Republic Day Special – 29 traditional Sweet Dishes of 29 States of India

Do you know every state of India has its own tradition sweet dish recipe?

Yes, it’s true.

India has 29 states and all these particular states have their own special and unique traditional sweet dish to make their festivals happiest.

India and its Culture: –

India is a land of diverse cultures and traditions. Indian culture is one of the oldest in the world and has been influenced by various civilizations over the centuries.

The culture of India is reflected in its food, clothing, music, art, literature and festivals. Indian food is known for its rich flavors and spices that are used to create unique dishes. India has a wide variety of regional cuisines which have been influenced by local ingredients and cooking styles.

Indian food has become popular all over the world due to its unique flavor combinations and use of spices that make it stand out from other cuisines. India’s cultural diversity also makes it an ideal destination for travelers who want to explore different cultures and sample delicious foods from all over the country.

The following we have shared 29 traditional sweet dishes of 29 states of India with their full recipes on the occasion of Republic Day.

29 traditional Sweet Dishes of 29 States of India:-

• Pootharekulu from Andhra Pradesh: Pootharekulu is one of the famous traditional sweet dishes of 29 states of India. This dish is from the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is made with a thin sheet of rice paper that is filled with jaggery and cardamom powder.

The sweet dish has been popular in the region since ancient times and it is still enjoyed by many people today. Pootharekulu has a unique texture and flavor that makes it stand out from other Indian sweets. It can be enjoyed as an after-meal treat or as an accompaniment to tea or coffee.

Ingredients:

Paper-rice

Desi Ghee

Jaggery (or sugar)

Broken cashew nut (or other dry fruits)

Method of Preparations:

1. Take three layers of the rice paper, the bottom layer is a complete one while the others on top are more like broken pieces and put them on a small wooden table in front of you.
2. Put a few drops of desi ghee, jaggery and broken cashew nut on it. Ghee makes the rice paper a little soft which allows it to be folded easily.
3. Make two folds and put some more ghee, jaggery and broken cashew nut.
4. Make more folds and the sweet is ready to be eaten or packed.

• Koat-pitha from Arunachal Pradesh: Koat Pitha is a delectable fritters recipe, which is easy-to-make and can be prepared at home without putting in much efforts. Therefore, it is famous and one of the most loved traditional sweet dishes of 29 states of India. 

Ingredients:

2 cup rice flour

1/2 cup powdered jaggery

1/2 cup water

2 pinches salt

1 cup refined oil

4 banana

Method of Preparations:

1. Begin with combining powdered jaggery and water in order to get a syrup like consistency.
2. Once you achieve the desired consistency of the mixture, sieve it to remove the unwanted parts.
3. Take a deep bowl and add bananas in it. Gently mash the banana using a spoon and add the jaggery syrup in the bowl followed by rice flour and salt.
4. Mix all the ingredients together to get a thick dropping batter like consistency.
5. Heat a deep bottomed pan on medium flame, heat oil. Once the oil is hot enough, gently pour spoonful of the prepared batter in the oil.
6. Fry these fritters until you see a nice golden brown color. Transfer the fritters into an absorbing paper. Serve.

• Komolar Kheer from Assam: This is a typical and very popular Assamese dessert that tastes different but enthralling. It is easy to make and is perfect to serve during special occasions or festivals.

Ingredients:

1 liter Milk

4 tablespoons Sugar

6 Whole Almonds (Badam), socked in water for an hour

2 tablespoons Mixed nuts, chopped

1/2 cup Orange pulp

Method of Preparations:

1. To begin making the Assamese Komolar Kheer recipe, put the milk in a heavy sauce pan.
2. Bring the milk to boil and reduce heat to minimum. Keep stirring with a wooden spoon from time to time.
3. Soak the almond for a couple of hours and peel. Chop or slice the almonds and the cashew nuts.
4. When the milk starts to thicken add the dry fruits to the kheer.
5. Add sugar and keep stirring. When the kheer is of desired consistency switch off the gas.
6. Keep stirring for a while. Cool the kheer and cover.
7. Just before serving add the chilled orange pulp. Enjoy as a dessert after a meal.

• Thekua from Bihar: Thekua is a traditional deep-fried sweet snack from Bihar made from whole wheat flour (atta).

Ingredients:

500 gm wheat flour

2 teaspoon ghee

2 cup refined oil

2 cup water

300 gm sugar

1 teaspoon powdered green cardamom

1/2 cup grated coconut

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

Method of Preparations:

1. To prepare this Bihari recipe, put a deep-bottomed pan on medium flame and boil 2 cups of water in it. After a boil, add sugar in the water and stir till it melts. Once the sugar is melted, switch off the burner and put down the pan.
2. Add ghee in the sugar syrup and stir to mix. Allow the syrup to cool at room temperature.
3. Now, take a dough kneading plate and add wheat flour in it along with grated coconut, fennel and cardamom powder. Mix well and then add the sugar syrup in batches to knead the dough. Make sure the dough is not too soft. It has to be hard or your Thekua will make like pooris!
4. When the dough is ready, make small balls with your hands. Press them flat, you can use a cookie cutter to give them shape.
5. Now, put a kadhai on high flame and heat oil in it. When the oil is hot enough, add a flattened piece of dough and deep fry them till golden brown in colour.
6. Let them cool & store

• Khurmi from Chhattisgarh: Chhattisgarh have its own tribal cuisine, coming to this Khurmi, it’s one of the traditional sweets prepared in this state.

