A Guide to Iconic Diwali Sweets
The most popular story (as there are many) associated with the Festival of Lights, Diwali, is the Hindu epic Ramayana. I’ll try my best to concisely summarize this epic: Sri Rama, prince of the ancient city of Ayodhya, gets banished into the forest for fourteen years with his wife, Sita and brother, Lakshmana by his father and stepmom but then the King of Lanka (modern day Sri Lanka), Ravana, kidnapped Sita and took her back to Lanka and then Rama and Lakshmana wage a war to get Sita back and basically Rama wins and returns back to Ayodhya and gets crowned king. I am quite aware that is a run on sentence but Diwali is somewhat of a celebration of Rama’s victorious arrival to Ayodhya. It also is believe to be originated as a harvest festival celebrated by farmers. The holiday lasts for five days, with each one having its own significance. So basically for five days us South Asians or your South Asian friends will be stuffing their faces with the countless number of sweets and savory snacks. I just think it would be handy to make a list of all these iconic treats so that anyone that hasn’t had a particular sweet can learn about it and maybe even go to the nearest store they know that sells it to try it! I know after making this guide I will be…
Gulab Jamun
Layman’s Terms: Fried dough balls soaked in a rose water sugar syrup
Taste: It may vary slightly as people make it differently but it is usually dense and sweet, not too chewy. Almost like a cake that has been thoroughly soaked in a sugary syrup
The origins of this dessert is deemed to be Persian that Central Asian Turkish people brought to India. This is also a popular dessert eaten during Eid, a popular Muslim celebration. There are many variations of gulab jamun as they could look like mini sandwiches as well filled with creamy khoya (thickened whole milk)
Motichoor Ladoo/Laddu
Layman’s Terms: Tiny pearls of chickpea flour fried in ghee then soaked in sugar syrup and rounded into the shape of a ball
Taste: Definitely sweet lol…but the texture is unique because of the boondi pearls
There are literally so many different types of laddu and the ingredients vary but every ladoo is always rolled into a ball. This one in particular is the most elite (maybe not factual just my personal preference). Also to be honest, I am not sure if this is a picture of motichoor ladoo because it kind of looks like little balls but also the same time it doesn’t
Besan Ladoo/Laddu
Layman’s Terms: Chickpea flour that is sweetened and molded into a ball with ghee
Taste: Not as sweet as most ladoos but kind of a crumbly texture
According to a gastronomy article from Boston University, ladoos were created for medicinal purposes as it generally was comprised of healthful ingredients such as ghee, dates, nuts, sweets, chickpea flour (basically no sugar). Also, since ladoos are nifty, tiny little balls it was a nutritious snack for warriors and travelers as they were easy to pack. When the British came and bought sugar to India, ladoos dramatically changed
Boondhi Ladoo
Layman’s term: Large pearls of chickpea flour fried in ghee then soaked in a cardamom sugar syrup and then rounded into balls filled with raisins, cloves and nuts
Taste: Pretty sweet, could be a bit crumbly but different textures because of the nuts and sweets but if you bite into a clove, that’s the end for you…or maybe not - you might like it!
This type of ladoo is popular all over India and possibly the Indian diaspora, especially in Fiji, but I always see this type of ladoo in South Indian temples. I think the difference may be that the ladoo itself in the south especially in temples are much larger. Also I read in a blog that in Fiji, the ladoos are made out of pea flour not chickpea flour! So interesting!
