Indian Desserts

India is a diverse nation with varied cultures. The richness of a land and its culture is reflected in its cuisine. We celebrate our festivals or even smaller joys of life with panache making sure that each and everything is done perfectly - especially the food. Be it a festival, birthday, wedding every celebration in the Indian household calls for “Kuch Meetha Ho Jaaye”. Celebrating with sweetmeats is something we all hold close to our hearts and each state has something entirely different and wonderful to offer. In this blog we have curated a list of sweets from each state of India that is absolutely drool-worthy.

1. Pootharekulu Kunda, Andhra Pradesh
   Originating in the East Godavari region of Andhra Pradesh a delicious paper sweet named ‘Pootharekulu’ are sugar-coated wraps. Made from rice and jaggery with the stuffing of sugar it is so thin that it simply melts in your mouth. Pootharekulu is a wafer-thin pancake made from rice and jaggery and filled with dry fruits. It is incredibly complex to make but simply sublime to taste. One of the mouth-watering dishes that leaves you with a craving for more.

   

2. Khapse, Arunachal Pradesh
   A sweet fried biscuit that is popularly prepared during the Tibetan New Year. It is made from flour, butter, eggs and sugar which is further deep-fried and served in different shapes, sizes and twists. Khapse is a perfect tea time snack.

   

3. Narikolor Laru, Assam
   Narikolor Laru or Coconut Ladoo originates from the North-Eastern part of India. In simple terms this is a coconut laddu that has the best of both worlds coconut and sugar. Delicious coconut rolled into balls along with sugar makes this a delicious sweet. This sweet is an evening snack and sometimes also eaten as a post-breakfast dish.

   

4. Thekua, Bihar
   Khajuria or Thekua is the most popular snack that is made during Chhath puja. This scrumptious sweet from Bihar is made from a dough of wheat flour, jaggery, caramel and ghee which is then deep-fried. This lip-smacking snack is ready to fulfil those hunger attacks! It is an absolute treat to the taste buds. One can also use rice flour instead of wheat flour and sugar instead of jaggery to make different varieties. Heavenly, isn’t it?

   

5. Dehrori, Chhattisgarh
   This quintessentially Chhattisgarhi dish is made from ground rice (fermented in curd). Small pancakes made from this dough are deep fried in ghee and further soaked in sugar syrup. Served with dry fruits and cardamom Dehrori is a sin worth indulging in. This desi version of the fried pancakes is popular worldwide.

   

6. Bebnica, Goa
   A traditional Goan dessert Bebinca is a 7 layered cake made of wheat flour, nutmeg, egg yolk, coconut, caster sugar and some salt. It can be enjoyed with a scoop of ice-cream, almonds and cashews. It is also known as bibik or bebinka. It takes time to prepare this lovely dessert as each layer has to be baked first before adding the next one.

   

7. Shrikhand, Gujarat
   Also known as Matho this scrumptious dessert is hung curd sweetened with sugar and flavoured with cardamom and saffron. It is a traditional Indian sweet - shrikhand that is also a part of the famous Gujarati thali. Shrikhand is also served in various Gujarati weddings and also offered as prasad in various temples and on festive occasions. With a rich, creamy texture and flavour shrikhand is a favourite across all age groups.

   Read more: Indian Food Habits

8. Rabri, Haryana
   It is the traditional custard prepared from wheat flour cooked in sweet buttermilk. It is widely available in all the parts of North India. This dish is often laced with saffron and pistachio that adds wonderful flavour to it. It is a perfect dish to have at the end of the meal.

   

9. Dabbroo, Himachal Pradesh
   A Himachali version of a sweet wheat pancake is popular in the Kangra valley of Himachal Pradesh. These are very similar to pancakes and prepared with a combination of ghee, milk, sugar, wheat flour and water. If you haven’t tried Dabbroo before then you are surely missing on something lip smacking.

   

10. Tilkut, Jharkhand
    One of the finest Indian sweets Tilkut is a traditional sweet made of sesame and jaggery. It is one of those desserts which is exclusively prepared during the Makar Sankranti. Til Barfi is one of the most scrumptious and nutritious delicacies. This luscious dessert is a must try for all the sweet tooths out there.

    

11. Mysore Pak, Karnataka
    One of the signature sweets of Karnataka, Mysore Pak is one of the delicious sweets that gathers more followers every year. Made of gram flour with equal portions of sugar and ghee and laced with delicate flavors such as saffron or cardamom this sweet is served in small square pieces. The texture of Mysore Pak is so soft that it starts melting as soon as you put it in your mouth. Sounds like heaven? Well, the state it comes from is paradise.

    

12. Ada Pradhaman, Kerala
    A classic sweet dish from South India, Ada Pradhaman is known as the king of sweets in Kerala. It consists of all the important flavors of Kerala - coconut, banana, rice, and jaggery. The must-have Kerala special sweet is made using coconut milk. And that’s not all it has the authentic and traditional flavor of Kerala that reflects the culinary culture of this South Indian state! Cashew nuts, raisins, and pieces of coconut are fried in ghee and added to this divine dish.

    

13. Mawa Bati, Madhya Pradesh
    Madhya pradesh is known for its street food and impeccable desserts. It houses one of the delectable dishes - Mawa Bati. These are basically little balls of mewa (solidified milk) and flour that are stuffed with dry fruits and cardamom. Mawa Bati is one dish that you cannot miss to munch on when you are in Madhya Pradesh.

    

14. Modak, Maharashtra
    Believed to be the favourite of Lord Ganesha, Modak is a sweet dumpling whose exterior is made out of rice or wheat flour while the insides are filled with fresh coconut or jaggery. The soft dumpling melts as soon as it enters your mouth giving you endless fits of sugary pleasure. The word Modak comes from the Marathi word ‘Moda’ which means positivity and joy. It is known by several names like Sughiyan in Malayali, Kadubu in Kannada and Kudumu in Telugu.

