INDIAN SWEETS

INDIAN SWEETS

Introduction

When it comes to Indian Cuisine one thing cannot be overlooked, it is Our love for Sweets! Most Indians have a sweet tooth. It's not uncommon to see huge crowds at Sweet stores across the Country. And with the variety and sheer number of sweets available it's no wonder that it's such an important part of an Indian's lives.

Sweets are part of any Indian celebration or festivity of any kind. They are prepared in every Indian household not only for special feasts and occasions, but also for simple celebrations like birthdays, anniversaries, graduations or even any other concocted reason.

Meetha or Mithai are the two most accepted words for Indian confectionary dishes. They are eaten on all festivities and are an important part of every major meal. They are a way of conveying greetings in all form of celebrations. A chef expert in preparing Indian sweets is termed as Halwai. The shops of sweets are found in every city and the chef uses locally sourced ingredients in preparing delectable sweets. A variety of ingredients are used in preparation of sweets:

1.    Main ingredient –

a.    Milk: Usually from cows or buffalos. At times pre-packaged condensed milk may also be used.

b.   Khoya / Mawa: It is prepared by boiling the milk and reducing milk to a semi solid stage. Depending on the fat content in the milk and method of preparation one can have a variety of khoya such as Batti ka khoya, Daab ka khoya or Danedar khoya.

c.   Chenna – Fresh cottage cheese made by curdling cow milk.

d.  Other ingredients - Gram flour, Coconut, Pulse such as moong dal, refined flour, pumpkin, carrot, fruits such as apricot etc.

2.  Sweetening agents – Sugar (Refined sugar, Boora), Jaggery (from sugarcane or palm)

3.    Flavouring agents – Nuts such as almonds, pistachio, cashew, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, rose water etc.

4.    Garnish – Slivers of dry fruits, Silver or gold varq (thin leaves of silver or gold), rose petal, coating of ingredients such as sesame seeds, coconut powder etc.

5.    Fats & Oils – Desi ghee, refined oils and Vanaspati (partially hydrogenated vegetable oil) are used to provide texture, flavour and as a cooking medium for many sweets.

Many sweets are associated with festivals in India. Few are listed below:

Festival	Sweet
Holi	Gujia
Lohri	Til gajak
Pongal	Sarkarai pongal
Gudi padwa	Til gud laddoos, and Shrikhand
Saawan ki teej	Ghewar
Ganesh chaturthi	Ukadiche Modak
Eid	Seviyan, Zarda
Gurupurab	Karah Prasad

Many Indian sweets have crossed the regional boundaries and are popular all across the nation. For every occasion, celebration or as a token of respect, sweets are gifted and eaten. To prepare these sweets, expertise is required. The quality of ingredients, method, skill and final presentation, all are equally important. For preparing many sweets, one needs to prepare sugar syrup. Though it sounds simple, but preparing sugar syrup of required consistency requires skill.

Sugar cookery

Sugar syrup is an important ingredient for preparing most sweets. Sugar for Indian sweets is used in various forms such as Boora or Jaggery. However, many a times one needs to prepare sugar syrup (chasni) to a required consistency. The sugar syrup can be prepared by taking two cups of refined sugar and one cup of water in a thick bottom pot. Begin to cook the mixture while stirring to dissolve the sugar completely. As water evaporates, the concentration of sugar keeps increasing.

Keep testing this syrup to check its consistency. To do this, dip a wooden spoon in the syrup and lift out. Allow cooling for a few seconds and touch the syrup with a forefinger and then touch the forefinger to the thumb. Pull the thumb and forefinger apart gently.

§  Half-thread consistency is when a single thread is formed and breaks immediately when your forefinger and your thumb are pulled apart.

§  One-thread consistency is when a single thread is formed and does not break when your forefinger and your thumb are pulled apart.

§  Two-thread consistency is when two threads are formed as above. This stage is also called the softball stage - when a drop of syrup of this consistency is dropped into a bowl of cold water, it forms a soft ball.

§  Two and a half thread consistency is when three threads are formed but one breaks immediately as finger and thumb are pulled apart. This stage is also called the firm ball stage - when a drop of syrup of this consistency is dropped into a bowl of cold water, it forms a firm but pliable ball.

§  Three-thread consistency is when three threads are formed as above. This stage is also called the hardball stage - when a drop of syrup of this consistency is dropped into a bowl of cold water, it forms a hard ball.

                                            

Stage range	Temperature	Use in Indian sweets
Half thread	100°C	Rasgulla
One thread	104°C - 106°C	Thin coat on sweets such as gujiya
Two thread / Soft ball	112°C - 116°C	Variety of Burfi, Gajak
Two & half thread / Firm ball	118°C - 120°C	Sohan papdi
Three thread / Hard ball	121°C - 130°C	Chikki

Though the sugar can be cooked beyond this stage too such as caramel but usually these are the only stages used in preparation of most of the Indian sweets. One can use a candy thermometer to measure the stages precisely. However, many Halwais use the above method to check the stage of sugar cookery while preparing sweets. 

