List of Indian sweets and desserts

This is a list of Indian sweets and desserts, also called mithai, a significant element in Indian cuisine. Indians are known for their unique taste and experimental behavior when it comes to food. Many Indian desserts are fried foods made with sugar, milk or condensed milk. Ingredients and preferred types of dessert vary by region. In the eastern part of India, for example, most are based on milk products. Many are flavoured with almonds and pistachios, spiced with cardamon, nutmeg, cloves and black pepper, and decorated with nuts, or with gold or silver leaf.[1]

North edit

Name Image Main ingredients Category
Arisa Pitha   Rice flour, Jaggery Fried, jaggery based
Apple Halwa[2]   Apple, Milk, Ghee Halva
Boondi   Gram flour (besan), ghee, sugar. Sugar syrup based
Gajar Paak   Carrots, milk, sugar, ghee, cashews and raisins. Halva
Ghevar   Flour, ghee, kewra, milk, clarified butter, sugar, almonds, pistachio, saffron, green cardamom.[3] Fried, sugar syrup based
Gulab jamun   Fried milk balls soaked in sweet syrup, such as rose syrup or honey.[4] Fried, sugar syrup based
Imarti   Sugar syrup, lentil flour. Fried, sugar syrup based
Jalebi   Dough fried in a coil shape dipped in sugar syrup, often taken with milk, tea, yogurt, or lassi.[5] Fried, sugar syrup based
Kaju katli   Cashews, ghee with cardamom and sugar.[6] Barfi
Kalakand   Milk, cottage cheese. Burfi
Kheer   A rice pudding made with milk, rice, sugar and dried fruits[7] Pudding
Khirmohan

 

Chhena, sugar, semolina, water. Sugar syrup based
Kulfi[8]   An ice cream made with milk and sugar, with a variety of flavours such as mango, saffron, or cardamom.[9] Ice cream
Laddu   Gram flour (besan), ghee, sugar. Laddu
Lassi   Yogurt, milk, nuts, can be made with mango. Yogurt drink
Motichoor laddu   Besan flour, sugar. Laddu
Makhan Bada   Maida flour, yogurt, oil, sugar. Sugar syrup based
Malpua   Wheat or rice flour.[10] Fried, sugar syrup based
Nankhatai   Refined flour, besan, ghee, powdered sugar, yogurt green cardamom seeds. Baked
Petha   Firm white pumpkin, sugar, kitchen lime, alum powder. Sugar syrup based
Phirni   Rice, sugar, nuts. Pudding
Rabri   Boiled condensed milk, sugar, spices and nuts.[11] Pudding
Sheera   Semolina, ghee, nuts, milk. Pudding
Singori   Khoa, coconut, molu leaf. Milk-based
Sohan halwa   Corn flour, ghee, dry fruits. Halva
Sohan papdi, pateesa   Besan flour. Barfi
Bihari Makuti Moong Dal, Milk. Pudding.

East edit

Name Image Main ingredients Category
Amriti   Deep fried vigna mungo, sugar syrup. Fried, sugar syrup based
Cham cham   Flour, cream, sugar, saffron, lemon juice, coconut flakes. Milk-based
Chandrapuli   Khoa, sugar, ghee, coconut flakes. Coconut and milk based
Chhena gaja   Chhena, sugar, ghee. Milk-based
Chhena jalebi   Chhena, sugar, ghee. Milk-based
Chhena Jhili   whole milk, refined flour, powdered sugar, cardamom, oil/ghee for deep frying Milk based
Chhena kheeri Chhena, sugar, milk. Milk-based
Chhena poda   Sugar, chenna cheese. Milk-based
Chuda Ghasa   Rice Flakes (Poha), Sugar powder or Jaggery, Desi Ghee, Grated fresh Coconut, Pepper Powder, big cardamon powder, Dry fruits Optional Flatten rice/rice flakes, sugar/jaggery, ghee based
Coconut Barfi   Made from coconut, fine ground sugar, ghee, cardamom powder and milk. Coconut and milk based
Jaynagarer Moa   gur, cow ghee, Kanakchur khoi Fried and Rice-based
Kheer sagar   Chenna, condensed milk, sugar, saffron, cardamom. Milk-based
Kolar Bora   banana, coconut, maida, sugar, oil Fried and Banana-based
Labanga latika   maida, khoa, nutmeg (powdered), grated coconut, ghee, nuts, raisins, cardamom, cloves and sugar Fried and sugar-syrup based
Ledikeni Chhena, sugar, ghee. Milk-based
Lyangcha   Flour, fried milk power, sugar syrup. Milk-based
Malapua (dessert)   Yogurt, refined flour, ghee, fennel seeds. Milk-based
Mihidana   Besan flour, sugar, ghee. Fried, sugar syrup based
Misti doi   Yogurt, jaggery. Milk-based
Pantua   Chhena, sugar, ghee Milk-based
Pithe   Rice flour. Milk-based
Puri Khaja   Refined flour (maida), pure ghee, sugar, refined cooking oil for frying

