Sweets from the Indian subcontinent

Overview of sweets from the Indian subcontinent

Sweets from the Indian subcontinent are a diverse and integral part of the culinary traditions of the region, encompassing a wide variety of flavors, textures, and ingredients. These sweets, often referred to as mithai, are enjoyed during festivals, celebrations, and as everyday treats. The subcontinent's rich history and cultural diversity have contributed to the development of a vast array of sweets, each with its own unique characteristics.

Types of Sweets

Gulab Jamun – Deep-fried dumplings soaked in sugar syrup.

Milk-based Sweets

Milk is a fundamental ingredient in many Indian sweets, providing a rich and creamy base. Some of the most popular milk-based sweets include:

• Gulab Jamun: These are deep-fried balls made from milk solids, soaked in a sugar syrup flavored with cardamom and rose water.

Gulab Jamun

• Rasmalai: Soft paneer (cottage cheese) discs soaked in sweetened, thickened milk flavored with cardamom and saffron.

Rasmalai

• Barfi: A dense milk-based sweet, often flavored with fruits, nuts, or spices.

Flour-based Sweets

Flour-based sweets are made using various types of flour, such as chickpea flour, wheat flour, or rice flour. Notable examples include:

• Jalebi: A popular sweet made by deep-frying a wheat flour batter in circular shapes and soaking them in sugar syrup.

Jalebi

• Gujia: A sweet dumpling made with a filling of sweetened khoya (milk solids) and dried fruits, encased in a crisp pastry shell.

Gujia

Nut-based Sweets

Nuts are often used to add richness and texture to sweets. Some popular nut-based sweets include:

• Kaju Katli: A diamond-shaped sweet made from cashew nuts and sugar, often garnished with edible silver leaf.

• Pista Barfi: A variation of barfi made with pistachios, offering a distinct green color and nutty flavor.

Regional Variations

The Indian subcontinent is home to a multitude of regional sweets, each reflecting local ingredients and culinary traditions. Some examples include:

• Bal Mithai: A brown chocolate-like fudge, coated with white sugar balls, originating from the state of Uttarakhand.

Bal Mithai

• Sandesh: A Bengali sweet made from fresh paneer and sugar, often flavored with cardamom or saffron.

Ingredients and Techniques

The preparation of Indian sweets involves a variety of ingredients and techniques. Common ingredients include milk, sugar, ghee, flour, nuts, and spices such as cardamom and saffron. Techniques range from deep-frying and boiling to slow-cooking and setting.

Cultural Significance

Sweets hold a special place in the cultural and religious practices of the Indian subcontinent. They are an essential part of festivals such as Diwali, Eid, and Holi, and are often used in religious offerings and rituals. Sweets are also exchanged as gifts during celebrations and are a symbol of hospitality and goodwill.

Chum Chums – A popular Bengali sweet made of chhena, similar to rasgulla but denser.

Kheer with Dates – A traditional Indian rice pudding with added dates for extra sweetness.

Street Shop for Sweets – A traditional sweet shop in Rajasthan, India.

Chhena Mudki – A special milk-based sweet from Bhadrak, Odisha.

Chhena Poda – A baked cheese dessert from Odisha.

Porabarir Chamcham – A famous variant of chamcham from Bangladesh.

Gajar Ka Halwa – A carrot-based Indian dessert cooked with ghee, milk, and sugar.