Following are few sweets commonly prepared across the nation

North Zone

Ø  Sohan Halwa – It is a traditional Indian and Pakistani sweet, which is a variety of dense sweet confection or halwa and believed to be of Persian origin, linked with Iranian sweet Sohan. It is made by boiling a mixture of water, sugar, milk, and corn flour until it becomes solid. Saffron is used for flavoring. Ghee is used to prevent it from sticking to the pan. Almonds, pistachios, and cardamom seeds are added.

Ø  Doda – The fudgy, chewy form of barfi is a punjab’s traditional sweet which is made with broken wheat, milk, sugar, nuts and ghee.

Ø  Gulab jamun – It is a popular dessert in countries of the Indian Subcontinent such as India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh. In Nepal it is widely known as Rasbari. Gulab jamun is made from khoya shaped as round balls, which is deep fried and then soaked in sugar syrup.

Ø  Imarti: A sweet prepared by using a Urad dal batter being piped in hot oil in a flower shape. It is deep fried and soaked in sugar syrup. It is a dessert from Rajasthan. It is also known as Jangiri.

Ø  Jalebi – It is made by deep-frying a partially fermented wheat-flour batter in pretzel or circular shapes which is then soaked in sugar syrup. Citric acid or lime juice is sometimes added to the syrup, as well as rosewater or other flavours such as kewra water. Saffron can be added to make kesariya Jalebi.

Difference between Jalebi and Imarti

Jalebi	Imarti:
Jalebi is made with Maida (all purpose flour)	Imarti is made with ground urad dal
Jalebi batter is ferment (giving it a faint tangy flavour)	Imarti Batter is not Fermented
Jalebi originated in Persia	Imarti originated in Northern India
The swirls of jalebi are more chaotic	Imarti resembles a more organized flower pattern.
Jalebi is crunchy and crispy	Imarti is gooey and chewy

Ø  Kheer (Bengali Payesh and Malayalli Payasam) – It is prepared by boiling milk and cooking it with rice and sugar. Many variants of kheer are prepared all over India while replacing rice with semolina, tapioca, vermicelli, roasted dal etc. It is flavoured with cardamom, raisins, saffron, cashews, pistachios, almonds or other dry fruits and nuts.

Ø  Gajrela / Gajar ka halwa – A carrot based sweet prepared by cooking grated carrots in milk, water and sugar, adding some khoya, ghee and nuts.

Ø  Moong dal Halwa – The sweet is prepared in winters using coarsely grinded moong dal, ghee, khoya sugar and nuts.

Ø  Kaju katli / Kaju barfi – It is barfi made with cashew paste, khoya, sweetening and ghee cooked and set together.

Ø  Chikki – It is a traditional Indian sweet made from peanuts and jaggery. Many variety of chikkis are prepared in which instead of peanut roasted Bengal gram, puffed rice etc. may be used.

Ø  Petha - It is a translucent soft candy from Agra. Usually rectangular or cylindrical, it is made from the ash gourd vegetable. Many flavoured variants are available, e.g. kesar petha, angoori petha etc.

Ø  Kulfi falooda – A summer treat, kulfi it is made using sweetened, thickened milk, may be flavoured and set into moulds. The falooda is prepared using cooked corn flour batter, passing it through mould and making it in long noodle like shape. The kulfi is cut in pieces and served with falooda.

Ø  Peda or Pheda or Pera – this sweet originated in Uttar Pradesh and the variety from Mathura is usually considered best. The main ingredients are khoya, sugar and flavoured with cardamom seeds. The colour varies from a light brown to a caramel colour.

Ø  Phirni -- A sweet prepared from powdered rice, milk, cardamom, saffron and sugar.

Ø  Zarda -- Fragrant basmati rice with saffron, nuts and sugar.

Ø  Seviyan: Vermicelli cooked with milk, nuts, sugar and saffron.

Ø  Kalakand, or Qalaqand – It is a popular Indian sweet made out of solidified, sweetened milk and cottage cheese. It owes it origin to the milk-rich Braj region of Uttar Pradesh. Kalakand is famous in Alwar, Rajasthan, India.

East Zone

Bengali sweets made of chenna (from curdling cow’s milk) are popular. These include:

Ø  Sandesh: A famous dessert made from chenna, palm jaggery and reduced milk.

Ø  Roshogulla / Rasgulla: It is made by shaping a dough of cheena and flour in to balls and cooking them in sugar syrup.

Ø  Chhena jilapi: This is made in a manner very similar to regular jalebis, which are popular throughout India. However, the basic ingredient is fresh chenna which is kneaded and shaped and deep fried. They are then soaked in sugar syrup.

Ø  Chhena Murki: It is a Bengali dessert recipe that is prepared using chenna and sugar syrup shaped into small cubes.

