50 Most Popular Indian Desserts to Add a Twist to Your Same Old Meal
My friend Carol was preparing desserts for her anniversary. She’s from New York. I gave her an excellent idea to go Indian for the sweets. Unfortunately, she’d no idea about Indian sweets.
Have you ever tasted Indian desserts? If you have, well, congratulations! You’ve successfully delved into the best. But if you haven’t, you’ve missed a whole bunch of joy.
India and desserts go hand-in-hand. What’s a life without multi-layered, vaguely sweet, profoundly rich, and gorgeous desserts?
India takes special pride in its desserts and sweets. They’re amazing, colorful, and mouth-watering. Let’s take you on a journey of 50 most popular ‘desi‘ Indian desserts that will add a twist to your same old routine meals. Check out our hit list.
1. Kaju Barfi (Cashew Fudge)
So, the first on our list is Kaju Barfi. Kaju means cashew and Barfi comes from its diamond shape. Cashew fudge is made with a thick mixture of cashew nuts, milk, sugar, and ghee (clarified butter).
On top of that, dry fruits, mild spices, and other ingredients. are also added. What makes cashew fudge look gorgeous is its edible silver foil covering on top. The tint of a ready-to-serve Kaju barfi is yellowish-white.
Note: The dessert remains fresh for up to 7 days in winter and for up to 4 days in summer. Consume fast!
For diabetics, the Bikaner Sweets and SweetDabba’s sugar-free-version of cashew fudge is recommended.
2. Rasgulla (White Syrupy Dumplings)
Rasgulla or Roshogolla originated in East India and specifically in Bengal and Odisha. Both these places have received prestigious Geographical Indication (GI) tags for their own variant of these soft and syrupy dumplings.
This dessert is mainly prepared with a type of Indian cottage cheese (Chhana) and sugar. Some Bangladeshi food historians believe that the dessert first originated in Bangladesh and later was brought to Kolkata by Nabin Chandra Das.
Note: Banglar Roshogolla (Bengal’s) and Odia Rasagola (Odisha’s) vary in color, taste, juice content, and texture. They’re manufactured in altogether different ways. So you must try both!
3. Mishti Doi (Sweet Yoghurt)
Bengali desserts are difficult to beat. Our next item is Mishti Doi (Bengali) or Meethi Dahi (Hindi). The Bengali word for sweet is Mishti and the word for yoghurt is doi. Mishti doi is a fermented sweet yoghurt that originated from Bangladesh’s Bogra district. It is quite popular throughout India and mainly in West Bengal, Assam, and Tripura. Sweet yoghurt is prepared with milk and jaggery.
Note: Sweet yoghurt is obviously different from plain yoghurt. This is one never-to-miss dessert of India.
4. Falooda (Sweet Creamy Noodles)
Falooda is a cold dessert made with noodles. Have you ever heard any such things before? Yes, it’s the Indian version of Persian faloodeh. Variants of faloodeh can be found across Central, West, and Southern Asia.
Are you curious about the ingredients? Well, falooda is prepared with rose syrup, sweet basil seeds, milk, and vermicelli. If you want a chilled falooda, you can add ice cream.
Note: Vermicelli is made from cornstarch, arrowroot, and wheat.
5. Gajar Ka Halwa (Carrot Pudding)
Gajar ka halwa is a dessert that originated in India. In Hindi, gajar means carrot and halwa is an Arabic word meaning sweet. Other names of gajar ka halwa popular in different parts of the nation are gajrela, gajorer halua, and gajar pak. This carrot-based dessert is prepared with grated carrots, water, ghee, milk, khoya, and sugar.
The delicious and fragrant carrot pudding is served hot or cold during Holi, Diwali, Eid, Raksha Bandhan, and all other festivals in India.
Note: Carrot halwa was introduced in the Mughal-era.
6. Gulab Jamun (Brown Syrupy Dumplings)
Gulab jamun is a juicy-soft Indian dessert mainly made with khoya and saffron. Gulab is a combination of two Persian words – gol (flower) and ab (water), which refers to the rose-water-scented syrup used to make these sweets. Jamun or jaman, on the other hand, is a Hindi word. The dessert is so-called due to its similarity with its look-alike Indian fruit, the black plum. Alternatives of gulab jamun are golap jam (West Bengal), lal mohan (North India), and gulaabujaanu (Maldives).
Note: One can find a similar dessert in Mauritius, Great Britain, Fiji, South Africa, Caribbean countries, Guyana, and other South Asian parts of the world.
