Come winters, my Punjabi household is filled with the aroma of peanuts and jaggery. Yes, that is a loved combination at my home. Cracking open the peanuts and popping them into the mouth in one go while biting into a chunk of jaggery from the side is a heavenly feeling. This is like staple winter ritual in the late afternoon. While hot donuts and croissants make for delightful sweet treats in winter, they lack the desi touch to them. Here, in India, we’ve got a plethora of desserts. Each region has a diverse range of sugary bites that they like to indulge in every now and then. For instance, Bengalis are widely-recognised for their soft and creamy chhenna (paneer) mithais. Gujaratis, on the other hand, like to add a touch of sweetness to most of their food.
Then, in the past few decades, with globalization and inter-mingling of cultures, we’ve got some lip-smacking Indo-western desserts like boondi ladoo cheesecake, gulab jamun rabdi parfait etc. However, despite all the variety, there are certain basic and simple desserts which can be called quintessentially winter sweets. These not only taste great in winter but also provide the body with the warmth it needs.
This winter season, try these utterly delicious Indian sweet meats and make your winters even more special.
Gond Ke Ladoo
The sweet whole wheat ladoos are a perfect combination of taste and health. Packed with dry fruits and edible gum, the ladoos are loaded with sugar and ghee. The use of such ingredients makes the ladoos not only heavy, but also very filling. These are essentially a Rajasthani sweet meat that is relished in different parts of the country during winter season.
Gajar Ka Halwa
You know it’s winter season when you can smell the freshness of carrots all around you. Apart from being strengthening bones and providing us with fibre, these calcium-rich root vegetables are grated to make a delicious halwa too in winters. The carrots are simmered along with milk for hours before it khoya is added to attain a thick and sticky consistency. This is then finished off with dry fruits for the crunch.
Lapsi
A traditional Gujarati lapsi is known as fada lapsi. This is a broken wheat pudding with a semi-thick consistency and a rich taste. Oodles of ghee and sugar go into the continuous stirring of the dessert which is then filled with chopped cashews and raisins. It is quite a tedious job but the taste makes it worth it.
Chikki
Call it gajak, call it chikki, the fact remains that the two of them are the most popular winter sweets in Northern Indian. Either made with peanuts or til, this crunchy dessert owes its sweetness to the use of jaggery. While the former is crunchier and sweeter, the latter is a little more crumbly is texture.
Nolengurer Sandesh
By the name, you must have guessed that it is a Bengali dessert. This delightful sandesh is available only during the winter months as the jaggery is extracted from date palm to prepare this sweet. The soft, creamy, peda-like Bengali sweet is not just delicious but also a healthy treat.
Pinni
A classic Punjabi winter sweet, these heavenly bites are widely prepared at home during this season. Made with whole wheat atta, dry fruits and sugar, the mixture is rolled into balls or whatever shape you like when it’s hot. This is then cooled down to attain the shape and be relished for days altogether.
Sheera
The warmth of this Indian pudding reaches to the core once you take a bite in. The smooth pudding is loaded with cashews and raisins. Made with semolina (suji), this is similar to a halwa but with a fluffy texture. Serve it hot and you would want more than a spoonful.
Imarti
A close cousin of the crispy thin jalebi, imarti can be thought of as the chubby member of the family. The twisted circular shape of the imarti should not be confused with jalebi as it is thicker and softer than the former. While you may find imarti all year round, the combination of imarti and badam milk can be best enjoyed on chilly winter evenings.