Laddu is the most popular festive treat in India. There are many different versions of this favourite sweet and the most popular is motichoor laddu. It is believed that the dessert was invented by an ancient Indian physician, Susutra, who used sesame laddus as an antiseptic to treat his surgical patients. Laddus are also the most common sweet offerings made to God.
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Kheer
There are a lot of different milk-based puddings in India and kheer is one of the most-loved among them. It is made by boiling rice with milk and sugar and later garnished with saffron, cardamom, dry fruits and nuts. Kheer, phirni and payasam are all different variants of Indian milk puddings. In South India, rice is replaced with vermicelli and the dish is called seviyan.
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Gulab jamun
Gulab jamun came to the country from erstwhile Persia (Iran) when Muslim rulers started arriving in India and establishing their dynasties here. These sweets are made of khoya, which is a ball-shaped milk powder. The khoyas are deep-fried and dipped in a sugary syrup, which is usually flavoured with saffron and rose water.
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Gajar ka halwa
Gajar ka halwa is a dessert made from grated carrots, which are first simmered in milk and cardamom. The mixture is then fried in ghee (clarified butter) and sugar. Finally, the dish is garnished with dried fruits. The dessert started becoming popular during the Mughal period and today, it is served during both Hindu and Muslim festivals in India, including Diwali and Eid al-Fitr.
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Rasgulla
Like sandesh, rasgulla is also made from chenna. These spherical dumplings are cooked in a sweet syrup until the juice infiltrates the dough. This sweet is so popular that two Indian states, West Bengal and Odisha have been feuding over it for years, with each claiming the rasgulla originated in their respective region.
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Kulfi
Kulfi is the Indian version of an ice cream. Like many Indian desserts, kulfi has also been borrowed from Persian cuisine. It was made popular when the Mughals settled down in India and the dessert is also mentioned in the literature of this period. The flavour of kulfis is often enhanced with pistachios and saffron.
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Jalebi
Jalebi is a favourite among Indians. It is a hoop-shaped sweet made by deep-frying flour that is later soaked in a sugary syrup. Different versions of jalebi are also found in Iran and Turkey. The recipe of this humble dessert is found in many ancient Indian cookbooks, dating back to the 15th century. Jalebis taste best when served warm.
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Ras malai
Ras malai is another famous Bengali sweet dish. Ras means juice and malai means cream and this dessert basically consists of a creamy dough made of Indian cottage cheese soaked in a thick sweetened condensed milk. A well-known Bengali confectioner, Krishna Chandra Das from Kolkata is often credited with inventing the dish, but there aren’t any formal records to prove this claim.
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Malpua
Malpua is a pancake-like dessert mostly found in the Indian state of Odisha. The batter is usually made of flour and semolina but varies from region to region. It is common to use cardamom to enhance the flavour of the dish. After it is deep-fried, malpua is dipped in a sweet syrup and topped with a sweet condensed milk called rabri.
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Peda
The most famous of Indian pedas is found in the holy city of Mathura in Uttar Pradesh. Not surprisingly, because this sweet is said to be indigenous to the place. Like laddu, peda is a popular sweet offering made to God. Milk and sugar are the two main ingredients in this dessert.