    

15. Madhurjan Thongba, Manipur
    Not unlike the unique culture of the state itself, Mahurjan Thongba is a sweet dish with a difference. Sweet chickpea dumplings soaked in milk and soaked in bay leaf, this is one of the best desserts of the state. The way to make this unique dish is by making besan dumplings and dropping them in thick sweetened milk along with some fresh coconut. It’s like a mixture of all things wonderful!

    

16. Puklein, Meghalaya
    Also known as a sweet bread in Meghalaya Pukhlein is made of jaggery, rice, and is deep-fried in oil. The golden brown crispy rice is best served with a wide variety of meat items and serves as a welcome respite to soothe the palate. Simple and delicious, you cannot go wrong with Pukhlein.!

    

17. Koat Pitha, Mizoram
    Koat Pitha is fried fritters made using rice flour, jaggery and bananas. A delicious dessert which is enjoyed during special occasions. These fritters have crisp exteriors with melt-in-the-mouth interiors. Some people add fish to these fritters considering it is a staple food there. It is surely one of the interesting food items of the state.

    

18. Nap Naang, Nagaland
    A black rice pudding made by the Rongmei tribe is one of the best known delicacies of the state that gives a deep brown colour to the rice when cooked. It is made using milk, black rice, water, and sugar. Locally available black rice dish is cooked into a sticky pudding with milk and sugar and served cold.

    

19. Chhena Poda, Odisha
    An Odia dessert made from baked ricotta cheese, Chenna Poda is an extremely popular dish in Odisha. It is a cake with freshly made cottage cheese, sugar, and dry fruits. The sugar is caramelized to give the sweet a delightful flavour. Chhena Poda is literally roasted cheese and hence considered a luxury. It tastes best when made on fire-wood.

    

20. Gajrela, Punjab
    Gajrela or Gajar ka Halwa is another very popular Indian sweet dish in the northern and central parts of India. Originated in Punjab Gajar ka Halwa is made with carrot that is cooked in milk and roasted in ghee and sugar with dry fruits to make this sublime delicacy. It is one of the best dishes to have in winter months on a cold winter evening.

    

21. Ghevar, Rajasthan
    Ghevar is a traditional Rajasthani sweet that is both decadent and delicious. It is made especially during the festivals of Teej and Rakshabandhan. This Teej special is made from flour and milk and set in a mould. This ghevar is then quickly dipped in sugar syrup and served cold. It comes in a variety of flavours including Plain Ghevar, Malai Ghevar and Mawa Ghevar.

    

22. Sel Roti, Sikkim
    This sweet dish is actually a popular street food item in Sikkim. It is a sweet made from ground rice, banana, and sugar. Sel Roti is a fried bread that is usually served along with Potato Curry. Even though the dish has its origins in Nepal and Tibet it is quite popular in Sikkim as well due to the Nepalese and Tibetan influences in this Indian state. Satiate your taste palettes with this flavorful and amazing dish while you are holidaying in Sikkim.

    

23. Adhirasam, Tamil Nadu
    This dish is usually prepared on weddings, festivals and special occasions. This deep-fried snack is a combination of two ingredients – jaggery and rice flour. Originally from Tamil Nadu the century-old traditional recipe requires a total preparation time of one week. If you are looking for authentic deep-fried Adhirasam then it would be difficult as most of the sweet shops use modern technology and machines to reduce the preparation time. However there are still some shops like grand sweets, snacks outlets that sell original Adhirasam.

    

24. Qubani ka Meetha, Telangana
    An enormously popular sweet that every tourist must try - Qubani ka Meetha. The yummy dessert is prepared from dried apricots, gulab jal, almonds and cream that are cooked for a significant period of time. To make it a delectable dessert it is combined with sugar, ghee and saffron threads. It is a traditional sweet dish of the royal kitchens of the city. It is often served with a generous dollop of ice-cream, custard or simply malai.

    

25. Awan Bangwi, Tripura
    This is definitely one of the most unique dishes that hail from India. Awan Bangwi is made by mixing rice, cashews sauteed in ghee and raisins. This mixture is then put in cones made of banana leaves and is further steamed. It can be called as the cakes that are specifically made of rice. The Awan Bangwi are steamed in special leaves called the Lairu which impart an irresistible flavour.

    

26. Sheermal, Uttar Pradesh
    This dish originally originated in Iran and Persians brought this dish to India when they invaded the country. Sheermal as its name suggests 'sheer' meaning milk and 'mal or maal' meaning loosely connoting ‘rich food’. Sheermal is a sweet dish made up of naan that is slathered with generous amounts of butter and honey.

    

27. Bal Mithai, Uttarakhand
    Also known as brown-chocolate like fudge - Bal Mithai is a specialty of Almora district that is made with khoya. It is coated with white sugar balls that give it a crunch. It is the signature sweetmeat of Uttarakhand especially in regions around Kumaon.

    

28. Sandesh, West Bengal
    India is the land of sweet dishes, West Bengal is its undisputed capital. From kacha gola, payesh, langcha to mishti doi there are countless varieties of delicacies in Bengal. Sandesh is one of them that rules. Essentially made with milk and sugar it comes in many varieties depending on the flavours added to it. This white or creamy beauty of a dessert is found mainly in eastern India and its variants are made of chheena (cheese) instead of milk.

    

If we have missed out any of your favourite Indian desserts then let us know in the comments below. Follow your sweet cravings to any of the places and book your train and flight tickets easily through Trainman app. Download Trainman App and check PNR Status of your ticket, Train between stations, Seat Availability in any train and a lot more.