7. Aam Papad (Mango Crisp Cake)
Aam papad is a leathery-soft Indian dessert made from mango pulp mixed with sugar. Alternative names of this crispy mango dessert are, aamta (Assamese), aamshotto (Bengali), mamidi tandra (Telugu), manga thera (Malayalam), and aamba sadhaa (Odia). Traditionally, aam papad tastes sweet. But a wide variety of the dessert is available in different parts of India, just like other Indian dishes. Aam papad can be stored fresh for months.
Note: Sellers preserve this dessert and sell them in off-mango seasons.
8. Kala Jamun (Black Juicy Dumplings)
Kala jamun is really the cousin of gulab jamun. The main difference between them is the color. Kala jamunn is usually fried for longer, which turns them darker. In Hindi, kala means black. Other names of the sweet are kalo jam, and kala jaam. Just like gulab jamun, this is also made from khoya or mawa.
Note: These sugary dumplings are similar to fried doughnuts.
9. Kulfi (Indian Ice Cream)
Kulfi is the traditional Indian ice cream. Alternative names of kulfi are qulfi (Urdu), and kulfi malai (Bengali). This frozen dairy dish originated in 16th century India. Outside India, you’ll find kulfi in Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Middle East, and Bangladesh. Kulfi comes in various flavors. The traditional kulfi flavors are cream, mango, rose, saffron, cardamom, and pistachio. However, modern variations of kulfi include apple, peanut, orange, strawberry, and avocado.
Note: Kulfi is creamier and denser than normal ice cream.
10. Besan Laddu (Roasted Gram Flour Ball)
In Hindi, gram flour is called besan. And laddu is a loaded round-shaped object. The besan laddu is mainly made up of flour roasted in ghee with sugar added later. Dried fruits, nuts, and raisins can be added to make the ball more fruity. Besan laddu is popular all across India. The aroma and golden hue make it a perfect Diwali dessert.
Note: Are you prepping for besan laddu? Remember, you should roast the besan in the right amount of ghee – not less, not more.
11. Milk Peda (Sweetened Milk Solids)
Peda or pera is a caramel-colored Indian dessert. In Hindi, peda refers to a doughy spherical substance. The main ingredients are sugar and khoya. Saffron, cardamom seeds, and pistachio nuts are also added as flavorings. Pera is found everywhere in India, but the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh was the birthplace of this semi-soft, sweet dish.
Note: You can find peda in sweet shops in Mauritius, Fiji, the Malay Peninsula, the Caribbean, and Africa.
12. Kheer (Indian Pudding)
You could say kheer is the traditional Indian pudding. It is prepared by boiling milk, rice, and sugar altogether. Raisins, saffron, pistachios, cashews, coconut, almonds and more can also be added. Kheer varies both in ingredients and names in different regions of the country. Other names of kheer are payasam, payesh, and phirni.
Note: A bowl full of creamy white kheer is any everyday treat.
13. Ras Malai (Cottage Cheese Balls in Clotted Cream)
Have you ever tried cottage cheese with clotted cream? Well, ras malai is milky soft, sweet Indian cottage cheese balls dunked in clotted cream. India and Bangladesh claim to be the origins of this cold dessert. In Hindi, ras means juice and malai means clotted cream.
Note: Ras malai is known as roshomalai in Bengal. Check out our coconut rasmalai recipe.
14. Malpua (Indian Pancake)
Let’s talk about something hot and sweet – Malpua. Malpua is a pancake that originated in India. It’s popular all across the country. Rice flour, plain flour, and sugar are the main ingredients of this vaguely sweet dessert.
Note: A sweet cake called apura was eaten in Vedic India. Malpua preserves both the essentials and the name of that dessert.
15. Soan Papdi (Flaky Indian Sweet)
Soan papdi or sohan papdi is a cube-shaped crisp, flaky Indian dessert. What makes soan papdi a delight for the tongue is its preparation and its ingredients. Gram flour, clarified butter, sugar, flour, milk, and cardamom create the amazing fragrance. The modern flavors of this flaky dessert include chocolate, strawberry, mango, and pineapple.
Note: Its origins are debatable, but Bangladesh is considered to be the initial birthplace.
16. Boondi (Sweet Chickpea Flour Globules)
If you have a sweet tooth, you ought to try the reasonably satisfying Boondi. Boondi or bonde is chickpea flour balls fried and then sweetened with sugar syrup. Gram flour and sugar create the basic essence. Boondi is regional, mostly found in West Bengal, Odisha, Karnataka, Rajasthan, and other states.