List of sweets

• Ada pradhaman - A traditional Kerala dessert made with rice, jaggery, and coconut milk.
• Adhirasam - A deep-fried South Indian sweet made with rice flour and jaggery.
• Anarsa - A Maharashtrian sweet made with soaked rice, jaggery, and poppy seeds.
• Angoori rasmalai - A smaller version of Ras malai, made with soft cheese dumplings soaked in sweetened milk.
• Arisa pitha - A deep-fried Odia rice cake sweetened with jaggery.
• Ariselu - A similar rice-based sweet popular in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
• Bagiya - A deep-fried sweet snack made from rice flour, commonly found in North India.
• Bakarkhani - A layered, crispy bread often enjoyed as a dessert in Bangladesh.
• Bakarwadi - A sweet and spicy Maharashtrian snack made from gram flour and jaggery.
• Bal mithai - A sweet from Uttarakhand made with roasted khoya and sugar-coated poppy seeds.
• Barfi - A dense, milk-based sweet available in various flavors like kaju (cashew), pista (pistachio), and chocolate.
• Basundi - A thickened milk dessert, similar to Rabri, popular in Gujarat and Maharashtra.
• Bebinca - A Goan layered dessert made with coconut milk, sugar, eggs, and flour.
• Besan chakki - A gram flour fudge with a rich, sweet taste, similar to Mohanthal.
• Bhapa pitha - A steamed rice cake filled with coconut and jaggery, popular in Bangladesh.
• Boondi - Small fried gram flour droplets used to make Laddu or served as a standalone dessert.
• Chakka pradhaman - A Kerala dessert made with ripe jackfruit, jaggery, and coconut milk.
• Chakkavaratti - A jackfruit-based preserve used in South Indian sweets.
• Chandrakala (dessert) - A deep-fried pastry filled with sweetened khoya and dry fruits, similar to Gujhia.
• Chandrakanti - A coconut and jaggery-based sweet from Odisha.
• Chashni - A sugar syrup used in making sweets like Gulab jamun and Jalebi.
• Chhanamukhi - A paneer-based sweet from Bengal.
• Chhena Jhili - A deep-fried cheese sweet soaked in sugar syrup, from Odisha.
• Chhena gaja - A paneer-based sweet, also from Odisha, deep-fried and soaked in sugar syrup.
• Chhena jalebi - A Bengali sweet made by deep-frying paneer-based spirals and soaking them in sugar syrup.
• Chhena kheeri - A milk-based sweet dish made with paneer, milk, and sugar.
• Chhena poda - A baked cheese dessert from Odisha, made with paneer, sugar, and cardamom.
• Chomchom - A traditional Bengali sweet similar to Rasgulla, but with a richer texture.
• Churma - A Rajasthani dessert made from coarsely ground wheat, ghee, and sugar.
• Crème caramel - A custard-based dessert also popular in some Indian households.
• Curd of Bogra - A sweetened yogurt dessert from Bogra, Bangladesh.
• Dahi (curd) - A fermented dairy product often used in Indian sweets like Mishti doi.
• Dharwad pedha - A brown-colored sweet made from khoya, unique to Dharwad, Karnataka.
• Dhau - A traditional Nepali yogurt-based dessert.
• Dhondas - A Goan cucumber cake flavored with jaggery and cardamom.
• Doodhpak - A Gujarati rice pudding flavored with saffron and nuts.
• Double ka meetha - A Hyderabadi bread pudding made with fried bread, milk, and sugar.
• Falooda - A cold dessert made with vermicelli, rose syrup, and sabja seeds.
• Fenia (food) - A Rajasthani sweet made from fine strands of wheat flour soaked in sugar syrup.
• Gajak - A dry sweet made from sesame seeds and jaggery.
• Gajar ka halwa - A carrot-based dessert cooked with ghee, milk, and sugar.
• Gajorer halua - The Bengali version of Gajar ka halwa.
• Ghevar - A Rajasthani disc-shaped dessert soaked in sugar syrup.
• Gujhia - A deep-fried pastry stuffed with sweetened khoya and dry fruits.
• Gulab jamun - Soft, deep-fried khoya balls soaked in sugar syrup.
• Imarti - A deep-fried, sugar-soaked sweet similar to Jalebi but made from urad dal.
• Jaynagarer Moa - A puffed rice and jaggery-based sweet from Jaynagar, West Bengal.
• Junnu - A milk-based pudding made from colostrum.
• Kaju katli - A cashew-based fudge popular across India.
• Kakara pitha - A deep-fried jaggery-filled rice cake from Odisha.
• Kakinada Kaja - A syrupy layered sweet from Andhra Pradesh.
• Kalakand - A milk-based fudge-like sweet.
• Kalathappam - A traditional Kerala rice cake made with jaggery and coconut.
• Karadantu - A North Karnataka energy sweet made with dry fruits and jaggery.
• Kesari bat - A semolina-based sweet, similar to Suji ka halwa.
• Khaja - A layered, crispy sweet soaked in sugar syrup.
• Kheer - A traditional rice pudding flavored with cardamom, saffron, and nuts.
• Khira sagara - A milk and paneer-based Odia dessert.
• Khiramohana - The predecessor of Rasgulla, made from chhena and sugar syrup.
• Khubani-ka-Meetha - An apricot-based Hyderabadi dessert.
• Kozhukkatta - A South Indian rice dumpling with a sweet coconut filling.
• Kulfi - A traditional Indian ice cream made with thickened milk.
• Lab-e-Shireen - A Pakistani milk-based dessert with vermicelli and fruits.
• Laddu - A spherical sweet made from flour, sugar, and ghee.
• Malpua - A deep-fried pancake soaked in sugar syrup.
• Mishti doi - A sweet fermented yogurt from Bengal.
• Modak - A Maharashtrian dumpling with coconut and jaggery filling.
• Mysore pak - A rich gram flour fudge from Karnataka.
• Palathalikalu - A traditional Andhra sweet dish made with rice noodles and jaggery syrup.
• Panjiri - A Punjabi sweet made from whole wheat flour and ghee.
• Peda - A soft, thickened milk-based sweet.
• Puran poli - A Maharashtrian stuffed sweet flatbread.
• Rabri - A thick, condensed milk dessert.
• Ras malai - Soft cheese dumplings soaked in sweetened milk.
• Rasgulla - Spongy, syrup-soaked paneer dumplings.
• Sandesh (confectionery) - A Bengali sweet made from paneer and sugar.
• Shahi Tukra - A Mughlai bread pudding with thickened milk.
• Sheer khurma - A vermicelli and milk pudding prepared for Eid.
• Shrikhand - A sweetened, flavored yogurt dessert.
• Soan papdi - A flaky, cube-shaped Indian sweet made of gram flour.
• Sohan halwa - A dense, nutty halwa from North India.
• Tilkut - A sesame and jaggery-based winter sweet.
• Unni appam - A banana-flavored deep-fried sweet from Kerala.
• Zarda (food) - A sweet rice dish flavored with saffron and nuts.