Ingredients:

1+1/2cups Wheat flour
2tbsp Ghee
2tbsp Sesame seeds
1/2cup Grated jaggery
Oil for frying

Method of Preparations:

1. Take the ghee,flour,sesame seeds, grated jaggery in a bowl.
2. Prepare a tight dough(if needed sprinkle some water).
3. Make thick flat oval shaped balls from the dough.
4. Heat oil for deepfrying.
5. Deep frythe khurmi in small batches until they turns golden brown.
6. Store them in air tightened box.

• Bebinca from Goa: Bebinca or bibik is a pudding like famous dessert from Goa. Made with coconut milk, eggs, butter and flour, this dessert forms layers of cakes.

Ingredients:

200 Gram Refined flour

10 Egg yolks

500 gram Sugar

200 ml Coconut milk

5 gram Nutmeg powder

200 gram Butter

Method of Preparations:

1. Mix the coconut milk, flour, sugar, nutmeg and the egg yolks and make a batter.
2. Grease an oven proof dish with a spoonful of melted butter, pour 75 ml of batter into the dish and spread evenly.
3. Bake till golden brown.
4. Spread another spoonful of butter and pour another 75 ml of batter over it and spread evenly.
5. Bake and repeat this until all the batter is used up.
6. Turn out the bebinca onto a wire rack.
7. Cool and cut into slices before serving.

• Magaj or Magas Ladoo from Gujarat: Magaj is a traditional gujarati magas sweets. Magaj is a melt-in-mouth mithai made with energising combination of besan, sugar and ghee.

Ingredients:

4 cup Besan

1 cup Ghee

2 cup Powdered Sugar

¼ cup coarsely powdered almonds

½ tbsp. Cardamom

Method of Preparations:

1. Firstly, in ladoo quantity of flour should be double than of ghee and sugar. also, intake equal quantities of ghee and sugar in grams.
2. Roasting or besan (gram flour ) is a key point to making the perfect ladoo. Roast besan on low flame till it slightly changes its color and becomes aromatic. Do not roast besan on high flame otherwise, it will burn and bitter in taste.
3. Cool down roasted besan mixuture at room temperature then add sugar and roll ladoo. Do not add sugar when the besan mixture is slightly hot.
4. Lastly, Store magas ladoo in airtight container for 15 days at room temperature or 1 month in the refrigerator.

• Alsi ki Pinni from Haryana: Haryana cuisine is very much influenced by Punjabi cuisine, obviously Alsi ki pinni is a very known healthy sweet balls from Punjabi cuisine. However Harynavi cuisine owns this fantastic balls as well.

Ingredients:

1cup Flaxseeds
1cup Wheatflour
3/4cup Jaggery (powdered)
2tbsp Edible gum/Goond
4tbsp Ghee (as per need)

Method of Preparations:

1. Dry roast the flax seeds in a pan until they starts crackling, remove them from the pan, keep aside.
2. In the same pan, dry roast the wheat flour until a nice aroma comes from.
3. Add a teaspoon of ghee in an another pan, fry the edible gum/goond them well.
4. Now take the roasted flaxseeds, roasted wheatflour, fried edible gum, powdered jaggery in a mixie jar, grind everything well.
5. Transfer this mixture to a plate, heat the ghee, add the ghee gradually to the grounded powder and roll tightly as balls.

• Meethe Chawal from Himachal Pradesh: The flavourful rice is cooked in milk along with the spices and turmeric, which gives it the golden colour. The chawal is then decorated with roasted nuts and raisins. Sugar is used as the sweetener here.

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice – 1 cup

Ghee – 2 tbs

Mixed Nuts a handful

Raisins – 2 tbs

Milk – 3/4 cup

Water – 1 1/4  cup

Saffron a pinch

Turmeric Powder a pinch

Cardamom – 2

Cinnamon – 1 small piece

Clove – 2

Fennel Seeds – 1/2 tsp

Sugar – 1/3 cup

Method of Preparations:

1. Wash and soak rice for 20 minutes.
2. Add saffron to milk and set aside for 10 minutes.
3. Heat ghee and fry the nuts and raisins and set aside.
4. Now add cinnamon, fennel, clove and cardamom to the ghee and roast for a while.
5. Add the drained rice and fry for a minute or two.
6. Add sugar and saute until it melts completely.
7. Add water and saffron soaked milk along with turmeric powder and allow it to come to boil.
8. Cover, reduce flame to low and cook until the rice has absorbed all the water.
9. Remove from flame and let it sit for 10 minutes.
10. Garnish with the roasted nuts and raisins and serve.