Note: There is also a savory version (Tikha) of boondi.
17. Balu Shahi (Sweet Indian Doughnut)
Balu shahi is a mouthwatering dessert made from maida flour, clarified butter, and sugar. Its ingredients are similar to those of glazed doughnuts, although the taste and texture widely varies. This properly traditional dessert is mostly prepared in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
Note: A similar pastry known as badushah is made in Southern India.
18. Kalakand (Milk Cake)
Kalakand or mishri-mawa is an Indian milk cake made from solidified and sweetened milk known as Khoya. The main essentials are milk, Indian cottage cheese, and sugar. There are variations of this lovely but plain milk cake, such as Ajmeri kalakand, and Alwari kalakand.
Note: This dessert is also quite popular in Bangladesh.
19. Nankhatai (Shortbread Biscuits)
Nankhatai or kulcha-e-khataye are shortbread biscuits popular in Northern India. Nankhatai is a combo of two words – naan and khatai. Naan, a Persian word, means bread and khatai is a Dari Persian word meaning biscuit. In Northeast Iran and Afghanistan, nankhatai is called kulcha-e-khataye.
16th century Surat is considered the origin of this delicious shortbread biscuit. The essentials of nankhatai are rice flour, butter, wheat flour, salt, honey, powdered sugar, milk or yogurt, and baking powder.
Note: A Dutch couple started a bakery in Surat, which they handed over to an Iranian when Dutch left India. The new owner produced tasty nankhatai while experimenting with dried bread.
20. Pithe (Dumpling Cakes)
Pithe or pitha is a dessert, whole meal, or snack originating from the Eastern Indian states. The main ingredient used for pithe is wheat flour or rice flour. There are many pithe variations available in India such as, puli pithe, patishapta, and chitoi pithe. Pithe can be made like a pancake, dumpling, pastry, or fritter.
Note: There is also a savory version of Pithe.
21. Rabri (Thickened Milk with Layered Cream)
Rabri or Rabdi is a condensed-milk-based Indian dessert with a pale yellow tint. Pearl millet flour and milk are the main ingredients. Jaggery, nuts, and spices add flavor to the chilled and multi-layered dessert. Rabri is used as the main ingredient in sweets like chhana kheeri, rasabali, and kheera sagara.
Note: Rabri appeared in the early 1400s’ Chandimangala, medieval Bengali literature, along with other desserts.
22. Shondesh (Traditional Bengali Confectionary)
Shondesh is a typical Bengali confectionery made mainly with sugar and milk. Indian cottage cheese (chhana), jaggery (gur), dried fruits, and other ingredients are also included. There are variations of shondesh – nolen gurer shondesh, koda pak shondesh, and norom pak shondesh. In Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, a softer version of shondesh is known as Pranohora (heart-stealer).
Note: A sweet called shondesh appears in Krittibas’ Ramayana, medieval Bengali literature. This dish was made of solidified kheer.
23. Puri’s Khaja (Syrupy Layered Fritters)
Puri’s khaja is layered fritters dipped in sugar syrup. This multilayered delightfully-rich dessert is a traditional sweet from the city of Puri, Odisha, India. Khaja requires very few ingredients and can be enjoyed for up to 2 weeks if stored in airtight containers.
Note: Khaja is one of the Chhappan Bhoga Prasada distributed at Puri’s Jagannath Temple.
24. Roasted Peanut Chikki (Peanut Brittle)
Roasted peanut chikki is India’s peanut brittle made with jaggery and roasted peanuts. It’s a deliciously gooey, easy-to-prep Indian dessert. This glossy, nutty dessert is a packet full of delight. And there are tons of variations of chikki – coconut and peanut, oats and walnut, sesame seeds chikki, puffed rice, and peanut, rich rose with dry fruits, and more.
Note: Do you want more chikki recipes? Find them here.
25. Jalebi (Spiral-shaped Crunchy Sweet)
Jalebi or jilapi is basically a Middle-Eastern deep-fried sweet snack. However, India, Western Asia, and Egypt are considered the birthplace of this spiral-shaped crunchy dessert. Zulbia, zalabia, mushabak, al-fayyum, and luqmat al qadi. are other names of jalebi. It’s made out of roasted maida flour, clarified butter, saffron, and sugar. The dessert contains a somewhat chewy texture and a sugary exterior coating.