(Pure ghee may also be used for frying)

Salt to taste

Ghee and refined flour-based
Rabri   Sweetened milk. Milk-based
Rasabali   Chenna, sweetened milk. Milk-based
Ras malai   Chhena, reduced milk, pistachio Milk-based
Rasgulla   Chhena, sugar Milk-based
Sandesh   Made from cheese, kneaded with fine ground sugar and molasses.[12] Milk-based
Sarpuria   cream, sugar, maida, gheecardamom powder Fried and Milk-based
Sirir naru

 

jaggery and gram flour, mustard oil for deep fry Jaggery based
Shorbhaja   sugar, cream, ghee, maida Fried, milk and sugar syrup-based
Sitabhog   Chhena, rice flour, sugar, vermicelli/rice Fried, rice, and sugar-syrup based

South edit

Name Image Main ingredients Category
Ada   Rice flour, grated coconut, jaggery or sugar
Ada pradhaman   Rice Ada, coconut milk, jaggery, nuts, raisins, cardamom
Adhirasam/Khajjaya/Ariselu   Rice flour, jaggery, ghee, vegetable oil, elachi
Arcot Makkan Peda Khoa, Maida, Sugar, cardamon powder, stuffed with nuts Similar to Gulab Jamun but stuffed with nuts. Famous in Arcot, Tamil Nadu
Bandar laddu   Besan, jaggery, cardamom powder, ghee, cashews and raisins, jaggery syrup, sugar Laddu, popular in Machilipatanam, Andhra Pradesh[13]
Kovilpatti Kadalai Mittai   Nuts (usually peanuts), jaggery
Dharwad Pedha   Milk, Sugar, Dharwadi buffalo milk Burfi
Double ka Meetha   Loaf bread, milk
Gavvalu   Rice flour
Jaangiri   Black gram Fry syrup based
Kakinada Kaaja   Wheat flour, sugar
Kozhukkattai   Rice flour, Ground Nut, Jaggery, grated coconut Similar to Modak in Tamil Nadu
Kuzhi paniyaram   Black lentils and rice
Mysore Pak   Besan flour, sugar, ghee Burfi
Obbattu / Holige / Bobbatlu / Pappu Polelu / Boli   Maida flour, Coconut or Channa Dal/Toor Dal, Jaggery Bread
Srivilliputtur Palkova Milk, Sugar Famous in Srivilliputhur, Tamil Nadu
Palathalikalu Rice flour, milk
Poornalu   Chana dal, jaggery
Pongal rice, jaggery, cashews, ghee
Pootharekulu   Rice flour, powdered sugar/ghee
Tirunelveli Halwa   wheat flour, sugar, ghee, nuts, cardamom A famous sweet in Tamil Nadu .
Khubani ka meetha   Apricots, sugar syrup
Kesari bat   Rava (semolina, ghee, sugar)
sheer khurma   Vermicelli, pudding, milk
Unni Appam   Rice flour, banana, jaggery, coconut
Kajjikaya Rice flour, jaggery, coconut