• Kashmiri Suji Phirni from Jammu & Kashmir: Phirni also called as firni is a classic slow-cooked Indian sweet pudding made with basmati rice, milk, nuts, sugar and scented with cardamom powder or saffron or rose water. So, must try this one of the most loved traditional sweet dishes of 29 states of India.

Ingredients:

1 Litre Milk (Full-fat milk preferred)

6 tbsp Samolina, Suji, Rava (About 50 gms)

6 tbsp Sugar (About 100 gms)

1/2 tsp Cardamom Powder

20-30 Strands Saffron

2 tbsp Slivered Almonds (for garnish)

Method of Preparation:

1. Bring the milk to a boil.
2. Lower the heat.
3. Add the semolina while stirring constantly.
4. Cook on medium flame while stirring constantly till the milk thickens a bit.
5. Add the saffron and continue to cook till you get a thick pudding consistency.
6. Add sugar and cardamom powder.
7. Mix well and turn off the heat.
8. Transfer to earthen bowls.
9. Garnish with slivered almonds.
10. Let the Kong Phirin cool and set. If you prefer it cold, refrigerate the Kong Phirin.
11. Enjoy!

• Malpua from Jharkhand: Malpua is a traditional Indian sweet dish that has been enjoyed by generations of people. It is a simple yet delicious dessert made with flour, sugar, and milk. This recipe will guide you through the steps to make the perfect Malpua every time.

Ingredient:

Maida – 500 gm
Milk – 350 gm
Sugar – 500 gm
Water – 2 cup
Fennel seeds (Saunf) – 2 tsp (coarsely ground)
Green cardamom powder – 1 tsp
Saffron – 2-3 strands (optional)
Oil for frying – 500 gm (approx.)

Method of Preparation:

1. Take maida in a bowl and mix milk in it by adding little by little. Mix mashed banana also if desired.
2. Mix fennel powder and 1/2 tsp cardamom powder, and leave the batter aside to rest.
3. To make sugar syrup, take sugar and water in a large vessel and bring to boil, stirring continuously.
4. Remove from heat and add rest of the cardamom powder and saffron, if desired. Set aside.
5. Heat oil in a kadai and pour 1 small ladle of the batter, for frying.
6. Fry the pua on both sides till golden brown.
7. Take out the fried pua from oil and transfer to the sugar syrup immediately. Finish frying the rest of the puas in the same way.
8. Take out syrup soaked puas or “Ras puas” from the sugar syrup, and serve hot.

• Palada Payasam from Kerala: Payasam prepared with palada (rice ada), a common sweet delicacy prepared in almost all Kerala households during the festival of Onam and many other occasions.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup palada (rice ada)

1 tablespoon chopped cashew nuts

1 tablespoon raisins

2 cup milk

2 tablespoon ghee

¼ cup sugar

¼ teaspoon cardamom powder

Method of Preparation:

1. Firstly, take a 100gms of rice Palada. Wash the rice Palada and drain it off using a strainer. Keep it aside.
2. You can prepare the Payasam in a pressure cooker. Wash & clean the cooker well before using the cooker.
3. Then add in 1.5 liters of full-fat milk to the cooker. For 100 gms of rice Palada, 1.5 Liters of milk will be enough.
4. Boil the milk over high or medium flame. Stir it occasionally.
5. Once the steam starts to come out of milk, add in 1 cup of sugar/225 gms of sugar. Mix well & boil the milk. Stir in intervals.
6. Then add in the drained rice-palada to the boiled milk & mix well & bring it to boil by stirring in between.
7. Turn the flame to very low & pressure cook for nearly 1 hr. Make sure it cooks in the same pressure without releasing the pressure. (cook without any whistleblowing from the cooker for nearly 1 hr.).
8. After 1 hr, remove the cooker from heat & let it sit until the pressure is settled down naturally.
9. Then open the cooker. You can see the desired pink color & consistency is obtained. Mix it well.
10. Add in 1/2 tsp cardamom powder. Mix it well.
11. Our palada Pradaman is ready to serve. The payasam will turn sticky as the time goes on, so you can add some milk and loosen the consistency.

• Mysore Pak from Karanataka: Rich, luxurious, fudge-like Mysore Pak is a famous Indian treat that is simultaneously buttery and nutty, and will simply melt in your mouth. Made with just three ingredients – gram flour (besan), ghee and sugar.