In Northern India, this crispy and crunchy dessert is eaten with rabri or curd. Get these mouthwatering sugar-syrup-soaked sweet snacks cold or hot – as you like. Sometimes, rose water and lemon juice are also added to the syrup.
Note: Some variations of jalebi found in various regions of the country are imarti, chhana jalebi, and shahi jalebi.
26. Mysore Pak (Sweet Fudge from Mysore)
Mysore pak, as the name goes, belonged to Mysore and specifically the Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar’s gigantic kitchen. This not-so-hard, crisp yet stiff traditional Mysore delicacy dates back to 1935, when Kakasura Madappa, the chief chef of Krishnaraja, invented this fudge-like sweet.
This light brown sweet is made of gram flour, clarified butter, and sugar and is similar to buttery, dense cookies. The original royal dessert has undergone minor ingredient changes over time. However, Mysuru’s Guru Sweets in Devaraja Market, run by Mr. Nataraj (the great-grandson of Kakasura Madappa), still serves the original recipe.
Note: Mysore pak is a must-have traditional sweet for South Indian weddings and baby showers.
27. Sitabhog (Sweetened Rice)
Sitabhog or sweetened rice is a famous flavourful Bengali sweet dish. It originated from the Bardhaman district, West Bengal, India. When Lord Curzon came to Bardhaman, mihi dana and sitabhog were served to him.
This sophisticated yet not-easy-to-cook white vermicelli comes with mini gulab jamun pieces. Made from cottage cheese (chhana), sugar, and rice flour, sitabhog appears like basmati rice.
Note: Legend has it that this perfectly delicious dish was much loved by Lord Rama’s wife, Sita.
28. Shor Bhaja (Fried Milk Cream)
Shor Bhaja or Sarpuria is another traditional Bengali sweet from the Nadia district of West Bengal, India. The three main ingredients of shor bhaja are Indian cottage cheese (chhana), kheer, and milk cream (shor). In Bengali, bhaja stands for fry. Shor bhaja is made by frying milk cream. Surya Kumar Das was the inventor of this drool-worthy sweet snack. Check the sweets here.
Note: Shor bhaja is mentioned in Krishnadas Kaviraj’s Chaitanya Charitamrita dating back 520 years. The dessert was favored by the 15th-century Indian saint Chaitanyadev.
29. Perakiya (Indian Pastry)
Perakiya or gujiyas can be called sweet Indian pastry. These rich and potent golden dumplings are prepared with maida flour, dry fruits, and khoya. This delightful sweet snack is very popular in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh. Dunked in sugary syrup and deep-fried in ghee, this dessert is a must-have for Holi celebrations. The crisp outer layer breaks in the mouth to give you the sweet filling and to take over your senses.
Note: Modern versions of perakis are baked perakiya, and dried fruit perakiya. But nothing can beat the timeless classic.
30. Puran Poli (Stuffed Sweet Flatbread)
Puran poli or bobbattu originated in Andhra Pradesh, India. You can also get a bite of this nice and tasty flatbread in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Goa, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, and Telangana. This is how popular the dessert is! Puran refers to the sweet lentil mixture and poli to the bread.
This Indian delicacy is stuffed with sweetened and flavored lentils. It’s not only the food that Indians are creative with, there are quite a variety of names too.
Note: Other names of puran poli are obbattu, ubbatti, holige, poli, vedmi, God poli, puranachi poli, oliga, abatulu, bakshalu, and pappu bakshalu.
31. Lassi (Chilled Yoghurt Shake)
One can get lassi in almost every part of the country. This chilled yogurt shake mixed with cream, traditional spices, and less-to-no water is a summer favorite.
However, lassi remains available throughout the year. Lassi has its cousin-variants, such as mango lassi, bhaang, chaas, and kachi lassi. While mango lassi is similar to a tasty mango shake with added dry fruits, bhaang is infused with cannabis. Chaas is a drink prepared as a thinner consistency. Kachi lassi gets a pink tint due to added rose water.
Note: Milk is used in kachi lassi instead of curd.
32. Ariselu (Sweet Jaggery Cake)
Ariselu or arisa originated in Odisha, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra. Other names of this never inappropriate delicacy are kajjaaya (Kannada), anarsa (Marathi), Arsa (Bihar and jharkhand), Adhirasam (Tamil Nadu). Ariselu is a sweet cake prepared with rice meal and jaggery. The fragrance of ghee used in ariselu is always tempting for dessert lovers.
