What’s an Indian festival without food and more food? It is bland and lackluster. Each Indian household associates every event, big or small, with a variety of mouth-watering, scrumptious, and decadent delicacies and Diwali is no exception. Once the festivities commence, i.e. weeks in advance, the first thing everyone turns to is food. Whether it is mithai, ladoo, kachoris, or aloo-poori, you can rest assured that these best Diwali desserts are making mouths water, as fast as you’re reading this.
Across India, people cherish and relish different kinds of desserts rich with flavor, tradition, and of course, sugar! There is plenty you may not have known and we are here at your service with our highly-detailed, mouth-watering list of sweets loved by Indians in different states of the country.
Check out the best Diwali desserts this festive season
1. Kheel Batasha (Delhi)
Definitely not a snack specific to Diwali, most every kid in Delhi, and other parts of India, is familiar with the light, fluffy, and sugary flavor of Kheel Batasha – rice puffs (kheel) and sugary discs (batasha). Accompanying the two are khilone (animal-shaped sweets) and Hathris; picture a tower fashioned entirely out of snow-white sugar that you can relish for days on end.
2. Mawa Kachori (Rajasthan)
Kachoris are often savoury stuffed with roasted lentils or potato filling however, since Diwali is as special as it gets Mawa Kachori from Rajasthan is, in fact, decadently sweet. Packed with khoya and dry fruit (royal constituents of mawa), the kachori is fried to give two distinct textures for a riot of flavours in your mouth – gulp!
3. Moti Pak (Rajasthan and Gujarat)
A close-relative of the famed and gooey motichoor ladoo, moti pak is a square-shaped barfi made from besan (chickpea flour), khoya, and sugar. Specific to eastern India, the sweet treat is covered with a silver warq – a delicate film of beaten silver for added texture and an elevated experience!
4. Chironji ki Barfi (Madhya Pradesh)
An underrated nut but duly appreciated in barfi-form, Chironji has wholesome health benefits which may or may not sustain when coupled with khoya and tons of sugar, but Diwali is an extended cheat day so pay no attention to calories! The dish originated in Sagar, MP and is now relished by the entire country, obviously.
5. Teepi Gavvalu (Andhra Pradesh)
Move over sea shells from the sea shore, it’s teepi gavvalu season! These dainty, delicious shell-shaped confectioneries are made from rolling and shaping dough, followed by a drool-worthy deep-frying session and then the climax; a good soak in decadent, sugar syrup for the final touch.
6. Anarsa (Maharashtra and Bihar)
Deep-fried rice flour and jaggery come together to create this sweet, sweet dessert common to the state of Maharashtra and Bihar. Speckled with poppy seeds, anarsa is part of Diwali faral (or snacks) eaten for breakfast by the whole family.
7. Karanji (Maharashtra)
A half-moon shaped crisp pastry with a surprise inside; karanjis are a favourite among many households across India. It has many aliases such as ghujjia, ghughra, kusli, and neuri depending on the state. Filled with sweet sugar syrup-soaked dry fruits, roasted coconut, and khoya, karanjis are an essential part of a traditional, Maharashtrian Diwali feast.
8. Shankarpali (Western India)
Diamond-shaped food? Yes, please. Shankarpali or Shakkar pare is a diamond-shaped, deep-fried snack that can be eaten sweet or savoury. Typically enjoyed as a sweet on Diwali, the shankarpali is dusted with powdered sugar and definitely consumed by the handful.
9. Gulgule (Punjab or any North Indian state)
https://www.instagram.com/p/BpcD9Q8gvBc/?tagged=gulgule
Gulgule are small, fried doughy balls of wheat flour heartily consumed whole dunked in chilled rabdi or kheer (rice pudding). Need we say more?
10. Pinni (Punjab)
A family-favourite, pinni is a grainy, wholesome delicacy packed with dry fruits and khoya relished with joy by children and adults alike. Punjabi households cherish the cooking process as much as they enjoy eating the wheat-flour or atta ladoos with their loved ones. Hopefully, we can go grab a few before a sibling fight breaks out!
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