West edit

Name Image Main ingredients Category
Anarsa   Slightly fermented rice flour, jaggery, khus-khus seeds
Basundi   Sugar, milk
Bebinca   Flour, sugar, ghee, egg yolk, coconut milk Baked layered Christmas sweet
Dhondas Cucumber, rava Baked cake
Doodhpak Milk, rice, sugar, dry fruits Milk-based
Kaju katli   Cashews, ghee
Mahim halwa   Semolina, sugar
Modak   Rice flour, coconut jaggery stuffing Fried
Mohanthal   Besan, ghee, sugar and nuts
Patoleo   Rice flour, coconut jaggery and grated coconut stuffing Wrapped in turmeric leaves and steamed
Puran poli   Wheat flour, gram, jaggery Bread
Shankarpali   Sugar, ghee, maida flour, semolina
Shrikhand   A creamy dessert made out of strained yogurt, often served with dried fruits such as mangoes.[14] Yogurt-based
Sutar feni   Maida, sugar, ghee

Pan-Indian edit

Name Image Main ingredients Category
Barfi   Milk Powder Barfi
Halva   Corn Flour Boiled
Kheer   Milk, vermicelli, sugar, nuts Milk-based, called Payasam in Southern parts of the country
Laddoo   Milk, flour Laddu
Peda     Milk (khoya), sugar, saffron Milk-based

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Alan Davidson (2014). Tom Jaine (ed.). The Oxford Companion to Food (3rd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 410–411. ISBN 978-0-19-967733-7.
  2. ^ Apple, Halwa. "Marraige [sic] Cuisine Style Apple Halwa Recipe- Super Suvai Tamil". Super Suvai Tamil. Archived from the original on 10 November 2020. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  3. ^ Rathore, Prem Singh (2022-06-25). Rawali Rasoi ( Rajasthan cuisine by Prem Singh Rathore). Blue Rose Publishers. Archived from the original on 2023-07-09. Retrieved 2023-05-28.
  4. ^ Priya Wickramasinghe; Carol Selva Rajah (1 February 2005). Food of India. Murdoch Books. pp. 264–. ISBN 978-1-74045-472-8. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
  5. ^ Lise Winer (16 January 2009). Dictionary of the English/Creole of Trinidad & Tobago: On Historical Principles. McGill-Queen's Press – MQUP. pp. 460–. ISBN 978-0-7735-3406-3. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
  6. ^ Elizabeth M. Collingham (2006). Curry: A Tale of Cooks And Conquerors. Oxford University Press. pp. 71–. ISBN 978-0-19-517241-6. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
  7. ^ Subodh Kapoor (1 July 2002). The Indian Encyclopaedia. Cosmo Publications. p. 1745. ISBN 978-81-7755-257-7. Retrieved 4 June 2012.
  8. ^ Caroline Liddell, Robin Weir (15 July 1996), Frozen Desserts: The Definitive Guide to Making Ice Creams, Ices, Sorbets, Gelati, and Other Frozen Delights, Macmillan, 1996, ISBN 978-0-312-14343-5, ... Kulfi is the traditional Indian ice cream and has a strongly characteristic cooked-milk flavour and dense icy texture. ... The basis of making kulfi is to reduce a large volume of milk down to a very small concentrated amount ...
  9. ^ Malvi Doshi (1 November 2002). Cooking Along the Ganges: The Vegetarian Heritage of India. iUniverse. pp. 448–. ISBN 978-0-595-24422-5. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
  10. ^ Gil Marks (10 September 2010). Encyclopedia of Jewish Food. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 382–. ISBN 978-0-470-39130-3. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
  11. ^ Mohini Sethi (1 January 2008). Institutional Food Management. New Age International. pp. 850–. ISBN 978-81-224-1525-4. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
  12. ^ Priya Wickramasinghe; Carol Selva Rajah (1 February 2005). Food of India. Murdoch Books. pp. 260–. ISBN 978-1-74045-472-8. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
  13. ^ Varma, Sujatha (13 April 2013). "In search of Bandar Laddu". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 16 November 2015. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  14. ^ Barry A. Law (31 July 1997). Microbiology and Biochemistry of Cheese and Fermented Milk. Springer. pp. 128–. ISBN 978-0-7514-0346-6. Retrieved 16 June 2012.

External links edit