Desserts are a great way to end a satisfying meal in almost every culture in the world. It’s the cherry on top to follow any meal, not quite literally. There are cultures who have a weakness for sweets more than others, including Mexico and India, bringing people together through gatherings and celebrations and even places of worship. Indian desserts are so delicious and often feature nuts in them.
In India, desserts and sweet even take part in sacred offerings to and from the gods, and the many festivals that take place every month of the year. Although you can go western and get cake delivery in Mumbai for all your special events, the traditional desserts will always have a place in Indian hearts, and even many non-Indian hearts.
Below are five popular Indian desserts loved by many including my non-Indian heart:
Kheer
Kheer is the Indian version of rice pudding but more exotic. It contains spices like cardamom and saffron, and other ingredients like coconut, raisins and nuts. This dessert is very comforting and it tastes great warm and cold! Here is my recipe for it.
Kulfi
Kulfi is a frozen dairy dessert which could be described as the traditional ice cream in India. Not quite your old-fashioned ice cream or gelato, kulfi has a slightly chewy, creamy texture that many Indians grew up loving. Due to it’s denser texture, it takes longer to melt than western ice cream. It has a distinctive taste due to the caramelization of the milk sugars during the process of slow cooking. Traditional flavours include malai (cream), rose, pistachio, mango, saffron, and cardamom.
Ras Malai
Ras Malai is an interesting and delicious dessert consisting of cheese or milk curd patties submerged in a creamy, sweet, milky clotted cream sauce and flavoured with cardamom and sometimes other ingredients like saffron and pistachios. You just gotta try this delight for yourself.
Gajar Ka Halwa
I would describe this as a carrot cake-like indian dessert. Probably because the main ingredient is carrots prepared in a delicious way, grated and cooked with condensed milk, and as typical in Indian desserts includes cardamom and nuts too. Butter or ghee and sugar are also components of this tasty carrot “dense pudding”. You would be surprised how tasty this is.
Kaju ki Barfi
This is one of my all time favourite Indian desserts or sweets. Kaju Barfi or sometimes called kaju katli, is a fudge-like sweet made with cashew nuts and milk, often topped with silver vark, edible silver paper. This one also makes a good gift during festival season.
Which one of these would you want to try first? Or which is your favourite Indian dessert?
A New Life Wandering 
Try to avoid these kind of stores — they’re too tempting!
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Ha! I don’t, because I don’t get to visit too often :p
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There’s one right near me — plus they sell samosas!
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Oh man! I see how you would want to try to avoid going in haha.
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Where the Jalebi at ?
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Haha sorry. Didn’t make the cut. I know jalebis are very loved too. (not my personal favourite).
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Laddoo & Jalebi all day everyday for me ?
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I was never a big of desserts when I lived in Nepal but now I miss them 😛 I don’t have a sweet tooth but one of my all time favorite South Indian dessert is rasgullas (rasbari in Nepali). Did you try those? 🙂
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I have not tried those! I don’t know if I’ve even come across them.
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You should give it a try if you do come across them! 🙂 They’re ball shaped white dumplings cooked in light sugary syrup.. Delicious.
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Mani, Kaju Barfi or Kaju katli is my absolute favorite! love that photograph.
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I know! I don’t get it either! It blows my mind when people say things like “I don’t like chocolate” or decline homemade dessert. I guess good for them, but man…
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I’m sorry Mani, I’ve never found an Indian dessert that I liked. My taste is too western I guess. Give me ice cream every time!
Alison
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Oh well.. you are forgiven. As long as you like ice cream 😉
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Which one is your favourite? They all seem so unique.
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They are quite different to anything else I’m used to. The last one, kaju barfi, is one of my favourites.
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Kaju barfi for me! I love it!! It’s very very expensive tho’ ?
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I have had a couple of them but I would want to try Kaju Barfi!..so elegant looking
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kaju barfi best… ???
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I’m impressed that I basically tried 4 out of 5 already! My favorite is ‘Gajar Ka Halwa’ nom nom ♥
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I’m definitely not a sweet-lover but reading this post with some well captured images made me feel hungry! 😀
Great job with the article
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Haha sorry for making you feel hungry.
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haha that’s a way to appreciate your post! 🙂
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Each state in India has its own list of “must try deserts”.. next time you travel to India (Chennai) please do connect, it would be a pleasure to chauffeur you around our city 🙂
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Never been to Chennai! Heard good things about it. I’d love to explore. Thanks for the offer.
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It tastes also amazing
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Well I am a bengali and we are known are sweets…… Though my favourite shall be narkel guud laddoo( ladoo made up of coconut and jaggery)…… Can eat no limits if my mom makes it he he he
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I’ve never tried that laddoo. I love coconut.
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Its definitely for a coconut lover… Mom grates the virgin coconut then add in syrup having melted jaggery and sugar. Mix it well and when it is semi solid to dry make laddoo
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Sounds amazing!
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I’ve tried all but Ras Malai! You should extend the post with all other options 🙂
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Maybe I will make another post with more options! 🙂
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Yommy!!!! I love them all!! Made me crave for India so much!!!!!!
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Another one in the list has to be anjeer roll…. you must try mani
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