List of Indian sweets and desserts

This is a list of Indian sweets and desserts, also called mithai, a significant element in Indian cuisine. Indians are known for their unique taste and experimental behavior when it comes to food. Many Indian desserts are fried foods made with sugar, milk or condensed milk. Ingredients and preferred types of dessert vary by region. In the eastern part of India, for example, most are based on milk products. Many are flavoured with almonds and pistachios, spiced with cardamon, nutmeg, cloves and black pepper, and decorated with nuts, or with gold or silver leaf.^[1]

North[edit | edit source]

Name	Main ingredients	Category
Arsa	Rice flour, Jaggery	Fried, jaggery based
Apple Halwa^[2]	Apple, Milk, Ghee	Halva
Balushahi	Maida flour, yogurt, oil, sugar.	Sugar syrup based
Boondi	Gram flour (besan), ghee, sugar.	Sugar syrup based
Gajar ka halwa	Carrots, milk, sugar, ghee, cashews and raisins.	Halva
Ghevar	Flour, ghee, kewra, milk, clarified butter, sugar, almonds, pistachio, saffron, green cardamom.	Fried, sugar syrup based
Gulab jamun	Fried milk balls soaked in sweet syrup, such as rose syrup or honey.^[3]	Fried, sugar syrup based
Imarti	Sugar syrup, lentil flour.	Fried, sugar syrup based
Jalebi	Dough fried in a coil shape dipped in sugar syrup, often taken with milk, tea, yogurt, or lassi.^[4]	Fried, sugar syrup based
Kaju katli	Cashews, ghee with cardamom and sugar.^[5]	Barfi
Kalakand	Milk, cottage cheese.	Burfi
Kheer	A rice pudding made with milk, rice, sugar and dried fruits^[6]	Pudding
Khirmohan	Chhena, sugar, semolina, water.	Sugar syrup based
Kulfi^[7]	An ice cream made with milk and sugar, with a variety of flavours such as mango, saffron, or cardamom.^[8]	Ice cream
Laddu	Gram flour (besan), ghee, sugar.	Laddu
Lassi	Yogurt, milk, nuts, can be made with mango.	Yogurt drink
Motichoor laddu	Besan flour, sugar.	Laddu
Malpua	Wheat or rice flour.^[9]	Fried, sugar syrup based
Nankhatai	Refined flour, besan, ghee, powdered sugar, yogurt green cardamom seeds.	Baked
Petha	Firm white pumpkin, sugar, kitchen lime, alum powder.	Sugar syrup based
Phirni	Rice, sugar, nuts.	Pudding
Rabri	Boiled condensed milk, sugar, spices and nuts.^[10]	Pudding
Sheera	Semolina, ghee, nuts, milk.	Pudding
Singori	Khoa, coconut, molu leaf.	Milk-based
Sohan halwa	Corn flour, ghee, dry fruits.	Halva
Sohan papdi, pateesa	Besan flour.	Barfi

East[edit | edit source]

Name	Main ingredients	Category
Amriti	Deep fried vigna mungo, sugar syrup.	Fried, sugar syrup based
Cham cham	Flour, cream, sugar, saffron, lemon juice, coconut flakes.	Milk-based
Chandrapuli	Khoa, sugar, ghee, coconut flakes.	Coconut and milk based
Chhena gaja	Chhena, sugar, ghee.	Milk-based
Chhena jalebi	Chhena, sugar, ghee.	Milk-based
Chhena Jhili	whole milk, refined flour, powdered sugar, cardamom, oil/ghee for deep frying	Milk based
Chhena kheeri	Chhena, sugar, milk.	Milk-based
Chhena poda	Sugar, chenna cheese.	Milk-based
Chuda Ghasa	Rice Flakes (Poha), Sugar powder or Jaggery, Desi Ghee, Grated fresh Coconut, Pepper Powder, big cardamon powder, Dry fruits Optional	Flatten rice/rice flakes, sugar/jaggery, ghee based
Coconut Barfi	Made from coconut, fine ground sugar, ghee, cardamom powder and milk.	Coconut and milk based
Kheer sagar	Chenna, condensed milk, sugar, saffron, cardamom.	Milk-based
Ledikeni	Chhena, sugar, ghee.	Milk-based
Lyangcha	Flour, fried milk power, sugar syrup.	Milk-based
Malapua (dessert)	Yogurt, refined flour, ghee, fennel seeds.	Milk-based
Mihidana	Besan flour, sugar, ghee.	Fried, sugar syrup based
Misti doi	Yogurt, jaggery.	Milk-based
Pantua	Chhena, sugar, ghee	Milk-based
Pithe	Rice flour.	Milk-based
Puri Khaja	Refined flour (maida), pure ghee, sugar, refined cooking oil for frying (Pure ghee may also be used for frying) Salt to taste	Ghee and refined flour-based
Rabri	Sweetened milk.	Milk-based
Rasabali	Chenna, sweetened milk.	Milk-based
Ras malai	Chhena, reduced milk, pistachio	Milk-based
Rasgulla	Chhena, sugar	Milk-based
Sandesh	Made from cheese, kneaded with fine ground sugar and molasses.^[11]	Milk-based
Sirir naru	jaggery and gram flour, mustard oil for deep fry	Jaggery based

