Amazingly Delicious Indian Desserts To Taste In Your Life Time

Mithais,or sweet treats, are an integral part of Indian cuisine. While they’re enjoyed during a hearty meal, sweets and desserts are also central to Indian festivals. Some of these, like laddu, originated in ancient India, but many of them were introduced to the country by the Mughal rulers who came from Persia. Here are some of the most delicious Indian desserts that you need to try on your visit to the country.

Besides its rich cultural tradition and heritage, what makes India immensely famous worldwide are the diverse cuisines it offers. When it comes to desserts, no one can beat the many varieties of sweets India boasts of made from a whole lot of ingredients.

1. Gulab Jamun

Gulab jamun came to the country from erstwhile Persia (Iran) when Muslim rulers started arriving in India and establishing their dynasties here. These sweets are made of khoya, which is a ball-shaped milk powder. The khoyas are deep-fried and dipped in a sugary syrup, which is usually flavoured with saffron and rose water.

The sugary balls with its smooth and creamy texture, has a sensational taste, while the additional flavors make it even more delicious. A famous dessert in most parties and celebrations, it is often served hot,as an after-dinner dish.

2. Gajar ka halwa

Gajar ka halwa is a dessert made from grated carrots, which are first simmered in milk and cardamom. The mixture is then fried in ghee (clarified butter) and sugar. Finally, the dish is garnished with dried fruits. The dessert started becoming popular during the Mughal period and today, it is served during both Hindu and Muslim festivals in India, including Diwali and Eid al-Fitr.

Being an immensely sought after dish in most Indian festivals and occasions, the unique fusion of carrot and milk would just melt in your mouth.

3. Rasmalai

Ras malai is another famous Bengali sweet dish. Ras means juice and malai means cream and this dessert basically consists of a creamy dough made of Indian cottage cheese soaked in a thick sweetened condensed milk. A well-known Bengali confectioner, Krishna Chandra Das from Kolkata is often credited with inventing the dish, but there aren’t any formal records to prove this claim

Soft, spongy and creamy, with the flavors of saffron and pistachio giving it an additional taste, compelling you to crave for more.

4. Rasgulla

Rasgulla is also made from chenna. These spherical dumplings are cooked in a sweet syrup until the juice infiltrates the dough. This sweet is so popular that two Indian states, West Bengal andOdisha have been feuding over it for years, with each claiming the rasgulla originated in their respective region.

Soft and creamy and sometimes rubbery too, eaten as a dessert especially in Bengali wedding and other special occasions.

5. Peda

The most famous of Indian pedas is found in the holy city of Mathura in Uttar Pradesh. Not surprisingly, because this sweet is said to be indigenous to the place. Like laddu, peda is a popular sweet offering made to God. Milk and sugar are the two main ingredients in this dessert.

Smooth, rich and creamy, with every bite transcending you to a different world altogether.

6. Jalebi

Jalebi is a favourite among Indians. It is a hoop-shaped sweet made by deep-frying flour that is later soaked in a sugary syrup. Different versions of jalebi are also found in Iran and Turkey. The recipe of this humble dessert is found in many ancient Indian cookbooks, dating back to the 15th century. Jalebis taste best when served warm.

Eaten hot or cold, it has a chewy texture, with the taste varying by the accompaniments you use with it. Jalebi dipped in curd would produce a sweet and sour fusion, while a spread of rose water or saffron syrup (kesar) would intensify its sweetness.

7. Mysorepak

Mysore pak is very popular in South India. This sweet dish is thought to have originated in the Mysore Palace during the 19th-century reign of Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV, the 24th ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in Karnataka. The indulgent dessert is made from flour, sugar and a copious amount of ghee.

Soft and delicious, with the flavor of ghee and spices adding to its sweetness

8. Soan papdi

Soan papdi is a sweet that has a uniquely flaky texture and that melts in your mouth almost like cotton candy. The Turkish Pismaniye comes close in comparison to this Indian dessert. Gram flour is a key ingredient used in the making of soan papdi, which involves a very elaborate preparation process.

9. Payasam (or) kheer

There are a lot of different milk-based puddings in India and kheer is one of the most-loved among them. It is made by boiling rice with milk and sugar and later garnished with saffron, cardamom, dry fruits and nuts. Kheer, phirni and payasam are all different variants of Indian milk puddings. In South India, rice is replaced with vermicelli and the dish is called seviyan.

Soft and sweet, a bowl of vermicelli pudding after a full-course meal would give you great pleasure.

10. Shrikand

A creamy dish prepared from strained yogurt, having cardamom, nuts, and saffron as a garnish. Often eaten chilled as an accompaniment with bread, it is a significant dish of Gujarat and Maharashtra. A sweetish-sour taste, which would soothe your taste buds on a hot summer afternoon.

11. Boondhi ka laddu

Round, yellow-colored ball-shaped sweets, eaten on special days like Diwali or Raksha Bandhan, made from chickpea flour, flavored with cashews, saffron, raisins and a dash of cardamom. Some other variations of this sweet include Besan laddo (made from gram flour), coconut laddo (prepared using coconut) and Semolina laddo (having semolina as its main ingredient). The nutty taste of chickpeas in combination with the aroma of saffron, raisins, and cardamom would merely bring out the gourmet in you.

12. Puran poli (obbatlu)

A stuffed flat bread prepared with fillings of flour, split yellow gram (chana dal), sugar, cardamom or nutmeg powder and ghee. This is a popular dish of Maharashtra, eaten in most households during festivals or other special occasions.A blend of sweet and savory, puran poli when eaten with amti, a spicy, tangy lentil dish, makes for a wholesome meal.

Life is too short eat dessert