Ingredients:

1.25 cups sugar (200 to 210 grams sugar)

1 cup gram flour (besan) (100 grams)

1 cup ghee (200 to 210 grams)

Method of Preparation:

1. Sieve the gram flour once or twice. This helps in reducing the lumps if any while mixing gram flour in the sugar syrup.
2. Grease a loaf pan with some ghee. If you don’t have a loaf pan, use any pan or tray which can give you some depth and height, so that you can get rectangular or square pieces of mysore pak.
3. Now add the sugar to a heavy, thick-bottomed kadai. Use a heavy and large aluminium or iron kadai.
4. Add ½ cup water in the sugar.
5. Keep the pan on the stove top. On a medium-low or medium heat, heat the sugar syrup.
6. Stir so that the sugar dissolves. Simultaneously, add the ghee to separate pan and keep it on the stove top.
7. Let the ghee melt on a low heat. The ghee has to be hot when we add it to the gram flour mixture, but it should not exceed a slow simmer.
8. Let the sugar syrup start bubbling and boiling, then add the gram flour.
9. Add the gram flour in 3 to 4 stages to the sugar syrup. First, add some of the gram flour.
10. With a wired whisk, stir the gram flour briskly so that it dissolves with the sugar solution.
11. Now with one hand, using a spoon, add a bit more of the gram flour, and with the other hand continue to whisk.
12. Continue until all of the gram flour is absorbed into the mixture.
13. Stir very well, so that the gram flour is evenly mixed with the sugar syrup.
14. Working carefully, add ghee in parts. First add a ladle full of the hot ghee.
15. You will see a lot of bubbles and frothing in the gram flour mixture after you add ghee.
16. As soon as you add ghee, mix it with the gram flour with a spoon or spatula.
17. Then add the second part of ghee and again mix it very well. Keep the heat to a medium-low or medium.
18. Continue the pattern – with one hand using a ladle, add ghee, and with the other hand mix it with a spatula – until all of the ghee is absorbed into the mixture.
19. Be sure to use a bigger kadai and wear gloves and long sleeves, as there is a lot of sizzling, frothing and bubbling that happens.
20. All the ghee will be absorbed first and what you will see is a smooth, molten mixture.
21. On a medium-low to medium heat continue to cook and continuously stir the mixture.
22. You have to continue to cook and stir till you start seeing bubbles in the mixture and the ghee is beginning to separate from it. The mixture will also start to leave the sides of the kadai or pan.
23. When the mixture comes together in one mass and you see some ghee at the sides, then continue to stir and scrape.
24. When you see many small bubbles and holes in the mixture, then switch off the heat. When you reach this soft-ball stage, you have to be attentive. A few seconds here or there will ruin the texture of the mysore pak.
25. Spread it level in the pan with a spatula, the back of small glass or a small steel bowl.
26. Let the mysore pak mixture become warm or cool down. 35. Slice the mysore pak into your desired shape. Store in an air-tight container.
27. Serve mysore pak as a festive sweet to your loved ones. Enjoy!

• Koat-Pitha from Mizoram: Mizoram’s famous Koat Pitha is a delectable fritters recipe, which is easy-to-make and can be prepared at home without putting in many efforts.

Ingredients:

2 cup rice flour

1/2 cup powdered jaggery

1/2 cup water

2 pinches salt

1 cup refined oil

4 banana

Method of Preparation:

1. Begin with combining powdered jaggery and water in order to get a syrup like consistency. Once you achieve the desired consistency of the mixture, sieve it to remove the unwanted parts.
2. Take a deep bowl and add bananas in it. Gently mash the banana using a spoon and add the jaggery syrup in the bowl followed by rice flour and salt. Mix all the ingredients together to get a thick dropping batter like consistency.
3. Heat a deep bottomed pan on medium flame, heat oil. Once the oil is hot enough, gently pour spoonful of the prepared batter in the oil. Fry these fritters until you see a nice golden brown color. Transfer the fritters into an absorbing paper. Serve.

• Puran Poli from Maharashtra: This lentil stuffed sweet flatbread is a popular Maharashtrian recipe made during Ganesh Chaturthi, Diwali, Holi or any other festive occasion

Ingredients:

1½ cup chana dal

¼ tsp turmeric

2 tsp ghee

3 cup water

½ cup jaggery

½ tsp cardamom jaggery

For Poli (outer covering):

2 cup wheat flour

1 cup maida

¼ tsp salt

2 tsp oil

Water (for kneading)

Other ingredients:

Maida (for dusting)

Ghee (for roasting)

Method of Preparation:

How to make puran / chana dal stuffing:

1. firstly, in a large bowl soak 1½ cup chana dal for 1 hour.
2. drain off the water and transfer it to the cooker.
3. add ¼ tsp turmeric, ½ tsp ghee, 3 cup water.
4. pressure cook for 3 whistles on medium flame.
5. now drain off the water separating dal and water.
6. transfer the dal to a large kadai.
7. add 1½ cup jaggery and mix well.
8. once the jaggery melts, start to mash the dal.
9. mash until the dal turns smooth paste. you can alternatively, grind the dal and jaggery into the mixi jar.
10. keep cooking until the mixture thickens and hold the shape.
11. now add 1 tsp ghee and ½ tsp cardamom powder and cook for a minute, or until the mixture starts to separate the pan. if the mixture is undercooked, then the stuffing will be sticky and will be difficult to make a ball.
12. transfer to the plate and cool slightly. make sure not to overcook, else the stuffing turns hard.
13. grease hands with ghee and makes ball-sized stuffing.
14. finally, puran is ready. keep aside.

