Traditional Sweets & Desserts from India’s Diverse States

As Indians, we love to celebrate small occasions in our lives, with something sweet. It could be a festival, wedding, anniversary, birthday, promotion at work, birthday, everything calls for a muh ki meetha ceremony. 

It is not surprising that every state in this diverse country of ours has its own unique sweets & desserts. Most of the time, we notice our grandmothers, mothers, and partners, preparing something sweet in the kitchen. 

Traditional Sweets & Desserts 

From the sun-kissed beaches of the South and the misty mountains of the North, Indian desserts offer you the joy of indulgence. We love sweets, and in most cases, we don’t need an occasion to celebrate. 

It is just a desire to have something sweet, delicious, white, and sugary. Let’s explore some of the iconic sweet dishes from each state. In this post, we have compiled a list of sweets that are popular in most of the states in India.

Modak

We begin our journey in the traditional sweets & desserts with some marvellous Maharashtrian sweets. Modak is similar to a white dumpling. The only difference being that it is stuffed with sweetmeats. 

You can use a blend of jaggery and sugar. That gives you an excuse to keep popping them inside your mouth. Prominently prepared during the Ganesh festivals in India. You can also lace them with some coconut gratings as well. 

Puran Poli

Puran Poli is a flatbread that is stuffed with sweets. You can find this dish prepared during popular festivals in Maharashtra. The puran is filled using sugar and some lenthils, but you can use your own variations if you want to. 

You need to soak the lenthils overnight, and then make it into a small paste. You can then make them into small balls. The dish is mainly prepared during the festival of Champa Shashthi which occurs in the month of December.

In the South, it is just known as the Poli. You can need to stuff the dough with the filling, and then gently fry them in a pan. If you know how to prepare rotis and chapathis, then this dish is an ease to prepare. 

Ada Pradhaman

This is a Kerala famous sweet and is often prepared during auspicious occasions. If you like rice-based sweets, then you for sure, will love this dish. The Rice Ada is a rice flour batter that is gently cooked until it becomes thick like a dough. 

You can then make it as thick, long ribbons. The dish is prominently served during the festival of Onam Sadhya, which is a popular festival in India. However, you can also serve this dessert anytime, you want to.

Palada Payasam

Palada Payasam is a popular sweet dish that is predominantly made from sugar & milk. Most of the Indian sweet dishes are prepared from milk & sugar. The Payasam is a popular sweet in South India and is the same as the North version of the Kheer. 

You can find the same ingredients used, with some variations, in the colour & texture. Basically, it contains rice ada, milk, sugar, and ghee. You can feel the rice flakes that are beautifully cooked with the sweetened milk.

You can lace it with some cardamom & pistachios for added texture. You may want to taste this definitely, as it is one of Kerala’s culinary delights.

Banana Halwa

Banana Halwa is another popular sweet that is prepared in many Malayali homes. You can say that it is a testament to this state’s rich culinary legacy. You can find a lovely mix of some ripe bananas, sugar, and ghee. 

Halwa is a popular dish that is consumed throughout India. You can add your own elements to this dish according to your taste & requirements. You can prepare it using some ghee and sugar. Moreover, it can be had as a snack as well.

Chhena Poda

Next, we bring to you a popular sweet of Orissa, known as Chhena Poda. This wonderful dessert & sweet is a preparation from baked cheese and sugar syrup. That is it. You read it right. The sweet dish is quite light, semi-white, and airy to say. 

The sweet originated from Orrisa and has been in tradition for several centuries now. The cheese is slightly burnt, hence the name Poda, which means burnt in Oriya. The cheese and its elements are actually baked for several hours until it turns brown in colour. 

We may suggest that you add some semolina in there as well. You will be surprised to know that it is quite healthy, depending on the sugar syrup that you add. You can add your own elements to the dish, and make it flavourful, wonderful, and elegant as well.

May we add, that is it an innovative sweet dish, due to the caramelization of sugar. To get the authentic version, we suggest that you add less sugar during your first try, you won’t be disappointed. 

Roshgulla

Roshgulla, is synonymous with Orissa & West Bengal. This sweet dish finds itself consumed during breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Similar to the Chenna Poda, it is prepared from Chenna, that is a popular ingredient used to make several food dishes in India. 

The ball-shaped dish comes added with semolina dough, and mixed with sugar syrup. A very heavenly sweet dish that comes infused with a concoction of sugar, chenna, and semolina. It can’t get better than this. 

Sandesh

Sandesh is another popular dish that served during special occasions. In some parts of India, the Sandesh is known as Sondesh. A simple, yet elegant dish that is prepared with a few ingredients like sugar and milk. 

The white sweet dish is refreshing, firm, and each bite gives you a taste of North-East India. We can assure you that it will delight your taste buds & senses like nothing else.

Qubani Ka Meetha

This is one of the most popular desserts from Andhra Pradesh. You can find them served after dinner on special occasions like weddings, anniversaries, and birthdays. This is similar to the popular Indian sweet dish, the Gulab Jamun.

The colour, texture, and flavours are almost the same. However, you can add your own elements like pistachios, apricots, almonds, and cashew nuts. 

Pootharekulu Kunda

Pootharekulu is nothing but wraps that are sugar-coated. It is similar to rolls. So, if you like sweets that are shaped in the form of rolls, then you for sure, will love this dish. This sweet is prepared from thin rice paper & sheets. 

Then you need to just stuff in the sugar. You will be delighted to know that the texture of this dish is pretty fine and that it goes right inside when you place it inside your mouth. The moment, you pop one inside, your mouth, we can assure you that you will keep craving for more. 

Conclusion 

There you go, these were some of the traditional sweets & desserts from India’s diverse states. We hope we have covered as much as possible for your taste buds. You may have prepared an Indian dessert list by now. 

Next time you want to have something sweet, then make sure to try one of these delicious treats. Please give them a try as most of them require only a few ingredients and some milk. Your family will be highly impressed with your efforts. 

Maybe for a change, do prepare them for special occasions & functions at your home. Do tell us how the experience went.