Top 11 Desserts that make your tummy happy

Indians swear by confectioneries, desserts and sweetmeats and this we see through the hundreds of desserts and sweets that line sweet meat shops, weddings and houses during festival season. We provide you with a list of desserts from the varied culture, history and tradition that is India and it will most certainly make your tummy happy!

1.    The carrot fad - Gajar Ka Halwa (carrot pudding). This grated carrot, cashew and clarified butter mix is one of the best known and sought after sweet of all time. If you have EVER attended an Indian wedding without having Gajar Ka Halwa with a dash of vanilla ice cream mind you, you have seen nothing! Not even a traditional Indian wedding. Notwithstanding it’s awesome taste, the thing is healthy as any sweet can get, because carrots.

2.    ONE of those round things – One thing everybody must know about the sweets from the Indian sub-continent is the fact they are either square and flat or round. On some occasions you might find sweets that resemble a pudding but it’s all about the shapes people. Now Gulab Jamun is the ROUND thing. Think, batter shaped like a ball dipped in very, very sweet sugar syrup and Voila! Gulab Jamun has to be the favorite dessert dish for at least half the population of India to be sure.

3.    Those pudding like things – The Payasam. Agreeable on any and every occasion. This semi-solid dessert consists of rice, cinnamon, cashews and raisins with many other variations depending on the occasion. Payasam is usually referred to as the south Indian version of Kheer, another sweet that dominates the northern states of India.

4.    The diamond shaped things – Yes we know we ascertained to the fact that Indian sweets either come in the form of squares or circles but we were not thinking of these diamond pieces of heaven! Kaju Ki Barfi is a dessert that is mainly made out of flour, loads of cashew and loads of sugar. That is one yummy combination don’t you think?

5.    Those that come in a pot – Phirni’s are everybody’s favorite! This delicious delicacy is a sort of pudding that is made using milk, assorted dry fruits like almonds and cashew, spices like cardamom and cinnamon and rice. It is usually THE dessert for festivals like Eid.

6.    Those that come in a stick – Cut us some slack here. The limited number of shapes we mentioned earlier is sort of weathering us down. Ok, we admit. Sweets in India are made in more than two shapes. There. We said it. Kulfis sort of fit into this category. Usually eaten on a stick this dessert is another variation of what constitutes a milk dessert.

7.    The round ones again! – Yes we’re back to the same-old, same-old but we promise. You will not regret reading this. Til Ladoos are the best. These balls filled with sugar and delight is made using powdered rice, Jaggery, sesame seeds, desiccated coconuts, peanuts and sugar. Something that one could munch on at any time of the day.

8.    The flat and round ones – Ras Malai. Literally translated as juice and the substance that forms when you heat milk repeatedly. These yellow, flat, round circles of delight are a favored by the people of north India but the others don’t have an aversion to it. The dessert that is made of milk is soaked in a sweet, yellow substance also made of milk. Yes, we know, we deal with milk a lot.

9.    One of those square ones – Coconut Burfi. Although coconut related delicacies are not everybody’s favorite, this one has to make the list due to its sheer deliciousness. Only made with limited ingredients, this dessert makes a mean dessert for every sort of meal.

10. From the lands of Mysore! – If you guessed Mysore Pak, you guessed right. This dessert is a combination of a truckload of clarified butter and milk and other things that make it absolutely yummy. Oh, and they are square shaped things!

11. Are those Momos? – No, they certainly are not. Although Kajjikayas look like momos, they are anything but. The outer skin is shaped like a momo and it is made out of a flour mixture. The stuffing consists of coconut, Jaggery and some spices that add to the flavor.