How to prepare poli (outer covering):

15. firstly, in a large bowl take 2 cup wheat flour, 1 cup maida, ¼ tsp turmeric, ¼ tsp salt and 2 tbsp oil.
16. mix well making sure all the ingredients are well combined.
17. now add water as required and start to knead the dough.
18. knead to a smooth and soft dough adding water in batches.
19. grease the dough with 2 tsp oil, cover and rest for at least 1 hour.
20. after 1 hour, punch and knead the dough again.
21. pinch a ball sized dough and make a smooth ball.
22. form a cup by pressing the dough from the sides.
23. place a ball sized prepared puran (dal stuff).
24. start to stuff inside by pulling the dough without having any pleats.
25. now seal the dough without any cracks.
26. dust the ball with maida and flatten slightly.
27. now roll the holige gently, without putting much pressure.
28. roll as thin as possible and making sure the puran is distributed uniformly.
29. now cook the puran poli on hot tawa keeping the flame on medium.
30. flip over once the base is half cooked.
31. spread the ghee on both sides and cook well.
32. puff the puran poli, making sure to cook uniformly
33. finally, enjoy puran poli with ghee or milk.

• Sakin-Gata from Meghalaya: Sakin Gata consists of roasted sesame seeds arranged in banana leaves, which are placed in a unique cooking pot and then steamed

Ingredients:

3 cups of sticky rice

1 cup of ordinary rice

A handful of black sesame seed

2 cups of powdered sugar

Method of Preparation:

1. Soak sticky rice in water overnight. Drain the water and dry the rice for about 3 hours. Pound the rice using mortar and pestle until it turns into a fine powder. Note: You can use the dry grinding attachment of a blender too!
2. Take the ordinary rice and soak it in water for about an hour.
3. Next heat a pan and roast black sesame seed until it crackles and releases an aroma. Let it cool. Pound this into finely coarse form.
4. Add powdered sugar to the powdered sticky rice and mix together.
5. Next take an earthen pot having few holes at the bottom. Layer it with a banana leaf with slits in a few places, and a layer it with soaked rice. Slits in the banana leaf ensure that the holes are not blocked. (* Note: The pot has two layers. Each layer has few holes. Banana leaf and soaked rice are placed on the top layer. The top layer is where the mixture will be placed)
6. Then put a layer of the powdered sticky rice and sugar mixture followed by a little of the black sesame powder. Keep filling in the same order until there are 5 layers of the ingredients.
7. Take another vessel and fill it with water. Allow the water to boil till it starts steaming.
8. Place the earthen pot on top of the hot steamy vessel. Cover the pot with a lid. Tighten the lid with a cloth so that the steam does not escape. Steam then enters the pot through the holes at the bottom.
9. Steam the sticky rice cake for about 30-40 minutes. Cut the cake and serve hot.

• Chak-hao-kheer from Manipur: Chak – Hao Kheer is a traditional kheer recipe from the Indian State of Manipur. Manipir produces a large scale of black rice and this black rice kheer is one of the most popular dish not only within the state but amongst the neighbouring states and many parts of India. Black Rice Kheer is one of the healthiest dessert. It is more healthier than the white rice kheer.

Ingredients:

1 cup black rice

4 cups milk

1/2 cup white granulated sugar

1 bay leaf

2-3 cardamom pods

1 tablespoon assorted nuts to garnish

4 cups of water

Method of Preparation:

1. Clean, wash and soak black rice for 5-6 hours or overnight.
2. Drain the water and place rice to a heavy bottomed saucepan.
3. Add 4 cups of water and bay leaf and place in the stove top at high heat.
4. Bring the rice to boil, then reduce heat and simmer.
5. Simmer for about half an hour or till the rice is tender. Stir frequently in between.
6. Black Rice is harder than other rice, so it will take longer time to cook. If you cook rice with milk instead of milk then rice will not be cooked properly.
7. When rice becomes tender add the milk and give it a good mix.
8. Add cardamom pods.
9. Bring to boil and again simmer for 5 minutes.
10. With the help of a whisk , mix thoroughly to form a kheer like consistency.
11. Add sugar and continue to whisk.
12. The kheer will be now pink color creamy consistency.
13. Before removing from heat check the sweetness, add more sugar if necessary.
14. Transfer in serving bowl and garnish with some crushed nuts.
15. Serve in room temperature

• Mawa baati from Madhya Pradesh: Mawa bati is a popular dessert from Madhya Pradesh made from reduced milk. It is quite similar
  to gulab jamun in appearance and taste.

