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Indian food recipes - Food and cooking blog

Indian Sweets

Traditional sweets and festive desserts made with love

Indian sweets, known as "mithai," hold a special place in our culture. No celebration, festival, or auspicious occasion is complete without sharing sweets. From the syrup-soaked gulab jamun to the delicate rasgulla, each sweet tells a story of regional traditions.

The art of Indian sweet-making requires patience and precision. Milk-based sweets like kheer, burfi, and peda involve reducing milk slowly to concentrate flavors. Syrup-based sweets need careful attention to sugar consistency.

Regional specialties abound: Bengal is famous for sandesh and rasgulla, Rajasthan for ghevar and mawa sweets, South India for payasam and Mysore pak. Many sweets are associated with specific festivals - modak for Ganesh Chaturthi, and various ladoos for Diwali.

Festival-special sweets for every occasion
Milk-based classics: kheer, burfi, peda
Syrup sweets: gulab jamun, jalebi, rasgulla
Healthier versions with reduced sugar

Indian Sweets Recipes

Showing 24 of 78 recipes

Cooking Tips for Indian Sweets

1

Use full-fat milk for richer sweets

2

Learn to recognize sugar syrup stages (one-string, two-string)

3

Fresh khoya gives better results than store-bought

4

Ghee quality significantly impacts flavor

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are my gulab jamuns hard?

Hard gulab jamuns result from over-kneading the dough, too much khoya/milk powder, or frying at high temperature. The dough should be soft and smooth, and jamuns should be fried on low-medium heat until deep brown.

How do I make sweets with less sugar?

Reduce sugar by 25-30% in most recipes. Use jaggery or dates for natural sweetness. For milk sweets, the natural lactose adds sweetness, so external sugar can be reduced.

Can I make Indian sweets without khoya?

Yes! You can make instant khoya by reducing milk or use milk powder mixed with cream/ghee. For completely khoya-free sweets, try semolina halwa, besan ladoo, or coconut burfi.

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