the Indian world! On a hot summer’s day (pretty much like this week!) Kulfi is a great cool treat. Kulfi can come in the form of ice cream, or, lollipops! The lolly’s are our favourites. Much like the adult version of mini milks, Kulfi is a creamier consistency and traditionally flavoured with cardamom, although you can also get flavours of mango, pistachio and many more… #Nom
Little circles of joy… Peda
Similar to barfi, Peda are made with milk powder, condensed milk, sugar and ghee. These are traditionally served at religious events in India. They are also a fantastic sweet for a bride/groom during pre-wedding ceremonies…
Ras Malaaaaaai (Did you ever watch Goodness Gracious Me?)
Ras Malai, not just a cute way to holla at the ladies! Ras Malai is a dessert of dough balls made from chenna and boiled in cream with saffron and a mixture of pistachios and almonds. They are soft and sweet, full of flavour and best served chilled. This is another favourite as a bit of an indulgent dessert at weddings.
So there you have a list of what we think are the must try Indian sweets! Making them at home is always the best way and we have some those key ingredients, like pistachios and almonds to give that little crunch to any sweet treat! If you haven’t already tried Indian sweets, we definitely recommend you try any of these mentioned in our list… for flavour to satisfy that sweet tooth!
If you don’t have much of a sweet tooth and prefer savoury, check out our blog on savoury snacks!