https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious daily 1.0 2026-03-29 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/umami-burger-where-did-u-go monthly 0.5 2026-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e37808f219f004ee8ebf92a/36036080-f81a-4818-9a72-775ccd992012/IMG_8207.jpg Culinary Curiosity - Umami Burger: Where did “U” go? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/is-umami-just-a-vibe-check-or-is-it-truly-the-fifth-taste monthly 0.5 2025-10-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e37808f219f004ee8ebf92a/06c78fa3-b95d-4cd8-8977-429b4c16ce07/Screenshot+2025-05-31+at+3.55.34+PM.png Culinary Curiosity - Is Umami Just A Vibe Check or is it Truly the Fifth Taste? - Make it stand out Glutamate is found in a variety of foods including meat, fish and vegetables. Inosinate is found in generous quantities in animal-based foods such as meat and fish, while large amounts of guanylate can be found in dried mushroom products such as dried shiitake (Umami Information Center). https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/what-connects-south-indian-kanji-to-chinese-congee monthly 0.5 2025-06-02 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/what-are-the-five-french-mother-sauces monthly 0.5 2025-05-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e37808f219f004ee8ebf92a/bc7be156-7b2c-4187-8f1e-a14154e44b2b/bechamel-3-1.jpg Culinary Curiosity - What are the five French Mother sauces? - Béchamel There is some debate between the Italians and the French on the origins of this sauce. It’s a pretty simple and foundational sauce that you can dress up. Classically, a touch of nutmeg adorns the sauce. Ingredients: Butter, Flour & Milk Derivative sauces: Aurora sauce, Mornay sauce, Nantua sauce, Soubisse sauce [Masterclass article] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e37808f219f004ee8ebf92a/786f17b0-4860-4576-9921-864a7b1b235c/chanterelle-veloute.jpg Culinary Curiosity - What are the five French Mother sauces? - Velouté This sauce is known for its smooth and velvety texture. It is usually a white stock that is thickened with a blonde roux. Ingredients: White Stock (chicken, veal or fish), Butter & Flour Derivative sauces: Sauce Suprême, Albufera sauce, Allemande sauce & Normande sauce [Masterclass article] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e37808f219f004ee8ebf92a/441a6e57-7474-41a5-a1cb-46613e1d8d56/espagnole-sauce-5.jpg Culinary Curiosity - What are the five French Mother sauces? - Espagnole Characterized as a rich, beefy sauce and sometimes called “Spanish Sauce”. This is also a stock based sauce that is thickened with roux. Brown stock is used, usually beef based, and tomatoes, aromatics and mirepoix ( chopped carrots, celery and onions) is added. Ingredients: Butter, Flour, Brown Stock (beef or veal), Carrots, Celery, Onions & Aromatics (herbs and/or peppercorn) Derivative sauces: Demi-glace, Chasseur sauce, Sauce Africaine, Sauce Bigarade, Sauce Bourguignonne, Marchand de Vin sauce, Charcutière sauce, Lyonnaise sauce, Bercy sauce, Mushroom sauce, Madeira sauce & Port Wine sauce [Masterclass article] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e37808f219f004ee8ebf92a/89c0c1a4-5ba2-4d0e-9b37-4c95c85da5d3/Hollandaise-Sauce-4.jpg.jpg Culinary Curiosity - What are the five French Mother sauces? - Hollandaise Probably my most favorite sauce or rather the sauce that put me on! Apparently, it is also known as the “Dutch sauce”. I wrote a whole blog post on why that is. This sauce is an emulsification of egg yolks with butter and an acid. Ingredients: Egg Yolks, Butter, Vinegar or Lemon, Derivative Sauces: Béarnaise, Mayonnaise, Choron, Maltaise, Foyot, Paloise & Mousseline [Masterclass article] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e37808f219f004ee8ebf92a/1743555535064-QIIJPIVTXMXEBS53RSII/unsplash-image-hWDYfmyAz4g.jpg Culinary Curiosity - What are the five French Mother sauces? - Tomate Old-school recipes of making tomato sauce incorporate roux but generally chefs do not make it with a roux. Classically, pork fat is cooked down with tomatoes, aromatics and stock. However, simply using good quality tomatoes with aromatics can do the trick. Ingredients: Tomatoes, Pork Fat, Aromatics & Stock Derivative sauces: Portugese sauce, Spiced Spanish sauce, Creole sauce [Masterclass article] https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/what-does-the-protestant-reformation-have-to-do-with-hollandaise-sauce monthly 0.5 2025-05-27 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/why-are-professional-kitchens-run-by-the-french-brigade-system monthly 0.5 2025-02-18 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/a-guide-to-all-the-masalas monthly 0.5 2025-01-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e37808f219f004ee8ebf92a/1a88b213-ade8-46e2-855a-cb51286796aa/Garam-Masala-Spice-Powder-Recipe-Piping-Pot-Curry.jpg Culinary Curiosity - A Guide to All the Masalas - Garam Masala This spice is the AP spice mix. If you have space in your pantry for only one masala, this is the mix you would store. It can be used to make daal, a simple