South[edit | edit source]

Name	Main ingredients	Category
Ada	Rice flour, grated coconut, jaggery or sugar
Adhirasam	Rice flour, jaggery, ghee, vegetable oil, elachi
Bandar Laddu	Besan, jaggery, cardamom powder, ghee, cashews and raisins, jaggery syrup, sugar	Laddu, popular in Machilipatanam, Andhra Pradesh^[12]
Chikki	Nuts (usually peanuts), jaggery
Dharwad Pedha	Milk, Sugar, Dharwadi buffalo milk	Burfi
Double kaa Meetha	Loaf bread, milk
Gavvalu	Rice flour
Jaangiri	Black gram	Fry syrup based
Kakinada khaja	Wheat flour, sugar
Kuzhi paniyaram	Black lentils and rice
Mysore pak	Besan flour, sugar, ghee	Burfi
Obbattu / Holige / Bobbatlu / Pappu Polelu / Boli	Maida flour, Coconut or Channa Dal/Toor Dal, Jaggery	Bread
Palathalikalu	Rice flour, milk
Poornalu	Chana dal, jaggery
Pongal	rice, jaggery, cashews, ghee
Pootharekulu	Rice flour, powdered sugar/ghee
Khubani ka meetha	Apricots, sugar syrup
Kesari bath	Rava (semolina, ghee, sugar)
Ksheer korma	Vermicelli pudding, milk
Unni Appam	Rice flour, banana, jaggery, coconut
Kajjikaya	Rice flour, jaggery, coconut

West[edit | edit source]

Name	Main ingredients	Category
Anarsa	Slightly fermented rice flour, jaggery, khus-khus seeds
Basundi	Sugar, milk
Bebinca	Flour, sugar, ghee, egg yolk, coconut milk	Baked layered Christmas sweet
Dhondas	Cucumber, rava	Baked cake
Doodhpak	Milk, rice, sugar, dry fruits	Milk-based
Kaju katli	Cashews, ghee
Mahim halwa	Semolina, sugar
Modak	Rice flour, coconut jaggery stuffing	Fried
Patoleo	Rice flour, coconut jaggery and grated coconut stuffing	Wrapped in turmeric leaves and steamed
Puran poli	Wheat flour, gram, jaggery	Bread
Shankarpali	Sugar, ghee, maida flour, semolina
Shrikhand	A creamy dessert made out of strained yogurt, often served with dried fruits such as mangoes.^[13]	Yogurt-based
Sutar feni	Maida, sugar, ghee

Pan-Indian[edit | edit source]

Name	Main ingredients	Category
Burfi	Milk Powder	Burfi
Halva	Semolina	Boiled
Kheer	Milk, vermicelli,sugar,nuts	Milk-based, called Payasam in Southern parts of the country
Laddoo	Milk, flour	Laddu
Peda	Milk (khoya), sugar	Milk-based

References[edit | edit source]

