Sweets – An essential part of Indian cuisine
In Indian culture, the taste sweet is associated with something auspicious. When a person is leaving the house for something important (such as an exam or a job interview), he or she is fed curd with sugar. Any success in the exam or interview is celebrated with distributing sweets to friends and well-wishers. Good news informing the marriage of a couple or the birth of a child is always accompanied by sweets. Be it is Sondesh of Vijaya Dashami or the Sheer-Korma of Eid, religious festivities are deemed incomplete without it.
As diverse is the culture of the land, the same can be said about its sweets. Although most of the sweets are available across the country, each region has sweets that are original to it. In this article, we will talk about the special sweets from different regions of the country.
Assam
The Northeastern state of Assam is well known for its Pithas. Made from rice, they may be stuffed with grated coconut or jaggery. These are then baked, steamed, roasted or deep-fried to get different varieties of pithas.
The Narikol’ or laddu are equally well known. Here coconut is grated and then rolled into balls. Most of these pithas and laddus are meant to last days.
Goa
While most people tend to associate Goa with alcoholic beverages, the fact is that sweets from this small coastal state are well known. Made of flour, coconut milk, eggs and nutmeg, Bebinca is one of the few non-vegetarian options in this list.
Traditionally, served with a helping of ice-cream, this dessert is an absolute favourite among kids and adults alike.
Kerala
Vettu cakes are the most famous sweets in this coastal state. Made of maida, cardamom powder, sugar, and eggs, you would think that this is like any other cake.
However, the deep-fried sweet cakes have a distinct flavour and aroma and are something that everyone should taste at least once.
Bihar
Among the most famous sweets of Bihar is the khaja. Here the dough is arranged in multiple layers and deep-fried. The same is then allowed to cool and dipped in sugar syrup before serving. Another treat to the taste buds that owe its origin to this region is the thekua. Also known as Khajuria, jaggery and wheat flour are mixed and moulded to shape. Sometimes, the jaggery is substituted by sugar. It is then deep-fried and allowed to come to room temperature before consumption.
Gujarat
Gujaratis are fond of sweets and Basundi is their absolute favorite. This sweet has a tasty creamy texture and is made of predominantly thickened milk. Dry fruits such as pistachios, cashews, and almonds are added to give the desert a crunch taste.
Saffron is used in the preparation to give the dish some added flavour.
Tamil Nadu
Paal Poli is the most popular sweet of this region. Here little maida rotis are deeply fried and immersed in milk. The milk would have been preheated with saffron and condensed milk and then cooled to room temperature.
This makes a heavenly combination that is a favorite among the otherwise spicy loving Tamilians.
Maharashtra
One cannot talk of the sweet dishes of India and not mention the Pulan Polis of Maharashtra. Here, the outer cover is made of flour, ghee, and milk. The stuffing is made from boiled and mashed chickpeas mixed with jaggery.
Traditionally, pulan poli is taken as a snack (accompanied by a hot cup of tea) or as an after-meal dessert.
Haryana
The Aloo ka halwa is the delicacy from this Northern state. Traditionally prepared from boiled and mashed potatoes, affluent families often add ghee to it for its mouth-watering aroma. Often served after the meal, this dish signifies hope and optimism in popular culture. Festivals like Ekadashi are deemed incomplete without this potato pudding.
Karnataka
The Southern state of Karnataka has a lot to offer to the nation’s sweet platter. Gokak Karadantu and Belagaum Kunda are the most popular desserts originating from this place.
The Mysore Pak is another heavenly sweet made from ghee, sugar and gram flour that is the region’s pride.
Odisha
We cannot just go about talking about sweets and ignore the state of Odisha. An Indian (and tastier) version of the cheesecake, chenna poda is made from baked ricotta cheese. Any celebration in the state is deemed incomplete in the absence of this king of sweets.
Also, it is to be noted that the chenna poda has lesser sugar content than most sweets mentioned in the list and is one of the healthiest options here.
Jharkhand
Malpuas are the most famous preparation from the state of Jharkhand. The ingredients that go into the preparation of the dish include milk, mixing flour, mashed bananas and sugar.
The key in the preparation is that the dish has to be deep-fried in a manner such that the edges go crispy while the center remains soft and mushy. That is why it takes a lot of practice to expertise in the preparation of malpuas.
Sikkim
Anyone familiar with Sikkim’s location on the map of India would have heard of Sael Roti. One may well call it the Indian version of Pretzel, the American desert and is a type of sweet bread. Sugar, ground rice and banana are the main components here.
The fact that you will find Sael Roti in any street of Gangtok (or the smaller towns of Sikkim for that matter) is an added advantage.
Chattisgarh
Dehrori is the most mouth-watering delicacy from the central Indian state. Rice and molten sugar form its main components.
A batter of rice and curd is fermented overnight and dumplings are made out of it. The same is then deep-fried and soaked in sugar syrup before serving.
West Bengal
Pantua, Amriti, Rajbhog, and Roshogolla are the most favorite sweets from this region. The Bengalis like to have their curd sweet and mishti doi is a delicacy.
The exchange of sweets is an essential part of Bengali culture and marriage or any social event is deemed incomplete without it.
Punjab
The Punjabis are amongst the most food-loving people of the country and their meal is incomplete without a traditional Gajar ka halwa or a bowl of rice kheer. The weather conditions of the place make it all the way more appropriate for eating fruit kulfi and a meal is rarely complete without it.
By now, you would have found a pattern in the sweets from the different regions of the country. While each of them has a distinct flavour of their own, they are similar at many levels. This is symbolic of the ethnic and cultural unity of the country. On this note, this Independence Day, let us pledge to stand by the values of ‘Unity in Diversity’ and take the nation to greater heights of achievement.