chicken dish, chickpeas…literally anything. Actually matter-of-fact, you can use any masala in any type of way be it for pasta (gasp) or a roast….I don’t believe in a hard and steadfast rule. But this particular masala is one you would generally see used often in South Asia and the South Asian diaspora. Garam masala translates to “warming spice mix”. Apparently based on Ayurveda, this combination of warming spices is supposed to increase metabolism and help people deal with the cold climate in Northern India. However I have not come across a reliable source to verify that. According to Julie Sahni’s book, Classic Indian Cooking, she mentions how there are actually two types of garam masala. One is the traditional garam masala which is a simple blend of cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and black pepper, occasionally nutmeg too. This 4-5 spice blend is known as Mughal garam masala. Over the years coriander and cumin were introduced to the mix as well and this version is the current day garam masala or Punjabi garam masala. However, there are slight variations of this masala all across the regions of South Asia. Common Ingredients: Coriander, cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, black pepper, nutmeg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e37808f219f004ee8ebf92a/d2204ea3-ad2c-4099-985b-24b2ee479e36/5-ingredient-Chaat-Masala-4.jpg Culinary Curiosity - A Guide to All the Masalas - Chaat Masala Chaat in it of itself is a popular street food. Comfort food for many, maybe not me (gasp). I do love pani puri…whoever invented those plastic pani puri fountains for sure knows how to have a good time. This masala is used to assemble the ingredients to a chaat. Tangy, sour and salty are usually the flavors to this masala. In fact this is a great masala to add over fruits like watermelon! Honestly ever since I saw the watermelon chaat recipe on NYT Cooking I almost always NEED chaat masala mixed with watermelon and some cilantro *chefs kiss* Common Ingredients: Dry mango powder, black salt, dried pomegranate seeds, cumin, asafetida, ginger, coriander, black pepper, chili powder https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e37808f219f004ee8ebf92a/0e074168-f754-459c-8221-19570f824021/Homemade-tandoori-masla-recipe-2.jpeg Culinary Curiosity - A Guide to All the Masalas - Tandoori Masala When people think of tandoori they think of the iconic tandoori chicken. A red, fragrant and juicy dish. It is honestly a festivity type of meal; you’ll see a big hot plate topped with tandoori meats, kebobs and onions at most weddings or special occasions. “Tandoori” is actually a style of cooking where food gets cooked inside a clay oven that is called tandoor. A tandoor is designed for really high temperature cooking. If you have ever seen how naan gets made, then you probably know how a tandoor looks like. In fact I was sure South Asians made it in America when I found out Jimmy Kimmel has his own tandoor oven. I swear there was even a video but I guess I am imagining things because I can’t find the video anymore. This masala is all about the red color which is attributed to Kashmiri red chilies. So it is not generally spicy but rather fragrant. Apparently, this masala blend and tandoori chicken was popularized by Kundan Lala Gujral pre partition. He went on open up Moti Mahal in Delhi popularizing butter chicken and dal makhani. His dishes were lauded by JFK, Nixon and Nikita Khrushchev. Even Jackie Kennedy was seen eating tandoori chicken on a flight from Rome to Bombay. Anyways, tandoori masala is not restricted for use in a tandoor. You can still prepare any meats or paneer with this masala and bake it in the oven to get that nice red char. Common Ingredients: Red chilies, cinnamon, mace, black cardamom, green cardamom, cloves, cumin, nutmeg, fenugreek, coriander https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e37808f219f004ee8ebf92a/aa11dd80-7307-421a-af75-1e5cff7904e9/stp-chai-masala-0584-1024x1536.jpg.jpeg Culinary Curiosity - A Guide to All the Masalas - Chai Masala People are very passionate when it comes to their chai and chai masala. I love my mom’s chai although I haven’t had it in a very long time due to milk sensitivities. I seriously had to weight out the pros and cons to either having cystic acne or indulging in masala chai. But the best masala chai I have had recently has been in Mumbai…at a hair salon. The owner was kind enough to order a small cup of adrak wali chai, or ginger chai, from the corner chaiwalla and wow it was perfect. I also had an amazing cup of saffron masala chai at Brooke Bond Taj Mahal Tea house in Bandra, Mumbai. Kudos to my cousin for the excellent recommendation. I have a whole blog post on chai and colonialism so be sure to check it out if you’re interested. The history of masala chai is actually quite fascinating especially when you realize that we have been consuming this beverage for less than a hundred years! Common Ingredients: Ginger, cinnamon, black pepper, cloves, green cardamom, fennel https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e37808f219f004ee8ebf92a/70c29072-a07b-4d0d-8cfd-651c9b27da38/sambar-podi-2.jpg.jpeg