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Gujarati cuisine is a flavourful fusion of skillfully prepared food using a range of traditional cooking techniques, herbs, and spices. Everyone knows the wide range of Gujarati snacks, also known as farsaan, which have a distinct flavour compared to snacks from other parts of India. These snacks include fafda, ghatia, mutthiya, khakra, dhokla, and kandvi.
However, Gujarati cuisine is also renowned for a range of sweets in addition to these delicacies. In Gujarat, traditional recipes are conserved and passed down throughout generations, upholding the cultural essence of every dish to this day. And for that reason, Gujarati sweets are very authentic.
Gujarat Day 2024: 10 Iconic Sweets To Explore From The Land of Legends And Lions
Doodh Pak
Similar to kheer, or rice pudding, doodh pak has a subtle sweetness and a rich, creamy taste. Rice is cooked gently in milk until it thickens. This rice and milk dessert is fragrant and aromatic due to the use of cardamom, saffron, and sometimes nutmeg. Warm doodh pak is topped with slivered almonds and it's a filling dish with plenty of nutrition.
Kansar
Kansar is a classic dessert dish from Gujarat. Cracked wheat and sugar, ghee, and milk are the primary components. Traditionally, the dish is prepared as a good omen for joyous events like weddings, where it is usual for the bride and groom to eat it on their wedding day. As per traditions, if a bride is cooking at her in-laws' house for the first time after marriage, her first meal to prepare should be kansar.
Mohanthal
Mohanthal is a festive Indian dessert made by sautéing gram flour, ghee, and milk in a skillet until the mixture turns brown and aromatic. Hot sugar syrup is then drizzled over the mixture, and chopped almonds and pistachios are added as a finishing touch.
This dish is customary in the states of Gujarat and Rajasthan. However, in Gujarat, it is made without khoya, a dried evaporated milk solid, which is necessary in the Rajasthani style. This decadent dish is customarily offered as an offering of worship to Lord Krishna in India since it is thought to have been the Hindu god's favourite.
Sukhdi
Gujarat is the home of this classic dessert. It is prepared using ghee, jaggery, and atta, or whole wheat flour. This dessert is referred to as gur papdi or gol papdi in Maharashtra. Ghee is melted, and wheat flour is added to the pan to make the sweet. Cooking the mixture for a few minutes causes it to brown. After that, the heat is turned off, and jaggery is added. Sukhdi is served after being chilled and sliced into squares or diamonds. When cooked correctly, the texture should be meltingly soft and crumbly.
Sutarfeni
Sutarfeni is a confection made of rice flour that has been roasted in ghee and mixed with melted sugar to resemble cotton candy. Typically, cardamom is used to flavour the dessert, and nuts like pistachios and almonds are added on top.
The word sutar, which means thread, and feni, which means fine, describe its texture. It is not advised to produce sutarfeni at home because it is a labour-intensive process that can take up to three days to complete. Sutarfeni is said to have originated in the deserts of Rajasthan and Gujarat, and travellers brought it to Mumbai.
Magaj
The traditional Indian confection comes from Gujarat and is typically prepared for weddings or Diwali celebrations. In addition to the three primary components of chickpea flour, sugar, and ghee, the dessert also includes cardamom, nutmeg, and nuts like pistachios and almonds.
Over very low heat, the chickpea flour is fried in ghee until it turns brown and flavourful. It is combined with cardamom, nutmeg, and powdered sugar once it cools. Spooned into a dish that has been buttered, the mixture is topped with nuts and allowed to set overnight. Magaj is served at room temperature the next day after being sliced into squares or diamonds.
Basundi
Basundi, a Gujarati delicacy, is made by slow-cooking whole milk with sugar, aromatic spices like cardamom and nutmeg, and nuts like chironji, almonds, and pistachios. The end product is thickened, flavoured, and sweetened milk. This delicacy is comparable to the North Indian dish Rabri since both are made with creamy milk and fragrant spices, and they can be eaten warm or cold. Whereas basundi is smoother and thinner, rabdi has a consistency that is similar to custard. Sweetened condensed milk can also be used to make basundi quicker.
Shrikhand
Known for its thick, creamy texture and sweet taste, shakhand is an Indian yoghurt-based dessert sweetened with sugar and fruits. In Maharashtra and Gujarat, shrikhand is also prepared on Janmashtami, the day that honours the birth of God Krishna. Shrikhand's origin story is well-known; it is believed that the herders hung yoghurt or curd overnight to make it easier to carry on their travels. They would gather the thick yoghurt the following day and flavour it on their lengthy journey by mixing it with sugar, almonds, and dried fruits.
Fada Lapsi
Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh are among the Indian states where lapsi halwa is a common delight. Nonetheless, there could be some variations in the components or method of preparation according to the area. When cooked with cracked wheat, lapsi is sometimes referred to as fada lapsi in Gujarat. The dish is also called laapsi, lapsi halwa, dalia sheera, lapshi, gulachi lapsi, cracked wheat fada, or cracked wheat pudding in various parts of India.
Most Gujarati houses would make and serve this delectable dessert on Dhanteras, two days before Diwali, or on Diwali day for Naivedyam, which is believed to bring good luck for the upcoming year.
Ghari
Known by another name, Surati Ghari, this distinctive and age-old dessert is a must-try when visiting Surat. To make spherical balls, mawa, gram flour, almonds, cashews, pistachios, sugar, and cardamoms are filled into a dough composed of refined flour, ghee, and water. These are then chilled and served after being deep-fried and dipped in sugar syrup.
These flavourful, fragrant, and rich Gujarati sweets must have tingled your taste buds if they haven't already. Remember to try all these fantastic Gujarati sweets whenever the trip to Gujarat takes place. These treats will surely make the visit even more special and enjoyable.