Mithai
Layman’s Terms: fried spiced dough drenched in sugar syrup
Taste: Crispy and sweet with hint of spices used like ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon
This is a popular sweet that is made for Diwali primarily in Guyana. I have never tried this sweet before but found great recipes to make one day and I have linked them below and to this image! This sweet is also called Lakdi Mithai in Fiji with possibly some minor modifications - a recipe to that is below as well. ALSO this sweet is called Kurma in Trinidad & Tobago
Jalebi
Layman’s Terms: Dough that is flavored with saffron and sometimes even colored with red food coloring and then fried in a spiral form which is then dunked in a sugar syrup
Taste: Tends to be crispy, pretty sweet and oily although it all depends for example in South India jalebi tends to be thicker and bigger and not as crispy
Jalebi has many different names such as Jerry in Nepal, Zalabia in Algeria, Zoolbia in Iran, Pani Walalu in Sri Lanka, Zlabia in Tunisia and Zulbiye in Turkey. According to an article on The Better India website, jalebi traveled to India as zulbiya from ancient Persia which is believe to be the origins of this dessert
Kaju Katli
Layman’s Terms: Any time you see barfi think of fudge so a cashew fudge that is decorated in edible silver foil
Taste: Smooth, chewy, not overly sweet and has a light saffron and/or cardamom flavor
Kaju Katli is a very popular type of barfi as there are numerous barfis out there. I found an interesting YT video as to why kaju katlis are cut into diamond shapes and apparently it is because of math. I honestly could not find any other website that supported this claim so I have linked the YT video below but I am warning you it is a bit of a doozy (at least for me since I have the attention span of a goldfish and when it comes to math I am always like that cat meme that says “huh”) . But apparently, by cutting the barfis in a diamond shape it increases the amount of barfis one can produce from a big sheet of kaju katli
Milk Barfi
Layman’s terms: Milk fudge flavored with spices, saffron and nuts
Taste: Creamy, smooth and sweet - some call it cheesecake like but personally I don’t think so…maybe texture wise but definitely not taste wise
There are many many many different types of barfis, milk barfi is probably the most standard one. The word barfi comes from the Persian and Urdu word barf which means snow. It is believed to have been originated in Persia and introduced to India during the Mughal Empire in the 16th Century
Peda
Layman’s Terms: Not too different from milk barfi so almost like a fudge but made with koya (dried milk solids)
Taste: Smooth, creamy, sweet and lightly flavored with cardamom and/or saffron
I’ll be honest the only time I know a peda is a peda and a barfi is a barfi is because of the shape. Pedas are generally small with a thumb print indentation. Taste wise, especially with doodh/milk barfi and doodh/milk peda, it is the same or maybe my taste buds may not be refined enough! Peda originated in the Indian subcontinent and the word itself is derived from Sanskrit. Just like barfi, there are many different versions of peda
Rasmalai
Layman’s Terms: Cheese balls (chhena) soaked in a saffron and cardamom flavored sweet creamy milk
Taste: Heaven-like; the flattened balls itself are sponge like but dense because it has soaked in the creamy milk. Kind of like a cousin to kheer/payasam, if that cousin turned into a pop star
This dessert is believe to have originated in the Eastern Indian subcontinent, the Bengal region and Bangladesh. Delving into the origins is tricky as it is disputed so i’ll not go there. The most interesting fact is how the Portuguese introduced cheese-making to East India, thus chhena was born
Mysore Pak
Layman’s Terms: A buttery cookie; as simple as chickpea flour, ghee and sugar
Taste: Melt-in-your-mouth type of dessert where all you’ll taste is sugary ghee but it’s unreal
This is a very popular dessert in South India and is thought to have originated in the Royal Palace of Mysore, Karnataka. In fact the chef that is credited to have made it has a sweet stall that is still active to this day in Mysore called Guru Sweets
Shankarpali/Shakarpara
Layman’s Terms: Sweet dough cut in a diamond shape and fried
Taste: Crunchy and sweet - can’t go wrong as it is very biscuit like
As I was learning about Mithai and Kurma from Guyana, Fiji and Trinidad and Tobago this sweet is very similar but just missing the sugar syrup part. People actually make an opposite version of this called namakpara which is the more spicy/savory version
Karanji/Gujjiya
Layman’s Terms: Fried dumpling like pastries that are stuffed with coconut, dried fruits, khoya, sesame seeds and spices - think of a sweet empanada
Taste: Texturally varient and mostly sweet although karinji is more like a proper fried pastry with a chew when gujjiya is more crispy like a samosa. The outershell differentiates what a gujjiya is and what a karanji is and I am team karanji if anyone was asking
I wonder if this too was carried from Persia/Iran since they too have a similar looking sweet called Qottab/Ghotab. Or it could have been carried from India to Persia as well since India and the other neighboring countries were an integral part of the Silk trade route but this is part of my own conjecture with no evidence backed up rather than mere comparison of pictures
Gato Patate
Layman’s Terms: Fried sweet potato dumplings filled with spices and coconut
Taste: Crispy and sweet and i’m assuming not too different from a karanji but the biggest difference being the outer portion being cooked primarily with potato not flour - I really want to try this or make this one day…any Mauritian friends?!?!