Culinary Curiosity - A Guide to All the Masalas - Sambar Masala This masala is so distinctively South Indian. This is the masala you need to make sambar, a tangy spiced stew filled with vegetables and lentils. It is commonly served with dosa, vada, idili or rice. I think it is hard to make a good sambar. A lot of people say they make good sambar but none have come close to the ones served in Udupi style restaurants in Mumbai. I mention Mumbai only because I am not as well traveled across India as I am in Mumbai at this point. But usually when I order dosa at places here in New York I pass on the sambar. Personally I don’t like it to be watery and I like a little bit of sweetness too. Common Ingredients Chana daal, urad daal, toor daal, curry leaves, cumin, coriander, black pepper, methi/fenugreek seeds, red chilies, black mustard seeds, turmeric https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e37808f219f004ee8ebf92a/b6878dee-baa3-4e3c-8598-2e7b541953ac/God-Masala.jpg.jpeg Culinary Curiosity - A Guide to All the Masalas - Goda Masala I would say this masala is a Maharastrian version of garam masala but the ingredients and flavor is so distinct to the region. This masala is used to make popular dishes like Amti and Usal Pav. The Culinary Heart blog has a great post on Goda Masala. I have linked it to the picture. My experience with goda masala is when my mom bought a bottle of this masala from India. I used it for some ground chicken and it turned out so delicious. Especially because of the dried coconut, I really enjoyed the flavor profile. I also love my aunt’s Maharastrian style cooking, so I might be a bit biased about goda masala. Common Ingredients Coriander, cumin, white poppy seeds, dried coconut, black cardamom, bay leaf, cloves, mace, nutmeg, dried red chilies, fennel, sesame seeds, stone flower https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e37808f219f004ee8ebf92a/ba4e7201-01bf-4543-bbdf-3eb386b7b3c2/Chicken-Biryani-16.jpg Culinary Curiosity - A Guide to All the Masalas - Biryani Masala There are actually hundreds of different biryani masalas because almost every region has their own version. Hyderabadi, Sindhi, Lucknowi, Bombay, Malabari, Chettinad…the list is endless. In fact, most of the spices that are composed in a typical biryani masala are not too different from garam masala. You could essentially make a biryani with garam masala. But, just my opinion, the best biryanis are ones where you can strongly taste the spices. Saudi Arabian biryani, or kabsa, is actually amazing. It is so flavorful and I actually have not found a comparable taste anywhere else. But you tell me, what is your favorite type of biryani? Common Ingredients Bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, cardamom, fennel, nutmeg, black pepper, cumin, mace https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e37808f219f004ee8ebf92a/f9cf4752-44ed-4608-8ba0-c6f414021bbe/Panch-Phoron-2-1.jpg Culinary Curiosity - A Guide to All the Masalas - Panch Phoron Masala An integral spice mix used primarily in West Bengal, Assam, Orissa, Bangladesh and parts of Nepal. It roughly means “five spice mix” and is known by different names across the regions. I personally like this spice mix because in this economy, I like to see less ingredients as possible! Jokes aside, I have never tried this spice mix but I love how distinct it is. According to Whisk Affair’s blog, this mix can be used for pickling, vegetables, lentils, fish and poultry. So basically the AP spice mix of Eastern South Asia. I am actually interested to try this because I think nigella seeds have a very unique flavor and Bengalis cook some amazing fish curry. Common Ingredients radhuni or cumin or celery seeds, fenugreek/methi seeds, nigella seeds, fennel seeds, mustard seeds https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e37808f219f004ee8ebf92a/773ecabd-131a-4797-aa22-8bb21574b994/Best-Pav-Bhaji-Recipe.jpg Culinary Curiosity - A Guide to All the Masalas - Pav Bhaji Masala The best way to describe this masala is that it is basically garam masala with a bit of chaat masala. This is essentially the spice you need to make pav bhaji which is an iconic street food in Mumbai.This dish, or the bhaji, is a spiced mash of veggies like potato, tomato, cauliflower, carrots, peas and pepper. Pav is this soft, square bread that is kind of like dinner rolls but not that soft either. They are more airy and nicely buttered up when served. And why not an extra slice of Amul butter in the bhaji! The interesting history behind pav comes from the Portuguese pão but that shall be another post! Common Ingredients Aamchur, black salt, turmeric, black pepper, red chili powder, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cardamom, fennel, garlic powder, ginger powder https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e37808f219f004ee8ebf92a/d66413e5-33a6-43eb-b29e-691d1fc06fd5/chana-masala-spice-mix_-6.jpg Culinary Curiosity - A Guide to All the Masalas - Channa Masala I have been eating channa masala for years and it is literally just now I am