Ingredients:

1 Cup Khoya(Mawa)

2 Tbsp Nestle Milk Powder

5 Tbsp all-purpose flour (maida)

1 Tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)

As required Amul ghee for frying

As required Dry fruits chopped

1 Cup sugar (chini)

1 Cup  Water. As per requirement

A Pinch Soaked saffron in water

Method of Preparation:

1. Mix sugar with water. Bring to boil. Make syrup on low flame.
2. Add kesar, cardamamom powder. Mix well. Keep sugar syrup aside.
3. Knead mawa thoroughly.
4. Add maida, corn flour and milk powder. Knead into smooth dough.
5. Take portion of dough. Roll using palm. Place dry fruit mixture in center and again roll into round ball.
6. Keep round balls aside.
7. Heat ghee and deep fry bati on low flame till brown on all sides.
8. Dip mawa bati in sugar syrup and soak for 15 minutes.
9. Garnish with sugar syrup and dry fruits. Serve Mawa bati as dessert.

• Black sticky rice pudding from Nagaland: Black rice pudding also called Naap Naang is a chewy yet delicious pudding. It is a famous dish of Nagaland. The dish looked more of purple then black after making the pudding & was filled with fiber in every bite.

Ingredients:

          1/2Cup black rice
          1&1/2Cup water 
          2Cups milk 
          2Tbs sugar
          1Tsp elachi powder
          2Tbs ghee 
          Few raisins 
          Few cashews {dry nuts of your choice}

Method of Preparation:

1. Wash rice with water & pressure cook it using 1&1/2 cup water for 3whistles. Switch off heat & allow it to cool.
2. Transfer to a deep vessel along with milk. Cook till it becomes thick while stirring it once in a while. It takes around 10mins to get it done. 
3. Add sugar & elachi powder to rice pudding & mix it well.
4. Meanwhile heat pan with ghee & to that add raisins & cashew nuts. Fry them for 50secs & switch off heat.
5. Mix them with pudding. Adjust sugar if needed. 
6. Serve warm.

• Chenna Jhilli from Odisha: Chenna Jhilli is one such signature sweet dish of Odisha. Chenna Jhilli is made from fresh Chenna or cottage cheese and then fried in ghee and soaked in light sugar syrup

Ingredients:

          250 gms Chenna

          1 tsp Semolina

          1 tsp plain flour

          A pinch of cardamom powder

          2 cups sugar

          2 cups Water

         5 to 6 crushed cardamoms

         Ghee for deep frying

         Pistachios for garnishing

Method of Preparation:

1. Boil 2 liters of milk and when it starts to boil, lower the gas and pour in 1 tbsp of vinegar. You will start to notice the milk to curdle and the chena being separated from the greenish whey.
2. Pour it over a muslin cloth and clean with cold water for the vinegar smell to vanish.
3. Hang it on a place for minimum 2 to 3 hours so that all the water drains away.
4. Now add plain flour, semolina and cardamom powder to the fresh chenna and knead with your palms on a flat surface till you get a smooth texture. This is the most important step in this which will take minimum 15 to 20 minutes.
5. Meanwhile boil sugar and water in a pan and when it starts to boil, lower the heat and add crushed cardamom to it and keep boiling to get a thin sugar syrup.
6. Divide the dough into equal parts. I made 20 balls out of these.
7. Slowly roll this ball into a log shape using your palm and give it a heart shape by overlapping the both the ends. This is the stage where if your chena is not kneaded enough will crack.
8. That means you have to knead it further to get that smooth consistency.
9. Heat ghee in a kadhai and deep fry these chenna Jhillis on a medium fire so that you can get a beautiful dark rich colour.
10. Remove from oil and spread it on a tissue paper and then add it to the sugar syrup and let it soak in the sugar syrup for minimum 30 minutes.
11. Sprinkle some pistachios on top and enjoy this sweet delicacy from my beautiful State Odisha.

• Gajrela from Punjab: Punjabi Style Gajrela (Carrot Halwa) is a delicious Indian recipe served as a Dessert. Also, not just in Punjab, this sweet dish is one of the most loved traditional sweet dishes of 29 states of India.

Ingredients:

          Carrot – 2 kg

          Sugar – 2 cups

          Khoya – 500 gm

          Cardamom powder 1/2 tsp

          Cashews – 10

          Almonds – 10

          Other dry fruit – 1/2 cup

          Pure ghee – 2 tbsp

          Silver foil

Method of Preparation:

1. Wash the carrots, peel, and grate it.
2. Heat 2 tbsp of pure ghee in a kadai, put the carrots and stir continuously.
3. Cook the carrots till all the water evaporates, then add sugar to the carrot and mix it well. Stir and add half of the dry fruits.
4. Now add grated khoya, cardamom powder and cook for few mins more.
5. Transfer the sweet to a big tray, decorate it with rest of the dry fruits, silver foil and serve.

