Parwal Ki Mithai: An Unusual Indian Sweet That Is Worth Trying

India is known for its rich flavours and unique recipes. This goes for both the spicy food as well as desserts. Any occasion is incomplete without the presence of sweets. From our victories to start of new beginnings, we celebrate with desserts. Each state has its own significant dishes that are associated with it, like modak from Maharashtra, basundi from Gujarat and Mysore pak from Karnataka. But there are also some unique regional sweets which might be unusual but worth a try. The best example is ‘parwal ki mithai’, a popular sweet of Bihar that is made with pointed bottle gourd.  

Parwal is mostly known for its savoury dishes and is a popular vegetable in North India. It is rich in various nutrients like vitamins (A, B1, C), calcium and dietary fibre but for most of the people, parwal is among the least favourite vegetables. However, the sweet version of this vegetable can change your mind. Though not very popular in all parts of India, this sweet delicacy, prepared with a stuffing of mawa and nuts is common in sweet platters of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. This juicy sweet is delicious beyond words and very simple to prepare.  

Here is a recipe of the traditional sweet of Bihar:

Ingredients:

• 15 parwal
• Sugar as required
• 1 cup water
• For Filling
• 250 grams Khoya  
• 50 grams sugar (powdered)
• 30 almonds  
• 1 tsp pistachios
• 8 cardamoms pods (grinded)

Method:

• Peel the gourds and cut them from the center lengthwise. Do not cut them completely into two pieces.  
• Then take out the seeds carefully.  
• Boil some water in a saucepan and place parwals in it.  
• Let them boil for about four minutes and then turn off the heat.  
• Cover the pan and set it aside for half an hour.  
• After half an hour, strain the water completely from the parwals.  
• Then in another saucepan, add water and sugar and let it boil until it forms a syrup. Remember to stir in continuously so that the sugar dissolves properly.
• Put all the parwals in this syrup and let it boil until the colour changes and flip the side of the parwal while boiling it.  
• Then cover the vessel and leave it for one hour in the syrup.    
• Meanwhile, put khoya in a wide pan and roast it on a medium flame till it turns light pink and let it cool down.  
• Then add grinded almonds, cardamom, pistachios and sugar into the roasted khoya.  
• Take out the parwal from the syrup and place them on a plate and stuff each parwal with the filling.
•  Press the filling with light hands so it settles down inside the parwal.
•  Sprinkle chopped pistachios on the top.
•  And the delicious parwal ki mithai is ready to be served.

You can make this easy sweet during family gatherings or any occasion as it is not complicated and takes very little time to prepare.