Every year, Delhi makes news for its crippling cold wave. About two, three years back we even witnessed a hailstorm. It wasn’t very intense, but it was certainly a big deal. Delhi winters are getting colder and colder, and while we are not very sure as to what it means for us in future, in the present, we are just thankful for our ‘winter essentials’ that make every day slightly more pleasant than before. Greens like sarso, palak, methi invade our mains, kadhas replace sharbat. And as far as our desserts go, well, let’s just say we are spoiled for choice.
1. Moong Dal Halwa
So Moong Dal is something that is available all year round, and so are the other ingredients that go into this Halwa, so how are they so relevant to Dilli ki Sardi you ask? The weddings may have something to do with it. This is the most popular dessert served at almost all Delhi weddings, and just a bit of this velvety halwa makes you forget the harsh and chilly weather otherwise. This halwa is of a light golden colour, the luminosity is all ghee. We like the halwa to be soft but also slightly bitey.
2. Gajar Ka Halwa
It is officially the Halwa season in the capital, you hand us any fruit or vegetable and we would start thinking of ways to make a halwa out of it. Gajar ka Halwa, is arguably the most popular winter dessert across North. Grated carrots are cooked sedulously with milk, sugar and cardamom to make this soft and comforting winter treat. Red, juicy carrots also known a desi gajar are preferred to make this halwa as they are inherently juicy and sweeter than the orange, hybrid ones that are available around the year.
3. Daulat Ki Chaat
If you see a Delhhite hopping with joy at the mere mention of Daulat ki Chaat, please understand this is a winter exclusive dessert that is only around for like three months. What’s with the peculiar name? There are legends galore. They say, the amount of premium nuts, time and effort that goes into making this chaat could be a reason for the unusual name (Daulat, means wealth in Hindi), some also says that it was sold on streets by a person named Daulat, and the name caught on. Now coming to the dessert itself. Milk is left out in the night for the dew drops to make it airy, the form collected on top in the morning is scraped out mixed with mawa, sugar and loads of nuts. Drooling, aren’t you?
4. Rabri-Jalebi
Delhi winters are incomplete without weddings and weddings here are sort of incomplete without jalebis. I have a particular penchant for the thin ones, they are smaller and much crispier and go so well with thick rabri. The confluence of textures and flavour is incomparable here.
5. Shahi Tukda
The Mughal influence on Delhi’s food, culture, and architecture is indelible. Shahi Tukda which means a ‘Royal Piece’ in English is a dessert where slices of bread are fried in ghee and dipped in sugar syrup before it is slathered over by lusciously sweet and thick rabdi, finished off with nuts and dry fruits. It is best enjoyed warm on a chilly day like today. Craving some? Here’s the recipe.
6. Malpua
These small, crisp pancakes dipped in sugar syrup are associated with many religious festivals like Chhat, that celebrated right after Diwali. Traditionally, malpuas are deep-fried in ghee, and anything that has that amount of ghee, is good enough to feature in our winter fare.