realizing how similar the masala is to pav bhaji masala but just different proportionally. To be honest I never really looked up channa masala recipes because my mom makes it the best (purr), but a lot of the recipes out there are looking a bit dry! This dish for sure is gravy based. With some naan or paratha it is a comfort meal. Even just pouring it on top of basmati chawal to the point where the ratio of curry to chawal is 3:1 - that is the perfect meal! Sooo add some water, cook the curry down more and maybe hold off on all the tomato too when you make the next batch of channa masala. Common Ingredients Coriander, cumin, black pepper, fennel, kasuri methi, aamchur, turmeric, clove, ajwain, red chili powder, https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e37808f219f004ee8ebf92a/3087b9eb-c2fa-4233-845f-85f057308373/Vadouvan-Eggplant-and-Cauliflower-Casserole-19.jpg Culinary Curiosity - A Guide to All the Masalas - Vadouvan Masala This spice mix is a unique blend of Tamil and French culture. Often quoted as the French version of curry powder, this masala originated from Pondicherry during French colonialism. In fact, according to the official government website of Pondicherry, the French ruled the area for around 300 years. The Encyclopedia of Spices notes that vadouvan derives from a traditional masala made in Tamil Nadu called vadavam or vadagam. Onions and aromatics are first dried in the sun before they are combined with the rest of the ingredients. To make vadouvan, however, this process is mimicked through the use of the oven or altogether skipped. I have seen powder and paste versions of this masala on different recipes. I have yet to have any vadouvan dishes, although I am excited of the possibility. I first was introduced through an episode of either Masterchef or Top Chef and I was embarrassed with my Indian-ness of not knowing of this spice before hand. In my defense, this spice blend is pretty niche. Common Ingredients Onions or shallots, fennel, rosemary, garlic, cumin, coriander, mustard seeds, cardamom, curry leaves, black pepper, fenugreek, red chili powder, turmeric https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e37808f219f004ee8ebf92a/50147815-0780-4fd6-8513-741ceb26fd29/blog_3-3.jpg.jpg Culinary Curiosity - A Guide to All the Masalas - Cafreal Masala Chicken Cafreal is a niche dish originiating from the Portuguese influence from Goa. In fact, the preparation is thought to be originated in the African colonies under Portuguese rule, most likely Mozambique. The masala is bright green which results in the greenish brown look of the dish. I often read that what completes a Cafreal dish are the fried potatoes and the Goan buns. This masala is more of a wet paste mixture that you would use to coat your choice of meat or vegetable and then cook it until you are left with a “dry gravy”. This is also a dish I hope to make since I have never tried it. Matter of fact, I really need to try more Goan food or better yet - go there! Common Ingredients Coriander leaves, garlic, ginger, green chilies, cloves, black pepper, cumin, lime, cinnamon, onion https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e37808f219f004ee8ebf92a/edec80cc-73c2-4d53-baf4-6bbd8c9e2f6a/bb8eb7e4e8902ad119abe902cbd96b0c.jpg Culinary Curiosity - A Guide to All the Masalas - Bhaja Masala This is an interesting Bengali spice mix. Normally referred to as a “finishing spice”, it is made by gently dry roasting or slightly toasting whole spices. According to Archana’s Kitchen blog, “bhaja” means toasting or shallow frying. After toasting, the spices are ground up to form a masala that can be used to “top” or “finish” a range of dishes like a Bengali lassi, aloo tikki or even fish. I am associating the use of this masala with chaat masala which I am more familiar with. You can possibly cook with chaat masala like I bet a handful of people do with bhaja masala, but it is used as a topper or finisher for many different dishes to give a slight “punch”. The recipes ranged quite a bit, some people used only three spices when some recipes called for ten. What I gathered from looking at a handful of these recipes is that, this spice should be multi-functional. So the less complicated the better. It could be comparable to garam masala but normally garam masala isn’t used to finish a dish. Common Ingredients Coriander seeds, cumin, dried red chilies, fennel, cardamom, black pepper, cinnamon, clove, bay leaves https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e37808f219f004ee8ebf92a/a0168fea-406b-4931-ba66-8f97eec977cb/RasamPowder-SimiJois4.png Culinary Curiosity - A Guide to All the Masalas - Rasam Masala A comforting bowl of hot and tangy rasam is just what one craves when they are feeling under the weather. I loveeee rasam. Especially when I fall sick, I immediately need a cup of rasam. A lot of people enjoy having rasam with idili or vada or rice but I’m not a huge fan of consuming it like that. I just have it like soup or hot tea and relish it every second. The tanginess from the tamarind with a hint of sweetness from the jaggery and the kick from crushed black