Ø  Cham cham: Cham cham is a Bengali sweet made by curdling milk and then shaping the coagulated solids to cylindrical shape pieces. These are cooked in sugar syrup similar to rasgullas to get a soft, spongy and light texture. Cham cham sweet is then filled / topped with mawa and nuts.

Ø  Narkel Naru - This sweet dish is from Bengal. It is made from khoya, condensed milk and coconut. This dish is consumed throughout India.

Other popular sweets from the East zone are:

Ø  Bhapa Doi or Baked Yogurt is hung curd blended with milk and condensed milk and baked with a water bath in the oven or steamed on the stove top. It is an important part of sweet dish in the

Ø  Patisapta is a traditional Bengali sweet which is made with thin pancakes made out of refined flour / rice flour or semolina. A mixture of grated coconut, khoya and jaggery is then filled in the pancakes and rolled into cylindrical shape.

Ø  Thekua: It is prepared by mixing jaggery, flour and ghee, flavoured with cardamom powder & coconut powder, shaped in to balls and deep fried.

Ø  Chhena Poda – Cheena Poda literally means burnt cheese. This is known to be Lord Jagannath's favourite sweet and is often offered to him at the Puri Temple. It is prepared with well-kneaded chhena or fresh cottage cheese, sugar and nuts and baked.

Ø  Pahala Rosogulla - The slightly golden chenna dumplings combined with semolina are shaped in balls and cooked in light sugar syrup.

Ø  Khaja - This sweet is made from refined flour, sugar and oil. This sweet is a delicary of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Orissa and West Bengal. This sweet is said to be the favourite sweet of Lord Jagannath. In South India, a similar sweet is known as Badusahi. When Khaja is stuffed with dried fruits, it is known as Chandrakala (half round) or Suryakala (full round). In Kutch, Namkeen khaja is taken but as a savoury as it is salty.

West Zone

Ø  Puran poli: It is prepared by preparing a soft dough with flour, turmeric powder, salt and ghee. The dough is filled with a mixture of cooked dal, jaggery and ghee and cooked on a griddle.

Ø  Shrikhand: A traditional sweet from Maharashtra, it is prepared from hung curd, often called as chakka in Marathi. It is usually flavoured with saffron, nutmeg, cardamom, almonds and pistachios.

Ø  Mohanthal: It is made by roasting besan in ghee and adding sugar syrup. It may be flavoured with rose water, cardamom, saffron, slivers of nuts etc.

Ø  Bibinca: A traditional baked pudding from Goa made from coconut milk, ghee, egg yolk, sugar and flour. It traditionally has seven layers.

Ø  Dodol: It is made by cooking coconut milk, palm jaggery, and rice flour cooked and set into a mould. It is sticky, thick, and sweet.

Ø  Ukadiche Modak: This form of modak is prepared during Ganesh utsav in Maharashtra. Rice flour dough is prepared by cooking rice flour in water. The dough is rolled, filled with the mixture of coconut and jaggery, shaped and steamed in a steamer.

Ø  Basundi: A thickened form of rabri flavoured with cardamom powder.

Ø  Gavalychi kheer: A form of kheer prepared using semolina flakes, milk and sugar.

South Zone

Ø  Ada: It looks like small packets made with rice flour dough with a sweet filling and steamed in banana leaves.

Ø  Payasams: Payasams are a variation of north zone kheer. However, many variations of payasam are prepared using jaggery and coconut milk as compared to sugar and dairy milk in the north zone.

Ø  Pal payasam: A form of rice kheer of north zone.

Ø  Paruppu payasam: It is made by roasting and cooking moong dal and cooking it with ghee, jaggery and coconut milk. It may be garnished with fried nuts.

Ø  Coconut Barfi: The barfi is made from fresh grated coconut, ghee and set with sugar syrup.

Ø  Mysore pak: A variation of besan barfi of the north and mohanthal of the west.

Ø  Ande ki piyosi: A baked sweet made with eggs, sugar, milk, ground almonds, ghee, saffron etc.

Ø  Khubani ka meetha: Apricots are boiled in syrup to prepare a compote like consistency. The preparation is topped with malai (more contemporary trends include custard or icecream) and garnished with almonds or apricot kernels.

Ø  Double ka meetha: It is a bread pudding Indian sweet of fried & crumbed bread slices soaked in reduced hot milk with spices, including saffron and cardamom. It is popular in Hyderabadi cuisine, served at weddings and parties.

Ø  Badam ki Jali: Almonds are first ground into flour and made into a dough with sugar, and then rolled into a large roti-like shape. Moulds are then used to give a variety of shapes. These are baked for some time to give it the crisp texture.

Ø  Ashrafi: The soft Ashrafi is also prepared like badam ki jali but is not baked. Instead the dough is pressed in a mould with traditional Nizami inscription to look like a coin.