food
Traditional Indian sweets 101
Deepavali also known as Diwali, is the Festival of Lights to signify the victory of good over evil.
This year, it falls on November 10, and the streets of Kuala Lumpur, notwithstanding Brickfields and Little India are teeming with beautiful sarees, kolams, and colourful sweets (mitthai) to tease and tantalise your sweet palates.
Mithai-wallas (sweet shop owners) and all the aunties will be up early, preparing the fragrant sweets that family and friends indulge in for each special occasions such as this.
Sip a steaming cup of chai tea with HungryGoWhere as we learn more about these mitthai that look and taste so good!
Gajar ka halwa
Originally from Punjab, it is a type of grated carrot halwa (sweet, dense, confectionery) made with cardamom and rose water, topped with cashews for a nutty flavour.
The original recipes uses tender, juicy red Delhi carrots to make the halwa, along with full fat milk, ghee, and sugar.
These days however, the time required is shortened by way of goo-ey condensed milk.
It is traditionally eaten during all of the festivals in India, mainly on the occasion of Diwali, Holi, Eid al-Fitr, and Raksha Bandhan.
Gulab jamun
They look like hush puppies, and these spongy milky balls are soaked in rose-scented syrup, usually served at room temperature, add ice-cream for a heady sensation.
The fluffy balls will slowly soak up the accompanying syrup spooned over them. These are usually found at weddings, festivities, and even in Indian thalis (wholesome composite meals).
They are also given a rich sweetness from the ingredient, khoya (a milk cheese traditionally made by reducing whole milk in an open skillet for long hours).
Coconut burfi
Sometimes called burfi or barfee, it comes from the Persian word “barf” (snow,) as it mimics it in appearance.
This gorgeous pink snow coconut dessert has a rich and strong flavour in your mouth, and you could really feel the crunch of dessicated coconut.
It has a substantial chew to it, and is really juicy. If you like the crunch without the sweet syrupy taste, then look for some murruku instead.
Kaju katli/burfi
A thick, chewy cashew fudge, which is a sweet favourite among the crowd, katli is traditionally eaten during Deepavali.
It is typically garnished with varak (an edible pure metal foil,) made by pounding silver into a very thin sheet that is brittle, shattering into flaky bits when touched.
“Kaju” means cashew in Hindi, and kesar kaju katli is another richer form of this dessert, just add saffron for that regal and strong orange look.
Kaju lotus
Just like kaju katli, except in more kid-friendly designs. These cashew fudge pieces are harder, two-toned in hue, and looks like a flower from the top.
These are fun for kids to help prepare, and is usually tweaked to mimic other creative shapes or rolls, such as kaju apple, kaju melon.
Almost as fun as letting them help make their own pizzas, great for parties.
Moong dal halwa
This crumbly, yellow dessert looks like smashed garlic to some, but is actually very sweet and melts in your mouth like snow.
They cook down sweetened yellow lentils, before packing the smooth mixture into a pan, and servings are dug out onto a waiting platter, unless of course you decide to inhale the pan first!
People usually enjoy this auspicious dish during Holi, Deepavali, and weddings too. It can be served hot or cold, so to try it hot, just add a little milk to the halwa before reheating it.
You can find these sweets lurking in places like Betel Leaf near Masjid Jamek, lining the streets of Brickfields, like the vegetarian Restaurant Gopala, or even places of worship like Batu Caves.
Be careful, don’t get hooked, or you might find yourself Googling up some easy Indian dessert recipes. – November 5, 2015.
Test yourself against this gallery of Indian traditional desserts, and share your knowledge of these sweet tooth treats! Of course, you could also brush up on our Malaysian Kuih 101, so many kuihs, so little time! Then top it off with the Korean drink guide of Soju 101!
Learning more about Malaysia’s amazing cuisine? Take our guides on the go when you download our new HungryGoWhere app, which also shows you what places are around your current location up to a radius of 5km! Or you can just look up any location, and see what's popular among fellow foodies. Now available on iTunes and Google Play.
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