↑ Alan Davidson (2014). Tom Jaine (ed.). The Oxford Companion to Food (3rd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 410–411. ISBN 978-0-19-967733-7.
↑ Apple, Halwa. "Marraige [sic] Cuisine Style Apple Halwa Recipe- Super Suvai Tamil". Super Suvai Tamil. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
↑ Priya Wickramasinghe; Carol Selva Rajah (1 February 2005). Food of India. Murdoch Books. pp. 264–. ISBN 978-1-74045-472-8. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
↑ Lise Winer (16 January 2009). Dictionary of the English/Creole of Trinidad & Tobago: On Historical Principles. McGill-Queen's Press – MQUP. pp. 460–. ISBN 978-0-7735-3406-3. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
↑ Elizabeth M. Collingham (2006). Curry: A Tale of Cooks And Conquerors. Oxford University Press. pp. 71–. ISBN 978-0-19-517241-6. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
↑ Subodh Kapoor (1 July 2002). The Indian Encyclopaedia. Cosmo Publications. p. 1745. ISBN 978-81-7755-257-7. Retrieved 4 June 2012.
↑ Caroline Liddell, Robin Weir (15 July 1996), Frozen Desserts: The Definitive Guide to Making Ice Creams, Ices, Sorbets, Gelati, and Other Frozen Delights, Macmillan, 1996, ISBN 978-0-312-14343-5, ... Kulfi is the traditional Indian ice cream and has a strongly characteristic cooked-milk flavour and dense icy texture. ... The basis of making kulfi is to reduce a large volume of milk down to a very small concentrated amount ...
↑ Malvi Doshi (1 November 2002). Cooking Along the Ganges: The Vegetarian Heritage of India. iUniverse. pp. 448–. ISBN 978-0-595-24422-5. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
↑ Gil Marks (10 September 2010). Encyclopedia of Jewish Food. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 382–. ISBN 978-0-470-39130-3. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
↑ Mohini Sethi (1 January 2008). Institutional Food Management. New Age International. pp. 850–. ISBN 978-81-224-1525-4. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
↑ Priya Wickramasinghe; Carol Selva Rajah (1 February 2005). Food of India. Murdoch Books. pp. 260–. ISBN 978-1-74045-472-8. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
↑ Varma, Sujatha. "In search of Bandar Laddu".
↑ Barry A. Law (31 July 1997). Microbiology and Biochemistry of Cheese and Fermented Milk. Springer. pp. 128–. ISBN 978-0-7514-0346-6. Retrieved 16 June 2012.

External links[edit | edit source]

Template:Dessert Template:Lists of prepared foods

[1] Alan Davidson (2014). Tom Jaine (ed.). The Oxford Companion to Food (3rd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 410–411. ISBN 978-0-19-967733-7.

[2] Apple, Halwa. "Marraige [sic] Cuisine Style Apple Halwa Recipe- Super Suvai Tamil". Super Suvai Tamil. Retrieved 12 October 2020.

[WickramasingheRajah20051-3] Priya Wickramasinghe; Carol Selva Rajah (1 February 2005). Food of India. Murdoch Books. pp. 264–. ISBN 978-1-74045-472-8. Retrieved 16 June 2012.

[Winer2009-4] Lise Winer (16 January 2009). Dictionary of the English/Creole of Trinidad & Tobago: On Historical Principles. McGill-Queen's Press – MQUP. pp. 460–. ISBN 978-0-7735-3406-3. Retrieved 16 June 2012.

[Collingham2006-5] Elizabeth M. Collingham (2006). Curry: A Tale of Cooks And Conquerors. Oxford University Press. pp. 71–. ISBN 978-0-19-517241-6. Retrieved 16 June 2012.

[Kapoor2002-6] Subodh Kapoor (1 July 2002). The Indian Encyclopaedia. Cosmo Publications. p. 1745. ISBN 978-81-7755-257-7. Retrieved 4 June 2012.

[7] Caroline Liddell, Robin Weir (15 July 1996), Frozen Desserts: The Definitive Guide to Making Ice Creams, Ices, Sorbets, Gelati, and Other Frozen Delights, Macmillan, 1996, ISBN 978-0-312-14343-5, ... Kulfi is the traditional Indian ice cream and has a strongly characteristic cooked-milk flavour and dense icy texture. ... The basis of making kulfi is to reduce a large volume of milk down to a very small concentrated amount ...

[Doshi2002-8] Malvi Doshi (1 November 2002). Cooking Along the Ganges: The Vegetarian Heritage of India. iUniverse. pp. 448–. ISBN 978-0-595-24422-5. Retrieved 16 June 2012.

[Marks2010-9] Gil Marks (10 September 2010). Encyclopedia of Jewish Food. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 382–. ISBN 978-0-470-39130-3. Retrieved 16 June 2012.

[Sethi2008-10] Mohini Sethi (1 January 2008). Institutional Food Management. New Age International. pp. 850–. ISBN 978-81-224-1525-4. Retrieved 16 June 2012.

[WickramasingheRajah20052-11] Priya Wickramasinghe; Carol Selva Rajah (1 February 2005). Food of India. Murdoch Books. pp. 260–. ISBN 978-1-74045-472-8. Retrieved 16 June 2012.

[12] Varma, Sujatha. "In search of Bandar Laddu".

[Law1997-13] Barry A. Law (31 July 1997). Microbiology and Biochemistry of Cheese and Fermented Milk. Springer. pp. 128–. ISBN 978-0-7514-0346-6. Retrieved 16 June 2012.

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