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6 Indian Desserts You Need to Try Now

Indian menus are traditionally a savory feast for all the senses. Aromatic rice, chunky meat curries, and a shared basket of naan are the go-to dishes, often flavored with local spices to give them that extra tasty oomph. We could all probably recite some of the major Indian curries, from Dhalls and Vindaloos to calmer Kormas and Pasandas, but what about unique desserts ideas?

Sweet treats aren’t usually the first thing to come to mind when you think of Indian cuisine, but unique dessert ideas are on the rise in India, where Hindus cook up sweet delicacies to offer their deity. Known as Mithai in Hindi, Indian sweets are hearty, flavorful dishes that have sturdy milk, sugar, flour, and cardamom bases. Conquer these recipes to make the perfect finale for themed dinner party ideas.

 

 

Here are some easy dinner party recipes for a sweeter journey into the colorful culture of India.

 

Ras Malai (Photo credit: Flickr Jean-Etienne Minh-Duy Poirrier)

Ras Malai (Photo credit: Flickr Jean-Etienne Minh-Duy Poirrier)

Ras Malai

With roots in Bengalese culture, Ras Malai (or Rosh Malai as they’re sometimes known) are sweet sugary paneer balls soaked in malai (a.k.a. clotted cream). Their name comes from Ras, meaning juicy, and Malai, meaning cream. Combine the two and you have a succulent dessert that’s often finished off with a dash of cardamom.

Ras Malai
 
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients
  • 4 cups milk
  • 1 cup lemon juice
  • 1 cup cane sugar
  • 4 cups water
  • 3 cups milk
  • 2 tablespoons cane sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cardamom
  • 1 tablespoon almonds
  • 1 tablespoon pistachios
Instructions
  1. Mix lemon juice with ½ cup of hot water to start the paneer process
  2. Boil milk over medium-high heat, stirring frequently
  3. As milks comes to a boil, add lemon juice slowly
  4. Once the milk fat has separated from the whey, drain
  5. Wrap curd in muslin cloth and rinse with cold water
  6. Take out excess water by pressing paneer under a heavy pan for about 1 hour (to check the right amount of water is out, rub a small piece between fingers – in 15-20 seconds you should have a small but firm ball)
  7. Once drained, knead the paneer for 3-4 minutes
  8. Divide dough into 12 equal parts and roll into smooth balls
  9. Mix sugar and water in a pressure cooker on medium high heat until boiling
  10. Add paneer balls and cook on medium heat in pressure cooker for 7 minutes
  11. Wait a few minutes before opening the cooker
  12. Take out patties and squeeze lightly
  13. Boil milk on a medium heat in a frying pan until it’s reduced to 2 cups, stirring frequently
  14. Add sugar and the patties into the milk, cook for a few minutes
  15. Add cardamom and mix
  16. Serve chilled, garnished with sliced almonds and pistachios
 

Gulab Jamun

Gulab Jamun

Gulab Jamun

Deep fried dishes are all the rage in India, and these syrup-soaked waffle balls are ideal for a fun dinner party idea – their sharing nature makes them a laidback addition to the after-dinner menu. Particularly popular in Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh, as well as southern parts of India, they pack a punch for any sweet-toothed diner.

Gulab Jamun
 
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients
  • 1 cup nonfat milk powder
  • ¼ cup all purpose flour
  • ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • ¼ teaspoon cardamom
  • 1 cup sugar for syrup
  • 1 cup water for syrup
Instructions
  1. Add water and sugar to a pan and bring to boil, stir until sugar has dissolved and then turn off heat (this is the syrup)
  2. Mix milk powder, all purpose flour, baking soda, and cardamom in a bowl and add cream. If dry, add 1-2 spoons of milk. Cover and set aside for 10 minutes
  3. Knead dough and divide into 18 equal parts. Roll them into round balls
  4. Heat oil in a frying pan on medium heat and place Gulab Jamuns in, frying for about 7 minutes. Roll regularly so they evenly brown
  5. Let Gulab Jamuns cool off and place them in the hot syrup. Let them soak for 20 minutes before serving
 

Sevaya Kheer By Sagarselect (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Sevaya Kheer
By Sagarselect (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Sevaya Kheer

Stemming from traditional Punjabi food, Sevaya Kheer is a strange concoction of sweet milk, vermicelli noodles, dried fruit and nuts. It might seem like a weird combination, but the tender texture of the noodles is the perfect accompaniment to the crunchy nuts and chewy fruits.

