Almost everyone has a sweet tooth, whether they realize it or not. Some are satiated after a small scoop of ice cream, while others use a sugar rush as their daily (or hourly!) fuel. A true sweets aficionado has probably tried sugary goodness from all over the globe. However, Indian desserts often fly under the radar as spices and savory food hog the limelight. With an array of pure tradition as well as fusion desserts, Indian cuisine is certainly not lacking in the sweets department!
Here are a few of the best Indian desserts fit for any occasion, from Diwali to Thanksgiving to even Christmas:
Gulab Jamun
A popular sweet that can be eaten hot, cold, or anywhere in between — gulab jamun is made of ball-shaped solid milk dough deep-fried in a pan. The balls are then coated in a thick sugar syrup made with rose water. They’re wonderfully soft and chewy, perfect for letting all your worries melt away. You’ll probably find yourself going easy on the main course so you have plenty of room for these balls of delight.
Laddoo Cheesecake
A Desi twist on the popular cheesecake, with a taste rivalling even the coveted blueberry cheesecake variant, this dessert is sure to leave you wanting more. This cheesecake is ideally served in elegant jars, with thick cream cheese separating each layer of crushed laddoo — usually made of deep-fried sugary gram flour. However, even with laddoos there are regional variants that can have raisins, cloves, cashews, or more recently, chocolate chips!
Jalebi
From weddings to school cafeterias, you can never go wrong with jalebis! It’s one of the simplest recipes in the book — all you have to do is make squiggly shapes using maida flour batter, deep-fry them in oil, and then immerse these shapes in sugar syrup. Its resulting golden-orange sheen might be refractions of sunlight, as eating jalebis can make you feel warm and happy!
Rasmalai Trifle
A unique spin on your everyday trifle, rasmalai trifle can easily be the scene-stealer at any party. Plus, it’s super easy to make! Rasmalai is another milk-based dessert that is so rich and chewy that even the lactose intolerant can’t resist! (If you’re lactose intolerant, please resist.) The main ingredients for the trifle are cake, cream, milk, and rasmalai essence. To add a little more flavor to this already-packed dessert, fresh mango or apple slices can be used as toppings.
Are you in a sugar coma yet? Which Indian desserts do you want to try the most?
Let us know in the comments below!
Header: Jaikishan Patel
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