pepper is enthralling. Common Ingredients Coriander, red chilies, curry leaves, fenugreek, black pepper, mustard seeds, cumin, turmeric https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e37808f219f004ee8ebf92a/bde9029c-84a0-4e3e-875d-572596dbeb47/Chettinad_Spice_Mix_Recipe_Chettinad_Masala_Powder-7_1600.jpg Culinary Curiosity - A Guide to All the Masalas - Chettinad Masala Chettiar or Chettinad cuisine hails from Tamil Nadu. Chettiar is actually a caste term - meaning that this community is known to be financiers and some of the early global traders of India according to the National Library Board of Singapore. The early merchants had access and would regularly do business with ports located within South East Asia like Burma, Malaysia, Singapore and also Sri Lanka. All these cultural influences can be seen in the cuisine and even the architecture in Chettinad. Common Ingredients Marathi mughru, black pepper, red chilies, kalpasi, mace, nutmeg, star anise, cinnamon, black cardamom, green cardamom, bay leaf, poppy seeds, fennel, cumin https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e37808f219f004ee8ebf92a/b880be36-7311-46dc-b721-4982e90cb05c/bFG0MCYeiYbV4FEgNgEQ.JPG.jpg Culinary Curiosity - A Guide to All the Masalas - Bafat Masala A staple in Manglorean and Goan cuisine. It is used extensively by Manglorean Catholics to make vegetarian dishes and non-vegetarian dishes like Dukra Maas which is a pork curry. Konkan Catholic cuisine, which includes Manglorean and Goan Catholics, is heavily influenced by the Portuguese. Curries can often include wine or vinegar. Even adding egg and flour to sweets was another adaptation of Western influence. Katelyn Saldanha wrote a great blog post on Konkani Catholic culture which I have linked below and here if you are interested to learn more. Common Ingredients Byadgi or Kashmiri red chilies, turmeric, coriander, cumin, black peppercorn, cinnamon, bay leaves https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e37808f219f004ee8ebf92a/c4a8116a-0c9e-42d8-83c3-0c3032031393/amchar-masala-trinidadian-spice-mix-1.jpg Culinary Curiosity - A Guide to All the Masalas - Trinidad Masala (Amchar) A popular Trini spice that finds its roots in “aachar”, although it is not necessarily just a pickling masala. I found a couple of recipes in which this masala was used to cook veggies with or just sprinkled on top. As I compare most recipes, the contents of the masala seem to be the same. It always tends to be the same six spices that are whole roasted and then grinded. Common Ingredients Coriander, cumin, mustard seeds, black pepper, fennel, fenugreek https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/how-is-japanese-curry-different-from-south-asian-curries monthly 0.5 2024-04-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e37808f219f004ee8ebf92a/dec15105-828d-4fef-81fb-46f14ee1d9d8/192e536a-3fa7-4b13-ac14-99abf910c0c3382fd4e88b1d6a03a6_%E6%B5%B7%E8%87%AA%E3%82%AB%E3%83%AC%E3%83%BC%E3%81%A7%E3%81%8A%E6%98%BC%E3%80%82_%E3%81%8A%E5%AD%90%E6%A7%98%E3%83%A9%E3%83%B3%E3%83%81%E7%9A%84%E3%81%AA%E3%83%93%E3%82%B8%E3%83%A5%E3%82%A2%E3%83%AB%E3%81%A7%E3%83%86%E3%83%B3%E3%82%B7%E3%83%A7%E3%83%B3%E4%B8%8A%E3%81%8C%E3%82%8B%EF%BC%88%E7%AC%91%EF%BC%89_%2833469920591%29+%281%29.jpg Culinary Curiosity - How is Japanese Curry Different from South Asian Curries? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/isnt-bone-broth-just-a-more-glorified-version-of-stock monthly 0.5 2024-01-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e37808f219f004ee8ebf92a/4146a623-d32b-4814-a321-ea0bcd7d2485/tempImageOTH4TL.jpg Culinary Curiosity - Isn’t Bone Broth Just a More Glorified Version of Stock? - Make it stand out Filled two 64oz milk jugs with homemade turkey broth after Thanskgiving. I felt so accomplished. https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/a-guide-to-iconic-diwali-sweets monthly 0.5 2023-11-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e37808f219f004ee8ebf92a/1699375279494-248GVBSYMQPR8U3YAHZH/image-asset.jpeg Culinary Curiosity - A Guide to Iconic Diwali Sweets - 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) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e37808f219f004ee8ebf92a/1699376269082-4GHNTS7UDTW0VBW7EB0N/image-asset.jpeg Culinary Curiosity - A Guide to Iconic Diwali Sweets - 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 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e37808f219f004ee8ebf92a/1699376779389-W81M9FHLGL4PHDXT1A0S/image-asset.jpeg Culinary Curiosity - A Guide to Iconic Diwali Sweets - 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 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e37808f219f004ee8ebf92a/1699377391959-Z2GYZGR3FK6V1O5V4XBG/image-asset.jpeg Culinary Curiosity - A Guide to Iconic Diwali Sweets - 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! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e37808f219f004ee8ebf92a/f83bf2ec-db82-420f-8252-5b61b3984141/Mithai-1-1440x1718.jpg Culinary Curiosity - A Guide to Iconic Diwali Sweets - 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 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e37808f219f004ee8ebf92a/1699582031741-CWS67DOOYQG1NGWAX86J/GettyImages-480717269.jpg Culinary Curiosity - A Guide to Iconic Diwali Sweets - 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 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e37808f219f004ee8ebf92a/92b0cdbd-c518-4a7a-bcee-26f3e11c65ec/1200-by-1800-images-1-1.jpg Culinary Curiosity - A Guide to Iconic Diwali Sweets - 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 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e37808f219f004ee8ebf92a/72a1cf51-0f61-4205-953e-0f2b87fc7630/Milk-Powder-Barfi.jpg Culinary Curiosity - A Guide to Iconic Diwali Sweets - 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 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e37808f219f004ee8ebf92a/2efff774-079d-4eb8-bdc1-453fb5b15b84/Homemade-Doodh-Peda-Recipe-1.jpg Culinary Curiosity - A Guide to Iconic Diwali Sweets - 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 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e37808f219f004ee8ebf92a/0270bd2b-b329-4cca-b775-dd621769f736/Platter-of-Ras-Malai.jpg Culinary Curiosity - A Guide to Iconic Diwali Sweets - 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 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e37808f219f004ee8ebf92a/87b1f517-3272-4871-a244-09526add8415/2508312484b1430454c1d2a9a1505344.jpg Culinary Curiosity - A Guide to Iconic Diwali Sweets - 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 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e37808f219f004ee8ebf92a/f2c613e2-5deb-4086-9b7f-66016a5afdf7/DSC00138.JPG Culinary Curiosity - A Guide to Iconic Diwali 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 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e37808f219f004ee8ebf92a/ff877331-c716-484f-86fb-e8d7748991e5/Karanji-6.jpg Culinary Curiosity - A Guide to Iconic Diwali Sweets - 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 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e37808f219f004ee8ebf92a/80325b2f-41ec-4925-944a-4b4b94d55f22/hq720.jpg Culinary Curiosity - A Guide to Iconic Diwali Sweets - 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 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e37808f219f004ee8ebf92a/f380f2ad-a5fb-4c3f-806e-0348c8d789ff/shutterstock_1182461014-1-1024x683.jpg Culinary Curiosity - A Guide to Iconic Diwali Sweets - 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 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e37808f219f004ee8ebf92a/df497ac3-e6f4-4e77-9f3a-cd860954fb5a/kalakand.jpg Culinary Curiosity - A Guide to Iconic Diwali Sweets - 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 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e37808f219f004ee8ebf92a/3c4acd7a-629d-48ea-9580-9c6611e77a34/Malpua-12.jpg Culinary Curiosity - A Guide to Iconic Diwali Sweets - 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. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e37808f219f004ee8ebf92a/1699589724947-2IATBJPNOQDZ6M0DR943/image-asset.jpeg Culinary Curiosity - A Guide to Iconic Diwali Sweets - 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! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e37808f219f004ee8ebf92a/1681ec3d-c438-4cc6-8676-31aecf16840f/Sheera.jpg Culinary Curiosity - A Guide to Iconic Diwali Sweets - 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! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e37808f219f004ee8ebf92a/31d3d610-9c99-4dff-a981-731104d31b6e/c543febbf4c3fc6e38f4abc4a1159f64.jpg Culinary Curiosity - A Guide to Iconic Diwali Sweets - 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. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e37808f219f004ee8ebf92a/991a6c30-2cd3-43a0-b7dd-218b41fce8f2/xhdpi.jpg Culinary Curiosity - A Guide to Iconic Diwali Sweets - 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. https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/what-is-the-difference-between-chutney-and-pickleachaar monthly 0.5 2023-01-16 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/what-is-nutritional-yeast monthly 0.5 2022-10-17 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/why-did-i-see-mahindra-tractors-in-the-movie-minari monthly 0.5 2025-10-25 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/what-is-the-difference-between-baking-powder-amp-baking-soda monthly 0.5 2021-03-08 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/is-masala-chai-a-result-of-colonialism monthly 0.5 2024-01-22 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/is-brown-sugar-the-same-as-jaggery monthly 0.5 2020-05-13 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/%23movie monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/jaggery monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/umami monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/dutch monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/tea monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/chinese monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/baking monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/%23Minari monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/japanese monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/%23sweets monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/mother+sauces monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/baking+soda monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/stock monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/french monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/colonialism monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/%23guide monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/achaar monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/%23tractors monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/%23southasia monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/gastronomy monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/baking+powder monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/history monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/east+asia monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/analysis monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/curry monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/corporations monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/flavor monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/%23diwali monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/science monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/restaurants monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/%23festivals monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/culinary monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/%23American monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/culinaryterms monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/spices monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/%23Korean monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/comfort+food monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/soup monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/basics monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/Japanese+food monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/broth monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/cookies monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/pickle monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/katsu monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/%23Indian monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/tamil monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/malayalam monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/%23holidays monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/masala monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/cooking monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/kitchen monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/europe monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/burgers monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/brown+sugar monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/chai monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/kerala monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/chef monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/cusine monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/rice monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/%23farming monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/food monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/porridge monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/%23Kdrama monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/chutney monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/ayurvedic monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/%23Mahindra monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/iwasjustcurious/tag/Indian monthly 0.5 https://flavorwalii.com/contact daily 0.75 2025-10-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e37808f219f004ee8ebf92a/56e861ec-0b44-40d7-b7d1-24240dce0e84/Shakshuka+4.jpg Contact ~ One of my favorite meals : Shakshuka https://flavorwalii.com/about daily 0.75 2025-10-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e37808f219f004ee8ebf92a/03d9f26a-75fb-4c7a-b306-bb81a8d9fa11/Masala+Chai About - An Aspiring Culinary Spelunker. A term perfectly coined by Padma Lakshmi and most clearly describes my place in the culinary world. A spelunker is an explorer of caves and the cave we will be exploring will be absolutely filled with delectable grub. Everyone’s relation with food is complex. Some eat to live, while others live to eat. As you will see, I completely fall under the latter. Food is fascinating. Life changing. Revolutionizing. It is more than what is on a plate. It is identity, love, passion and I wholeheartedly believe it can invoke a range of feelings like no other. I am excited to extend my spelunking journey onto a platform in which I can showcase my findings and explore my culinary passion and I hope you will join me on this joyride as I dive into a cave of many wonders... https://flavorwalii.com/socialmedia daily 0.75 2025-10-25