You’ll find this traditional delicacy of Mauritius at many corner streets or various markets on the island. This sweet is very popular especially during Diwali as the Hindu population of Mauritius primarily make these to celebrated along with their illuminated and adorned homes. I linked a recipe below from Indian Ocean Travel Guide and you can click on the picture for a video as well by ZestyMu
Rasgulla/Rosogolla/Cham Cham
Layman’s Terms: Sugar syrup filled chhena balls or cheese balls
Taste: Spongy and sugar bombs - but like in a good way - and is normally room temp or cold
This sweet is a very popular sweet in Odisha, Bangladesh and West Bengal. Again the origins of this dish is tricky so I’m not going into it. Cham Chams are popular Bengali sweets as well and they are basically more oval shaped but are literally the same thing like rasgullas, just oblong and stuffed with mawa and nuts. They just look like fancy rasgullas
Kalakand
Layman’s Terms: Sweet cheese barfi
Taste: Soft ricotta-like texture and flavor but sweetened and you might get bits of pistachio and cardamom
It is believe that this originated in the city of Alwar in Rajasthan according to slurrp.com. Baba Thakur Das & Sons are credited for the creation and they actually had emigrated from modern day Pakistan following the partition of India. The store is still of existence today
Malpua
Layman’s Terms: A fermented and spiced wheat flour batter pancake with a crisp circumference and a soft interior drenched in sugar syrup
Taste: Primarily sweet tasting and not too different from a pancake other than a crisp exterior
This dish is popular in Bangladesh, Nepal and India. In fact, it is mentioned as being one of India’s most oldest desserts as it was mentioned in the ancient texts of Rigveda, the oldest of the four Vedas in Hinduism. In the texts it was referred to as apupa - barley flour that was shaped into flat cakes that were then fried ghee and dipped in honey before serving. I linked the websites below that mention it.
Gajar ka Halwa
Layman’s Terms: Grated carrot that is cooked with milk, sugar, spices, nuts and ghee - people call it pudding and sometimes it can be, it depends
Taste: Not very carrot-y because of the sugar but it is grainy because of the grated carrots, i’d also describe it as nicely moist - also I think it is best served warm but it can be consumed in either temperature with a nice bowl of ice cream or kheer to accompany it
Again, there are so many different types of halwa but this halwa is the most popular one during festivities. Halwa itself comes from Persia, another introduction from the Mughal Empire to South Asia. According to Times of India, carrots were actually indigenous to Afghanistan and found their way to India/Pakistan through the Dutch as they began growing them in Punjab/Pakistan which is where gajar ka halwa was created. That was something I never knew…carrots are indigenous to Central Asia!
Sheera/Rava Kesari
Layman’s Terms: Another halwa made with semolina, sugar, ghee, saffron, water and roasted nuts
Taste: Grainy and depending on the way it is made could be creamy and sweet with a ghee like mouth-feel and added texture from the dry fruits or cashews
It is also known as sooji ka halwa. This rendition of halwa is very popular in South India: Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. One of my favorite dishes from Karnataka is chow chow bath which is the savory version of rava kesari, upma, with rava kesari itself and green coconut chutney!
Selroti
Layman’s Terms: A ring-shaped sweet fried dough made with rice flour
Taste: Like a crispy doughnut
I remember seeing stall selling set roti in Nepal so this is defiantly a popular Nepalese snack but it is also made throughout Northeastern parts of India and Bhutan. Apparently according to insightsnp.com, the origins of this snack can be traced back over 800 years, evolving through the years. It is believe that sea roti may have originated from Babari which is a Nepalese rice pancake since the batters are the same.
Athirasa/Kajjaya
Layman’s Terms: Sweet spiced deep fried pancake made out of jaggery, coconut and rice flour
Taste: Not as fluffy as a pancake and not as sweet as most of the other sweets - probably because of the use of jaggery instead of cane sugar. It also has more of a bite to it
This is a very popular snack made in Sri Lanka and is popular to indulge in during Diwali. It is also made throughout India and Nepal as well under many different names. Athirasa is derived from Tamil and roughly translates to excess sweetness. Denderam is similar to this sweet which is made in Malaysia. I think in Kerala, uniappam would also be considered similar except the shape and the addition of bananas are what makes it different.
There are probably many more sweets to add or possibly something I may have unintentionally gotten wrong, feel free to comment below and I can look into it - but I am pretty satisfied with this list…what do you think?!
Links to websites mentioned/referenced:
https://www.app.com/story/entertainment/events/2023/11/06/diwali-what-to-know-about-indian-new-year-celebration/71472438007/#
https://www.diwalifestival.org/diwali-as-harvest-festival.html
https://www.indianhealthyrecipes.com/diwali-sweets-recipes-diwali-recipes/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulab_jamun
https://www.chitrasfoodbook.com/2022/03/15-ladoo-varieties-types-of-laddu.html
https://sites.bu.edu/gastronomyblog/2017/01/30/besan-laddoos-deconstructed-the-science-behind-this-indian-sweet/#:~:text=Some%20History,the%20weak%20and%20nourish%20individuals.