Gallery

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  Kozhukatta – A South Indian rice dumpling filled with coconut and jaggery.

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  Matka Kulfi – Traditional Indian ice cream served in clay pots.

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  Malpua – Deep-fried pancakes soaked in sugar syrup, popular during festivals.

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  Sandesh – A Bengali sweet made from fresh chhena and sugar.

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  Shrikhand – A thickened yogurt dessert flavored with saffron and cardamom.

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  Soan Papdi – A flaky, cube-shaped Indian dessert made of gram flour and sugar.

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  Til Khaja – A crunchy sesame-based Indian sweet.

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  Newari Sweets – Traditional sweets from Nepal’s Newari community.

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  Rasmalai – Delicate cottage cheese dumplings in sweetened milk.

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  Indian Sweets with Vark – Traditional sweets garnished with edible silver foil.

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  Assorted Bengali Sweets – A collection of traditional Bengali sweets.

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  Plate of Indian Sweets – A variety of traditional Indian mithai.

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  Almond Khoa Burfi – A rich almond-based Indian fudge.

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  Pastry Shop in Varanasi – A traditional Indian sweet shop in Varanasi.

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  Chikki Assortment – A variety of Indian nut and jaggery brittle.

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  Sohan Halwa – A dense, caramelized sweet from Delhi’s famous Ghantewala shop.

Related Pages

• Cuisine of India
• Desserts
• List of Indian dishes