• Churma Ladoo from Rajasthan: Among traditional sweet dishes of 29 states of India, Churma Laddoo is a famous food of Rajasthan. It’s an easy churma ladoo recipe. It’s generally made together with Dal Bati.

Ingredients:

         500 gm Wheat Flour

         ½ cup Semolina Suji

         250 powdered Sugar

         250 gm Ghee

         Oil to fry

         4-5 pieces cloves powdered

        3-4 pieces Cardamom powdered

Method of Preparation:

1. Combine the whole wheat flour, semolina, 3 tbsp of melted ghee in a deep bowl and mix well until you get a bread crumb texture.
2. Add little lukewarm water at a time and knead to make stiff dough.
3. Make the shape of patties from the dough with your palm or you can shape each portion into the shape of your fist and press with your fingers in the centre of each portion to make an indentation.
4. Heat oil in a pan on medium heat making sure that oil does not get into a smoking point. Turn the flame to low and put sufficient balls at a time into the hot oil and fry these balls until it turns golden brown in colour. Turnover and cook for even cooking.
5. Its takes time around 10-12 minutes to fry the balls as it should be get cooked from inside as well. So do not make the flame high to make the process fast. Allow the balls to turn brown gradually.
6. Repeat the same process for rest of the balls.
7. Once you finished frying all the balls allow them to cool completely. To make the cooling fast break the fried balls into smaller pieces and make it cools.
8. Once it is completely cooled grind it using a mixer. Grind it a little coarse. I did it in batches as I used my small mixie jar.
9. Take coarse powder out from the jar and sieve it to make evenly coarse powder for my laddoo .Big chunks should not be add to the laddoo so again I will take to the grinder and grind it.
10. Take ghee in a pan and melt it on low flame. Once the ghee melts switch off the flame.
11. Collect the mixture in a bowl, add powdered sugar, melted ghee, crushed cloves, cardamom powder, chop almonds and mix it well.
12. Take small handfuls in your palm and roll them into round shape laddooos, if you find it difficult to shape the laddus, add a little melted ghee.
13. Add dry fruits according to your taste
14. You can make churma a day before and refrigerate it.
15. Serve immediately or store in an air-tight container for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator and warm them for a few seconds in the microwave before serving.

• Sel Roti from Sikkim: Sel Roti is a crispy snack from the Indian state of Sikkim that is popularly made during the Tihar Festival. This mildly sweet roti is served with spicy curry

Ingredients:

          Raw rice – 1 cup

          Sugar – ¼ cup

          Ghee – ¼ cup

          Cardamom powder – ½ tsp

          Powdered clove – ⅛th tsp

          Oil – for deep frying

Method of Preparation:

1. Wash and soak the rice overnight and the next day drain the water.
2. In a blender, add the drained rice, ghee, cardamom powder and sugar and blend it to a smooth paste. Add water little by little so that you get a thick batter.
3. Remove the batter to a bowl and using a ladle whip it up for a while, so it becomes light and fluffy.
4. Heat oil in a wide pan. Using a ladle, pour the batter in a circle shape into the hot oil. Let it cook on one side and then flip it to the other side using a bamboo stick (or a chopstick).
5. Make sure that you cook these in low flame to get evenly browned and crispy texture.
6. Once it is cooked all the way around, drain it on a paper towel lined dish.
7. Store Sel Roti in an air tight container once they cool down completely.

• Payasam from Tamilnadu: One of the famous traditional sweet dishes of 29 states of India is Payasam/Kheer. It is a South Asian pudding made by boiling rice, broken rice, broken wheat, tapioca, vermicelli or with few variety of dals with milk and sugar. It is flavored with cardamom, raisins, saffron, cashew nuts, pista and almonds.

Ingredients:

1 cup Rice

1/2 Coconut

1/2 cup Jaggery

2 Cardamoms powdered

Method of Preparation:

1. Dry roast the rice and pressure cook with 3 cups of water.
2. Grate the coconut and extract 2 cups of milk.
3. Add jaggery to the cooked rice and mix well.
4. Add the 2nd extract of coconut milk and bring to a boil.
5. After a minute, add the first coconut milk and simmer for 2 minutes.
6. Add cardamom powder and stir gently.

• Shahi-tukda from Telangana: Shahi Tukda or Shahi Tukra is one of the easiest and quickly prepared traditional sweet dishes of 29 states of India. This Dessert is made by deep frying bread slices in ghee and dunking it in sugar syrup.

Ingredients:

5 bread slices

1/2 ml water

2 crushed black cardamom

3 cup milk

1 handful cashews

1 handful pistachios

1/2 cup ghee

1/2 cup sugar

6 strand saffron

2 pinches powdered green cardamom

1 handful almonds

Method of Preparation:

1. Firstly, cut the sides of bread and cut them into triangle.
2. Fry the bread slices in hot ghee till the bread turns golden brown.
3. Fry the bread both the sides till they turn golden brown.
4. Dip both sides of bread in sugar syrup.
5. Furthermore, in a plate, pour in ½ cup of prepared rabri.
6. Place in fried bread slices.
7. Finally, garnish with few chopped nuts and serve Shahi-tukda.