Ras Malai
 
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients
  • 100g vermicelli
  • 1 tablespoon ghee
  • 4 tablespoon raisins
  • 4 tablespoon slice almonds
  • 2 ½ cups whole milk
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ½ teaspoon powdered cardamom
Instructions
  1. Break vermicelli into finger-sized pieces
  2. Add vermicelli, raisins and almonds to a saucepan and cook on low heat until light brown
  3. Add milk, stir well, and bring heat up to medium. Bring to the boil
  4. Simmer vermicelli, add sugar and cardamom and heat for another minute
  5. Serve hot or chilled
 

 

Sakkarai Pongal (Photo credit: Flickr Balamurugan Natarajan)

Sakkarai Pongal (Photo credit: Flickr Balamurugan Natarajan)

Sakkarai Pongal

The harvest festival of Pongal is an important time in the Southern Indian calendar. During the festivities, milk and rice are boiled in a traditional clay pot – if it cooks evenly on all sides it believed to be a sure sign of prosperity in the coming year. The end result is Sakkarai Pongal, a creamy rice pudding decorated with cashews and raisins.

Sakkarai Pongal
 
Ingredients
  • ½ cup rice
  • 2-3 tablespoons Moong dal
  • ½ cup jaggery
  • 2 ½ cups water
  • 3 tablespoons ghee
  • Pinch of salt
  • 5-6 cashews
  • 1-2 tablespoons raisins
  • 1 Elachi
  • 1 Clove
  • 1 pinch of nutmeg powder
Instructions
  1. Add ¼ teaspoon ghee and the moong dal to a pressure cooker or pan
  2. Add water, rice and salt. Mash when a thick consistency
  3. Powder the jaggery and bring to the boil with water. Dissolve and filter before adding it to the mashed rice
  4. In a separate pan, add raisins to heated cashews and 1 teaspoon of ghee until fluffy and move to one side
  5. Add cloves and elachi to the same pan and switch off the stove. Stir in nutmeg and powder the elachi
  6. Add powdered elachi, cloves and nutmeg to the pongal
  7. Mix well and cook for 5 minutes on a medium heat. Finish by adding the fried cashews and raisins
 

Payasam (Photo credit: Flickr Asha Yoganandan)

Payasam (Photo credit: Flickr Asha Yoganandan)

Payasam

Payasam is a firm favorite at feasts in Kerala. Bringing together thin wheat noodles or rice and sweet milk, it is a popular contender on vegetarian dinner party recipes in India. It epitomizes the verdant use of dairy-based products in Indian desserts, with the added twist of a savory staple.

Payasam
 
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients
  • 200g vermicelli
  • 25ml ghee
  • 1.5l milk
  • 100g sugar
  • 100g cashew nuts
  • 50g raisins
  • 5g cardamom powder
Instructions
  1. Heat ghee and fry the vermicelli until golden
  2. Mix in cashews and raisins
  3. Add milk and boil for 5 minutes
  4. Mix in sugar and stir until dissolved
  5. Stir in cardamom powder and serve hot or warm
 

Hyderbadi Sweet Lassi (Photo credit: Flickr cyclonebill)

Hyderbadi Sweet Lassi (Photo credit: Flickr cyclonebill)

Hyderbadi Sweet Lassi

Lassis are the go-to refreshments in India during the warmer seasons. Their creamy, chilled flavor is created by blending water-thinned yogurt with fresh fruits like strawberries or mangoes for a tropical twist on India’s dairy desserts. In Hyderbad, Rooh Afza, a rose-scented syrup, is often used to create distinct refreshing Lassis for beating the late afternoon sun.

Hyderbadi Sweet Lassi
 
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients
  • 2 cups plain, full-fat yogurt
  • ½ cup cold water
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1-2 tablespoon Rooh Afza or grape juice concentrate
  • (Optional) vanilla ice cream
Instructions
  1. Chill mixing bowl in the freezer
  2. Add yogurt and water to bowl and whisk in sugar until smooth
  3. Whisk in Rooh Afza and pour into glasses
  4. Top with 1-2 tablespoons of ice cream
 

Sweet treats in India shouldn’t be reserved for the back page of a menu. They form a vital part of the dining experience for families and friends throughout the country, with authentic ingredients and recipes that span back generations. Any food travel blog will share savory Indian recipes, but delve into the dessert side of dinner and a whole new world opens up.

Written by

Lizzie is a freelance travel writer who spends her time between sunny Spain and not-so-sunny England. When she’s not exploring new cities or wandering through art galleries you can find her chatting about the freelancing life on Twitter (http://twitter.com/wanderfulworld1), Facebook (http://facebook.com/wanderfulworldtravel, and on her blog, Wanderful World (http://wanderful-world.com). Give her a cup of tea and a good view and she’ll be happy for hours.