Along with so many famous things, and having a signature attempt in almost every stream. India comes on the top while it comes to the food, culture, tradition and again makes a remarkable presence in the world desserts (sweets ) with its unique imprint. India has its own assortment of desserts. Quality sweets with so many variations having authenticity and richness make Indian desserts classy.
Desserts are an integral part of Indian servings of food. All those who love sweets this is the place to satisfy your cravings. Indian sweets depict its remark from the ancient times one can find the symptoms of their presence in history, notice that Indian laddo, kheer is mentioned in so many mythological books served to kings in the past. Later on, different rulers come into the country as of Mughals, Bengalis, Persians along with the different food cultures, and India accepted it.
India was the country having the ruling system (cities and areas were ruled by kings), and the origin of chef culture comes from this system. Every king was having their own cooks mastering over the different types of cooking and as per the choice of their king, so-called chef's would say were preparing and experimenting with the cuisines. This royal culture and availability of a range of food products, India experimented and come up with the long-range of desserts which is unbeatable.
Most of the Indian sweets are made up of the solid form of milk (Called Mawa/Khoya) and this is the highly used ingredient in many of the Indian sweets and royal range of cuisine apart from sweets. The second most important ingredient used in Indian desserts is dry fruits, one can find n number of sweets made up with the dry fruits which are healthier and heavenly in taste. I must say, being in the ocean of Indian food one has to forget about the calories. In Some region, desserts are made up of the root vegetables as of carrots, etc. as who do not knows about Gajar ka halwa. Few Indian desserts as kheer, halwa, laddoo, Gulab jamun are the very common desserts found and eaten by the whole country. I must say these desserts also posses the diversification in itself.
Further, let's have a look at some of the finest and highly consumed Indian Desserts :
1. Kheer: This is one of the traditional rice pudding, in some areas people called it as phirni. It has a creamy and smooth texture. Mainly prepared with milk and rice. One has to boil the milk (almost like condensed milk) later rice will be added and it garnished with saffron and dry fruits. Served in both the forms chilled and hot as per the likeliness. This is the simple and very modest form of dessert, wherein some areas like southern it is called as payasam, and while cooked with vermicelli it is called as seviyan. Rabri is again a similar type of milk pudding where, rice would be replaced by dry fruits, saffron, cardamom.
2. Laddoo: This is the ball-shaped dessert, a staple on almost every celebration time. Every region has its own laddoo's but motichoor's laddo is famous among all of them. Further, Tirupati temple is also known for the ladoo which they are serving to the devotees in the form of Prashad.
3. Barfi's ( Dry fruits/Mawa/Gram): Indian barfis are the sweets almost like fudge, prepared with dry fruits and one of the most famous amongst the people as Kaju barfi/Kaju katli. This name actually originated from the Persian word means snow. Again one can find pistachios barfi, walnuts, and raisin barfi. In India, these barfi's come under some of the expensive range of sweets, used highly in gifting on different occasions. Apart, one can find barfi's made up with grams, solid form of milk (mawa), etc.
4. Bengali sweets: Bengali sweets are known for the special technique of preparing desserts as most of the Bengali desserts are made from chhena basically a residue of curdled milk. It is required to mention that all the Bengalis sweets highly loved and accepted by the whole country. Sandesh, Rasgulla, Rasmalai, Chamcham are some which are almost made up with the same ingredient naming chhena , even then have different taste, uniqueness, and versatility in the presentation. Payesh, Patishapta, Kheer-Kadam, Mishti -Doi is the Bengali sweets highly appreciated amongst the race of Indian desserts. More than any part of India Bengal is highly known for the astounding variety of sweet delicacies served to every palate.
5. Mysore Pak: As mentioned all the Bengali sweets are famous across the country. But when comes to the southern part of India like Karnataka, Mysore Pak is the dessert winning the heart, again it is mouthwatering and highly served on the festive time. Believed that very first is was originated in Mysore palace. This fudge-like indulgent dessert made up with gram flour, sugar, cardamom and fulsome amount of ghee. Every one visiting Karnataka can forget anything but cannot forget to have Mysore Pak.
6. Peda/Jalebi/Malpua: This is the different segment of sweets, found across every small city, village or in the metro's/big town's.
Peda, while we talk about everyone, recalls Mathura ka Peda, which is one of the famous serving to the lord as of Laddos. Peda is made up with milk and sugar.
Jalebi is one of the humble dessert brought to India by Persian invaders. These are found in the coiled shape and deep into sugar and saffron syrup. Part of the street food of India, it comes in royal form while served with condensed milk.
Malpua originated from the Odisha, while these are famous in every part of India, especially as street food. These are the pancakes, similar to the jalebi deep in sweet syrup and served with condensed milk (Rabri) .
7. Gulab-Jamun: How can one forget to mention this sweet, known by the different names in every side of the country. And every Indian house/Class got the opportunity and blessing to eat this dessert. It is a very decent kind of sweet afforded by every Indian family. Gulab Jamun is balls prepared with the khoya/Mawa (Solid form of milk) fried and soaked in sugar syrup. Flavored with rose water, cardamom. This is like super sweet, spongy balls good to go with every occasion and celebration.
8. Kulfi: Kulfi is the frozen dairy dessert, can say the Indian version of Icecreams. Borrowed from Persian cuisine. Prepared from the milk where it is boiled and reduces till the time it remains half in the quantity. Kulfi is creamier and denser, it comes in different flavors and highly found as street food in India. One of the highly consumed cold form of Indian Desserts. And now successfully experimented with different variations as people can found kulfi with fruits, Dryfruits, Saffron, Cream and Rose with many more variations.
These are some of the Indian desserts highly used at a different time - festivals, occasions, and celebrations. Mentioned some of the most delicious desserts one has to try while in the country forgetting about calories and to satisfy the tastebuds making food experience memorable. Of course, these are some desserts which are well known in the whole country. India has huge diversity in food culture and when will start mentioning about every state of India, there is a different list of desserts one can find from every part with its own specialty. Even though I must say that one has to try at least these sweets after being into India.