• Awan Bangwi from Tripura: Awan Bangwi is made only in Tripura. It is made by mixing rice, cashews sauteed in ghee, raisins, and this mixture is put in cones made of banana leaves and is steamed. Tripura, India

Ingredients:

Rice- Guria is special rice that is used in this recipe.

Lairu Leaves or Broad Banana Leaves.

Binder (waruk)

Salt to flavor

Chopped Onion

Chopped Ginger

Chopped carrot (non-obligatory)

Beans (optional)

Method of Preparation:

1. Soak the rice in water for approximately 1 hour.
2. After an hour drain all the water and strain it absolutely.
3. Take a bowl and mix all the elements — The Guria with chopped Onion, chopped Ginger, after which carrot and beans that is elective.
4. The leaf is folded like a cone.

• Bal Mithai from Utrakhand: Made with 3 simple ingredients including granulated sugar, khoya and cane sugar, this dish will a pleasure for someone who has a sweet tooth.

Ingredients:

1/2 kilograms khoya

125 gm granulated sugar

1/2 kilograms cane sugar

2 teaspoon butter

Method of Preparation:

1. To prepare this delicious recipe begin with heating a non stick pan on medium flame. Carefully add the khoya in the pan and dry roast it until you get a brownish shade.
2. Then add in the can sugar to the mixture and mix until the color deepens to a dark brown shade. Mix simultaneously to prevent burning.
3. Take a clean tray (or a plate) and brush it with butter. Transfer the cane sugar-khoya mixture in the tray and evenly spread it.
4. Allow the mixture to cool down and then cut it into desired shapes ( preferably rectangle or squares). Finally coat the mixture with granulated sugar. Once the mithai is coated well, it is ready to served fresh!

• Balushahi from Uttar Pradesh: Balushahi is a traditional dessert originating from Indian but subcontinent. It is similar to aglazed doughnut in trems of ingredients but differs in texture and taste.

Ingredients:

½ cups Refined flour

1 cup Ghee

½ tsp Soda

⅓ cup Curd

Ghee for frying

For Sugar Syrup

2 cups Sugar

1 cup Water

2-3 Green Cardamom pods

1 tsp Fennel seeds

2-3 Black peppercorns

For Garnish

Pistachios, blanched, slice

Mango, small cubes

Fresh Mint leaves

Method of Preparation:

1. In a large bowl, add refined flour, ghee and crumble the mixture well.
2. Add soda, curd combine well.
3. Additionally, sprinkle some water to make dough.
4. Cover with moist cloth and rest for 1o minutes.
5. Pinch a small ball sized dough and make a ball.
6. Make a dent at the centre with the help of a thumb.
7. Heat ghee in a deep pan, deep fry on medium hot to low flame until the balls turn golden brown and crisp.
8. Drop them into warm sugar syrup immediately.
9. Coat the balushahi with sugar syrup on both the sides and soak for 5 minutes.
10. Finally, serve balushahi garnished with a few slice pistachios, mango cubes and fresh mint leaves on top.
11. In a sauce pot,add sugar, water, green cardamom pods, fennel seeds and black peppercorns mix it well.
12. Boil on a medium heat until it reaches a 1 string consistency.

• Mishti-doi from west Bengal: Mishti doi is a classic Bengali sweet made with milk, curd culture and jaggery or sugar. The jaggery used traditionally to make mishti doi is palm jaggery.

Ingredients:

1 liter milk, full-cream or whole milk, (about 4 cups)
12 tablespoons sugar, divided use
2 1⁄2 tablespoons yogurt, lightly beaten till smooth

Method of Preparation:

1. Place a saucepan or kadhai on high heat. Pour in milk, stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium. Add 6 tablespoons sugar and stir vigorously to prevent milk from catching the bottom of the saucepan. Continue cooking, stirring often, till the milk has reduced to half its quantity. This should take about 30 minutes.
2. Make the sugar syrup (caramel): Place a heavy saucepan over medium heat and add the remaining 6 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons water. Once the sugar begins to melt, swirl the pan occasionally till the sugar melts completely and turns a deep caramel brown. Be careful not to let the sugar burn.
3. Pour caramel into the reduced milk and continue to stir until it dissolves completely in the milk. Bring to a boil and continue stirring for about another 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool till it is warm to the touch.
4. Add yogurt and whisk lightly to mix. Transfer into 4 small earthen pots or kullads and let them rest overnight undisturbed. Keep slightly warm by placing kullads in a covered casserole dish or swathing in cloth.
5. The morning after, refrigerate the set mishti doi. Serve chilled.

Do You Want To Learn More Similar Kind Of Festival Recipes?

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