Note: This traditional dish is a must-have during Dusshera, Deepavali, Sankranti, and Indian festivals.
33. Sooji Halwa (Semolina Pudding)
Sooji halwa, also known as sheera or mohan bhog, is a traditional Indian sweet dish available in most parts of India with various name. For instance, it’s called sooji in North India but popular as sheera in Maharashtra. Outside of India, the dish can be found in the Caribbean, where this dessert found the name mohan bhog.
Sooji halwa, made of sooji (semolina), ghee, sugar, and milk, is served as breakfast or dessert.
Note: In the 12th-century work Manasollasa, sooji halwa is mentioned as shali-anna.
34. Lobongo Lotika (Parcel Sealed with Clove)
Lobongo lotika or laung latika is a dessert all the way from the heart of Bengal. In Bengali, lobongo means clove and lotika means creepers. Lobongo lotika is a kind of an envelope sealed with a clove. One single piece of this dessert containing cardamom, khoya, coconut, nutmeg powder, raisins, nuts, and sugar is enough to satisfy your senses.
Note: You can get this potent, golden, delectable snack in Bangladesh as well.
35. Modak (Maharashtrian Steamed Dumplings)
Modak is a popular Indian dumpling dessert all the way from Maharashtra. The soft and tasty covering of modak is first handmade with wheat and rice flour mixed with maida flour or khava. Then, it’s filled with jaggery and freshly grated coconut and finally steamed.
Note: According to Hindu mythology, modak is the favorite sweet of Lord Ganesha.
36. Ada (Steamed Rice Flour Parcel)
Ela ada or ada is a traditional Kerala delicacy. Talk about Kerala and drool-worthy desserts come to mind. In the language of Kerala, ela stands for banana leaf. Ada is a parcel filled with melted jaggery and coconut covered with steamed rice flour dough. The enchanting fragrance and hint of the banana leaf makes it irresistible to the taste buds.
Note: The dessert is enjoyed during occasions such as the Keralite New Year, and Vishu.
37. Thekua (Cookie from Bihar)
Thekua or thokwa is a hardened sweet originating from Bihar of India. The key ingredients used to prepare this delectable and mouth-watering dessert are flour, sugar, ghee, jaggery, and cardamom. Deep frying the dough gives a reddish-brown shade to the sweet. It’s used as an offering to God during the Chhath puja.
Note: Thekua last for a long time.
38. Rosh Kodom (Juicy-soft Ball within Milk Solids)
Rosh Kodom or kheer-kodom is an exotic Bengali dessert. The Bengali word rosh translates as syrup and kodom translates as bur-flower.
Kheer kodom is quite a ball of wonder as it is a juicy sweet ball covered within another sweet dry ball prepared with dried milk solids (khoya). Bengal’s sweet manufacturers must be magicians, musn’t they?
Note: The place of origin is not clear from the internet, but it’s assumed Bangladesh is the origin of this gorgeous dessert.
39. Chhana Goja (Cottage Cheese Pastry)
Chhana goja is a sinful delight from Odisha, India. The chhana is an Indian cottage cheese and the word goja means fried pastry. Chhana goja remains popular within Odisha itself, though roshogolla is also prepared with chhana but chhana goja varies widely in taste.
Note: One of the famous chhana goja places is Pahala, Bhubaneswar.
40. Khoya (Dried Milk Solids)
We’ve mentioned khoya many times in this post so far as an ingredient of some of the authentic Indian delicacies. Now, let’s find out more about the sweet dish itself. It’s made either by drying whole milk or by heating milk continuously in a large iron pan until it thickens. The moisture content is usually lower than in typical cheeses like ricotta. Kheer can be called a variant of the same dessert.
Note: Alternative names of khoya are kova, khava, maua, mawa, khuwa, and kurauni.
41. Mihidana (Fine Grained Sweet)
Two Bengali words mihi and dana make the name mihidana. In Bengali, mihi means fine and dana means grain. Do you remember the boodi we talked about earlier in this post? Mihidana is a tiny version of boondi.
Bardhaman or Burdwan district of West Bengal, India is the place of origin of this delectable dish. Powdered rice, saffron, and gram flour are used as key ingredients.
Note: Mihidana was served to Lord Curzon when he visited West Bengal.
