Indian sweets
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Indian sweets or Pakistani sweets, known as Mithai are a type of confectionery. Many are made with sugar, milk and condensed milk, and cooked by frying. The bases of the sweets and other ingredients vary by region. In the Eastern part of India, for example, milk is a staple, and most sweets from this region are based on milk products. For a more complete listing see List of Indian sweets and desserts.
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[edit] Varieties of Indian Sweet
[edit] Barfi
Barfi is a popular sweet made of dried milk with ground cashews or pistachios.
[edit] Chena Murki
Chena murki sweet made from milk and sugar available in Indian province of Orissa. The milk is boiled for a long time and condensed. Sugar is added and the sweet is given a round shape. It is also known by many Bangladeshi and Guyanese people as pera.
[edit] Chikki
[edit] Gulab Jamun
Gulab Jamun is a popular Indian dessert made out of fried milk balls in sweet syrup.
[edit] Khaja
Khaja is a sweet delicacy of Orissa and Bihar states in India. Refined wheat flour, sugar and oils are the chief ingredients of khaja.
It is believed that, even 2000 years ago, Khajas were prepared in the southern side of the Gangetic Plains of Bihar. These areas which are home to khaja, once comprised the central part of Maurya and Gupta empires. Presently, Khajas are prepared and sold in the city of Patna, Gaya and several other places across the state of Bihar. Khajas of the Silao and Rajgir are known for their puffiness.
Khajas have travelled to some other parts of India, including Andhra Pradesh. Khaja of Kakinada, a coastal town of Andhra Pradesh, is famous. At first, a paste is made out of wheat flour, mawa and oil. It is then deep fried until crisp. Then a sugar syrup is made which is known as "pak". The crisp croissants are then soaked in the sugar syrup until they absorb the sugar syrup. The speciality of Kakinada Khaja is that it is dry from outside and full of sugar syrup from inside and is juicy.
[edit] Kulfi
[edit] Kheer
Kheer is an Indian rice pudding (Indian pudding).
[edit] Laddu
Laddu (sometimes transliterated as laddoo) is made of flour and other ingredients formed into balls that are dipped in sugar syrup. The popularity of Laddu is due to its ease of preparation.
Variations in the preparation of Laddu result in diverse tastes. Laddu is often made to celebrate festivals or household events such as weddings.
[edit] Malpoa
Malpoa is available in several versions prepared in areas of India, including one from Bengal and Orissa that is typically a cream pancake deep fried with raisins and sugar syrup.
[edit] Motichoor
Motichoor Ka Ladoo is a sweet delicacy of the central Bihar made from grilled gram flour flakes which are sweetened, mixed with almonds, pressed into balls and fried in ghee. Originally from Maner, a small town near Patna, it is now made and enjoyed throughout India and Pakistan. It is a traditional gift at weddings, engagements and births.
[edit] Narkel Naru
Narkel Naru is a dessert from Bengal. They are ball-shaped and made from khoa/condensed milk and coconut, a traditional favourite during pujas such as the Lakshmi Puja celebrated throughout India.
[edit] Parwal Ki Mithai
Parwal Ki Mithai is a dry sweet made of parwal. The outer covering is made of parwal, and the filling is made of milk products. It is rather popular in Bihar, but also found in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
[edit] Pathishapta
Pathishapta is a Bengali dessert. The final dish is a rolled pancake that is stuffed with a filling often made of coconut, milk, cream, and jaggery from the date palm. These desserts are also popular in Thailand.
[edit] Payasam
Payasam (or Kheer as it is called in Hindi) has been an important cultural dish throughout the history of India, being usually found at ceremonies, feasts and celebrations. In southern India, ancient traditions maintain that a wedding is not fully blessed if Payasam is not served at the wedding feast.
[edit] Rasgulla
Rasgulla is one of the most popular relished sweetmeats in India, originated in Orissa, in the eastern region of the country, but was made known to the outside world by Nobin Chandra Das of Kolkata. Originally a dessert in Orissa for centuries, this dish made its way to West Bengal when the Oriya cooks started migrating to West Bengal in search of jobs, bringing along the recipe. It was only then that Nobin Chandra Das of Kolkata modified its recipe to give it its current form. This dish is produced by the boiling of small balls of casein in sugar syrup. This sweet dessert can be found in almost all eastern Indian households.
[edit] Shrikhand
Shrikhand is a famous creamy dessert made out of strained yogurt, from which all water is drained off, leaving the thick yogurt cream by itself. Adding exotic dry fruits like mangoes enhances the Shrikhand’s taste. This great dessert is one of Western India’s most popular traditional dishes, since it has ancient roots in the Indian cuisine.
[edit] Other Indian Sweets
Other important traditional Indian sweets and desserts famous throughout the history of Indian food include:
- Mysore Pak (a dessert made out of ghee, sugar and chick pea flour), Halwa (Persian dessert or Halva in modern English spelling; made out of flour, butter and sugar
- Halwa is one of the most popular Indian desserts that have spread in every corner of the World)
- Kulfi (often referred to as Indian ice cream) is made out of boiled milk and a wide variety of mango kesar or cardamom flavors,
In Orissa, several chhena based confections, such as Chhena Kheeri, Chhena Jalebi, Rasaballi, and Chenna Poda are very popular. Badushah is an exotic sweet popular in South India.
[edit] See also
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