Indian food has been popular across the world because of its uniqueness and authenticity. Particularly, Indian sweets and desserts are becoming more and more popular because of their fantastic taste. These sweets, which are also known as mithai in India, are made from various ingredients ranging from vegetables to fruits, from grains to milk. Below are some of the famous Indian sweets and desserts that you must try out, whether you are in India or not.
Parwal Ki Mithai is an Indian sweet that is most popular in the area of Bihar. Its outer covering is parwal while its inside is made up of sweets mixed with milk products. Khaja is another mithai popular in Bihar. It dates back from 2000 years ago and is also a dry sweet filled with liquid sweets inside. It easily melts in the mouth when put in it.
Another popular Indian sweet, probably the most popular is the rasgulla. This mithai can be found in almost all parts of India. However, this Indian food is most abundant in Orissa, the place where it originated. Rasgulla is made from casein sugar boiled in sugar syrup and set to dry.
Aside from the sweets mentioned above, there are many more sweets that are famous in India and other parts of the world. The next set of Indian sweets that we’ll be mentioning are those made from milk and milk products, something that is unique in the Indian cuisine.
First in the list is the Ras Malai, a sweet that is usually served chilled with various dried fruits. This delicacy resembles a dumpling made from cottage cheese and cardamoms. Another dumpling like mithai is the Gulab Jamun which is made from thickened milk soaked in sugar syrup. It got its name from the word Gulab meaning rose from the rose flavored sugar syrup and Jamun meaning blueberry from the dark color of the cooked sweet. Unlike the Ras Malai, this sweet is served at room temperature and is usually eaten with ice cream. Cham Cham, on the other hand, are sweets intended for loved ones and are commonly called Pleasure Boats.
There are also various Indian sweets that can be specifically done according to one’s preference. For instance, Shrikhand, a milk based mithai can be made from full cream yogurt, as well as from low fat yogurt if the person is health conscious. Easy mango Kulfi, another Indian sweet, is so simple that even kids could make it. And because it is simple, less time and money is required for you to eat this dessert. Last but not least, we have the Rava Laddoo, an Indian sweet that is easy to cook in the least amount of time. It became popular to India not only because of its simplicity and availability, but also because of its tastiness.
Mentioned above are just some of the hundreds of sweet varieties that could be found in India. There are a lot more to discover and try. Mithai are part of the life of the Indians and play an important role in the Indian cuisine.