https://jehancancook.com/2019/10/mithai-how-to-make-guyanese-mithai/
https://thatfijitaste.com/fiji-indian-boondi-ladoo/
https://www.simplyblissfulliving.net/2019/10/lakdi-fiji-style-lakri-mithai.html
https://www.destinationtnt.com/events/divali/
https://omgfood.com/trini-kurma/
http://www.bbs.bt/news/?p=176683
https://sinfullyspicy.com/kaju-katli-fudgy-cashew-thins/
https://masalaandchai.com/milk-barfi/
https://spoonsofflavor.com/homemade-doodh-peda/
https://masalaandchai.com/ras-malai/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/304555993541944201/
https://ministryofcurry.com/karanji/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=zaCiCkpWA7U
https://www.indian-ocean.com/mauritius-recipe-gato-patate/
https://glutenfreeindian.com/softest-rasgullas-ever/
https://sandhyahariharan.co.uk/kalakand-recipe/
https://frombowltosoul.com/instant-wholewheat-malpua-recipe/
https://simmertoslimmer.com/sheera/
http://www.bbs.bt/news/?p=176683
https://www.tasteatlas.com/most-popular-desserts-in-sri-lanka
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/691724823996422406/
https://recipebook.io/home/recipedetails/rbk_5af94238c87a5/athirasa
https://www.thebetterindia.com/229721/jalebi-food-history-origin-persia-indian-desserts-recipe-say143/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqSRLcKBQOA&t=3s
https://www.towertandoori.co.uk/indian-delicacies-know-about-barfi
https://www.thebetterindia.com/308752/dodha-barfi-history-story-of-wrestler-harbans-vig-tales-of-taste-video/
https://mithainama.com/barfi-a-sweet-treat-for-every-occasion/
https://www.hindustantimes.com/photos/lifestyle/gulab-jamun-to-jalebi-5-popular-indian-sweets-that-have-foreign-roots-101676783771699-2.html
https://books.google.com/books?id=XPNgBwAAQBAJ&pg=PT174#v=onepage&q&f=false
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peda
https://memorients.com/articles/from-portuguese-to-mughal-to-british-india-vasco-de-gama-and-ras-malai
https://www.thespiceodyssey.com/eat/roshmalai
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ras_malai#:~:text=Ras%20malai%20is%20believed%20to,it%20was%20invented%20by%20K.C.
https://www.slurrp.com/article/the-twisted-history-of-rasmalai-and-a-steal-worthy-recipe-1653221713839
https://ashasweetcenter.com/blogs/blog/the-sweet-story-of-mysore-pak-a-journey-of-taste-and-tradition#:~:text=The%20royal%20chef%2C%20Kakasura%20Madappa,after%20the%20city%20of%20Mysore.&text=Mysore%20Pak%20is%20made%20by,till%20it%20turns%20golden%20brown.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeL_mS9C9FY
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/food-news/the-legend-of-mysore-pak/articleshow/77207003.cms
https://www.aheadofthyme.com/2016/03/ghotab-qottab-pastry-traditional-iranian-walnut-filled-crescents/
https://www.facebook.com/ZestyMauritius/videos/the-sweet-potato-cake-gato-patate-remains-a-traditional-delicacy-for-diwali-in-m/405469637506828/
https://www.thebetterindia.com/82618/history-rasgulla-origin-odisha-west-bengal/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalakand
https://www.slurrp.com/article/kalakand-tracing-the-origins-of-this-beloved-indian-fudge-recipe-inside-1699112948806#
https://www.harilalventures.in/blogs/blog/malpua-the-famous-the-oldest-dessert-of-india#:~:text=Malpuas%20got%20the%20first%20mentioning,dipped%20into%20honey%20before%20serving.
https://www.slurrp.com/article/from-the-times-of-vedas-malpua-has-been-dripping-a-rich-and-sweet-history-of-india-1642588835937
https://recipes.timesofindia.com/us/articles/food-facts/12-facts-about-malpua-indias-oldest-dessert/photostory/65687195.cms
https://historydollop.com/2020/05/21/the-mughlai-cuisine-of-16th-century-india-featuring-gajar-ka-halwa-a-sweet-carrot-pudding/
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/food-news/the-fascinating-story-of-halwa/articleshow/76814348.cms
https://insightsnp.com/sel-roti-the-iconic-nepalese-festive-food-history-recipe/
http://sowmya-ashok.blogspot.com/2011/09/athirasa.html
https://sweetkaramcoffee.in/blogs/happiness-is-homemade/athirasam-classical-bite-of-tradition#:~:text=Origin%20of%20Athirasam%20is%20said,claim%20for%20this%20sweet%20patty.