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Uttarakhand is one of the most beautiful states in India. Every year thousands of tourists visit the state to witness the beauty of the hills and see the many historical temples situated in different parts of the state. Uttarakhand has a very specific culture and heritage of its own that is influenced by the spiritual practices followed by the people. The cuisine of Uttarakhand is inspired by the cold weather and the available ingredients for the people. People in the hills are famous for using natural ingredients to make their food. Today we will discuss some of the most popular and delicious traditional Uttarakhandi sweet delicacies that you can try making at home.
* Bal Mithai
Bal Mithai can be easily called the most popular sweet dish of Uttarakhand. This is a tiny brown colour fudgy dessert that is made from roasted khoya and poppy seeds. The traces of the sweet dessert can be found back in the Kumaon region. This dessert was invented in the early 20th century by the locals of the Almora district in Uttarakhand. A lot of people in Uttarakhand believe that this is the same sweet that is offered to the Sun God. Khoya is cooked by combining cane sugar on a light flame for a very long time. It is cooked until it gets a brown colour after which it is covered with poppy seeds. It has a very interesting and unique look along with a very delicious taste.
* Singori
Singori is another popular Uttarakhandi dessert and has been eaten by the people of the state since the time of monarchs. It is wrapped in a piece of leaves and you can easily identify this sweet from a distance. It is specifically made for special occasions and religious events. It is made with the help of Khoya along with crunchy toasted dry fruits and wrapped in malu leaf. Malu leaf is typically found in the forests of Uttarakhand and has a long shelf life. It can be stored easily for 25 days. The sweet is very similar to Kalakand in taste.
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* Rotana
Rotana is a very famous sweet, especially among the Garhwali people of Uttarakhand. All the special occasions and festivals among Garwhali people are incomplete without the preparation of this sweet dish. It is made with the help of combining wheat flour, ghee, milk, coconut flakes, powdered sugar, and some crushed cardamom. All of these ingredients are mixed and made in the form of dough. These small bowls are then fried and combined with sugar syrup. It tastes a lot like the American doughnut holes. It is a very crunchy and delicious sweet that is also very light. Just like other sweet dishes in Uttarakhand, this one also has a lot of regional variations.
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* Gulgule
People in Uttarakhand love sweets that are deep-fried. This is an interesting sweet dish in Uttarakhand with an even more interesting name. It is made out of wheat flour, jaggery and fennel seeds. Fennel seeds add a lot of refreshing flavour to the sweet. These are crispy on the outside and very soft on the inside. You can make this easily at home. A lot of people also like to add some mashed bananas to increase natural sweetness in the dessert and make it super soft from the inside. Gulgules taste the best when they're served with hot tea or coffee.
* Kumaoni Halwa
If you think that Kumaoni Halwa is very similar to the regular Halwa then you are mistaken. Although it is made from Suji, the final taste of the Halwa is pretty different from your regular Halwa. The Suji is roasted in a lot of ghee and then a very special ingredient, yoghurt is added to the Halwa. Yoghurt adds a taste of tanginess to the recipe. Lots of dry fruits along with sugar and some water are also added to the Halwa. All of these ingredients are cooked together until they get a dough-like consistency. You can also add some cardamom and for that extra flavour in the Halwa.
These are some of the multiple authentic dessert recipes from Uttarakhand. All of these have a lot of cultural significance in the state and have been popular since hundred of years. You can try making these at home or try them out whenever you plan to visit Uttarakhand.