42. Barfi (Snowy Fudge)
Barfi or borfi is a dense traditional Indian dessert made with full fat milk, ghee, and sugar. The word Barfi is derived from the Persian word barf, meaning snow. That’s what makes barfi your perfect winter takeaway dessert. Some varieties include kaju barfi, besan barfi, sing barfi, and pista barfi. The flavor of barfi is enhanced with the addition of dried fruits, nuts, or rose water.
Note: Outside India you may find barfi in Mauritius, Fiji, Africa, Malay Peninsula, and the Caribbean.
43. Gavvalu (Sweet Shells)
Gavvalu originated in Andhra Pradesh. It’s made with plain flour or maida, milk, and water. Gavvalu, once ready-to-serve, imitates the shape of cowrie shells. Hence, gavvalu is often called sweet shells.
Note: This shell dessert is traditional, nutritious, and economical.
44. Kakinada Kaja (Juicy Ribbon Roll)
Did you like our Telugu sweet gavvalu? Here’s another dessert from Andhra Pradesh – kakinada kaja or gottam kaja. Kakinada, a city in Andhra Pradesh, is the place of origin of this yummily-good sweet that imitates a ribbon roll or a closed tube, which is gottam in Telugu.
This juicy ribbon roll dessert came into existence in 1891. Its production was made popular by Mr. Kotaiah. Hence, the dessert also has another name – Kakinada Kotaiah Kaja. Another variation of the same is madatha kaja.
Note: Kakinada kaja sounds like regular khaja but is actually very different.
45. Singori (Maalu Coned Milk Solids)
Singori or singauri is a simple yet delicious dessert exclusively available in Kumaon of Uttarakhand, India. Dried milk solids (khoya) and coconut wrapped in maalu leaf go into this authentic Uttarakhadi sweet. This much underrated irresistible dessert is definitely Kumaon’s claim to fame.
Note: It’s believed that Singori originated in Almora’s old province.
46. Sohan Halwa (Caramelized Pudding)
Soan or sohan is a tributary of northwestern India’s Indus river. Sohan halwa is a caramelized pudding that has been available in northwestern India since the Mughal era. Soan halwa is prepared as discs of 5-6mm thickness, although square bite-size pieces of the dish are also produced. The exact time and place of this oh-so-mouthwatering confection is still being debated.
Note: Some historians believe that the Mughal emperor Humayun introduced it to early 16th century India.
47. Chomchom (Coconut Coated Oval Classics)
Chomchom or cham cham is a classic Bengali dessert famous throughout India. Porabari, Bangladesh is the place of origin of this vaguely sweet dish, which dates back to the mid-19th century.
The dessert is made with flour, cream, milk, and sugar and has a coating of mawa or coconut. Chomchom is available in lovely shades of light yellow, light pink, and white.
Note: A modern version was made by Raja Ramgore’s grandson Matilal Gore from Uttar Pradesh.
48. Shrikhand (Assorted Silky-smooth Yoghurt)
Shrikhand is a traditional Indian dessert rather like an assorted silky-smooth yoghurt. It’s prepared using creamy hung curd, powdered sugar, saffron, and cardamom. Shrikhand is quite popular in Gujarat and Maharashtra. The creamy dessert originated in ancient India around 400 B.C.E.
Note: In Sanskrit, shrikhand was called shikhrini.
49. Petha (Soft Indian Candy)
Petha is a soft translucent Indian candy. This candy dessert is made from ash gourds. Ash gourds are also called white pumpkin or winter melon. Some variations of the sweet are angoori petha, kesar petha, chocolate petha, dry petha, gulab petha, and paan petha.
Note: The invention of the dessert is unknown.
50. Paddu (Steamed Batter Dumplings)
Paddu or kuzhi paniyaram are steamed dumplings made with black lentils and rice batter. Paddu can be either sweet or savory, using either jaggery and chilies. Paniyaram is a typical South Indian dish found in Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana.
Note: Alternative names of paddu are guliyappa, gunta ponganalu, and yeriyappa.
Your Takeaway: The Showstopper Indian Desserts
We’ve reached the end of our 50 most popular Indian desserts journey. These amazingly delicious Indian desserts are a must try. What do you think? We’re already drooling over rasgulla, ras malai, sohan halwa, and balushahi.
Which of these sweets tickle your dessert fancy? Share your opinions in the comments.
And don’t forget, if you’re into Indian food, check out our Indian recipes provided by some of the best chefs in the world. Make sure to also check out our ranking of the best Indian cookbooks ever.
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