Indian desserts have always been a unique experience. In most cultures, desserts are the finishing touch to a meal that is usually something sweet. In India, however, sweets are not just limited to desserts. In fact, they are a comfort food for Indians. And if sweets belong to the eastern region of Bengal, then they are a must try. This is because the sweets of the Bengal region are some of the most unique desserts.
A short story about Bengal sweets
The prominent presence of sweets in Bengali cuisine can be noticed throughout the history of West Bengal. In fact, ancient Bengal became popularly known as 'Gauda Banga', which is a name believed to derive from the term 'Gur', the molasses grown in the region.
The practice of using "chhana" or cottage cheese became popular after colonial invasions. The former Bengal sweets were mostly made from jaggery or molasses and coconuts. There was also the use of refining sugar in sweets such as 'monda', which is mostly made from sugar lumps, and 'batasha', which was used as an offering to God and later as 'prasad' in modern times.
The traditional delicacies such as "pithe", which was made from rice flour and jaggery filled with coconut or sugar, were popular before "chhana" conquered the taste buds. Apart from that, it was 'payesh', which is traditionally made with milk, rice and jaggery or sugar, 'nadu', 'moya' and 'takti', the latter of which is popular in ancient Bengal. There are also several sweets made from 'khoya and kheer', which means milk solids and condensed milk, respectively.
Different types of sweets in Bengal
There are a variety of Bengali sweets, all of which have a unique taste. Some of these are made from milk, while others are dipped in sugar syrup. Although the ingredients used to make these are usually quite similar and limited, most of these sweets stand out on their own.
Dipped in sugar syrup
Most of the iconic sweets in Bengal are dipped in a sticky syrup of sugar locally known as "chashni". Most popular sweets like Roshogolla are one of these types of sweets.
Roshogolla
One of the most famous Bengali sweets of all time is Roshogolla. It is a soft, round sweet made from chhana and dipped in sugar syrup. Traditionally, it has a very special taste, but currently there are several flavors of this traditional sweet. One of the best flavors ever introduced is Nolen Gurer Roshogolla, which is dipped in syrup made from jaggery.
Rajbhog
Rajbhog is a close cousin of the popular Roshogolla. It is made in a similar way - from chhana. However, it has a filling in the middle made of dry fruit, saffron, cardamom, etc.
Malpua
Malpua can be called a traditional Bengali miniature pancake. It is a syrup-soaked sweet made from flour, sugar and other ingredients, including coconut, among others. They are fried before soaking in sugar syrup.
Pantua
Pantua is a delicious combination of milk, semolina, ghee, khoya and sugar, dipped in syrup. This is a Bengali version of the famous Gulab Jamun.
Jilipi
Famous Indian delight Jalebi is called Jilipi in Bengal. Made by deep frying, the batter is arranged in circular patterns, then soaked in sugar syrup and served hot. It tastes good cold too, but hot Jilipis are just small pieces of heaven on earth.
Chhenar jilipi
This cutie is like a trident to the authentic Jalebi. Chhenar Jilipi is a sweet made from chhenna, khoya and flour. Its spirals are so similar to Jilipi, but it has a new and delicious taste.
Amriti
Amriti is Bengal's answer to Indian Jalebi. This authentic Bengali sweet is similar to Jalebi. Work is done on spirals with decorative curls around the edges. This is made from a mixture of ground dal, sugar and cardamom which is then fried in ghee and soaked in syrup later.
Langcha
Langcha is a fairly popular sweet found in the eastern part of India. Made from flour and khoya, this sweet is fried and then dipped in syrup.
ChomChom
Made from flour, coconut, cream, sugar and saffron, Chomchom is a true delight to experience. This sweet is generally oval in shape and often has a brownish hue. It comes in many varieties and services. Some come in vibrant colors, while others come with a garnish of mawa or coconut flakes.
Mihidana
To describe Mihidana in an appropriate way, it can be said that it is a minor cousin of the famous Indian Boondi. Mihidana is made with powdered rice, flour and saffron. They are mixed in water, and then the mixture is poured through a sieve-like ladle and fried. After frying properly, they are soaked in sugar syrup and drained to remove excess syrup.
Sar bhaja
Sar Bhaja or Shor Bhaja is a sweet made from deep-fried milk cream. The recipe can be a bit complicated, but the results are just so worth it.
Sarpuria
This is a sibling of the classic Sar Bhaja, which is made from layers of cream milk that is baked or fried, and then soaked in sugar syrup.
Kalo jam
Kalo Jam is a very distant cousin of the famous Indian Gulab Jamun. It is made from ingredients such as flour, milk, cardamom, etc. After being shaped into small balls, these fried dumplings are deep-fried and soaked in sugar syrup.
Nikuti
This is a delicious combination of chhena, flour and cardamom, deep-fried in an oblong shape. The fried balls are soaked in sugar syrup and then placed in condensed milk and cooled.
Labongo Latika
Labongo Latika is a traditional and complicated sweet. It is a special recipe made by grandmothers on special occasions. The pocket of Labongo Latika is made of universal flour, and inside it is filled with sweetened khoya. The outside of the candy is covered in a crusty pastry sealed with a piece of cloves. This is then fried and cooled in a bowl of sugar syrup.
Ledikeni
Ledikeni or Lady Kenny is named after Lady Canning, the wife of Charles Canning, India's Governor - General in the 19th century. This sweet is basically a light brown sweet ball made from chhena that has been fried and soaked in sugar syrup.
Mohan Bhog
Mohan Bhog is basically balls of cottage cheese filled with sugar syrup coated with semolina. It offers a unique combination of crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
goja
Goja is small pieces of maida, deep fried and dipped in sugar syrup. It may look like a salty treat, but it tastes sweet.
Made from milk
Bengal has a variety of sweets made from milk to offer. These creamy, milk-based sweets are exclusive to Bengal.
Misti Doi
One of the most popular desserts in Bengal is the creamy and delicious Mishti Doi. This dessert is made from a mixture of thick milk and jaggery. There are many different varieties and flavors of this dessert. One of them is Bhapa Doi, which is usually garnished with nuts.
rasmalai
This sweetie has a connection to Orissa. However, Bengal's exclusive Rasmalai is made from small sugary balls of chhena soaked in malai and garnished with a dab of cardamom. It is prepared in a mixture of sugar syrup, milk, saffron, pistachios and kheer. Then dip the balls and cook in boiling milk cream. In the end, it looks like tiny rasgullas soaked in a creamy, milky base.
profitable
Payesh is a Bengali dessert made at home. This tasty Bengali dessert with a thick creamy consistency is made from milk, rice, sugar, ghee along with spices like cardamom and bay leaves and also dry fruits and nuts. There are also different varieties of this dish made with slightly different ingredients, but the base is always the same.
Rabri
Rhubarb is made by slowly boiling and thickening milk. Condensed milk is also used in this sweet and delicious dessert. Although Rabri is found in other states of India as well, Bengali Rabri is still a joy to experience. The dessert is usually garnished with dry fruit and nuts and sugar and spices are added to spice up the dish.
Dry delights
Apart from all the sticky and sticky sweets in Bengal, there are also those that are dry and tasty. These can be filled with sugar syrup, jaggery or other ingredients, but they are mostly dry.
Shondesh
Shondesh is one of the most popular dry desserts of all time. Made with condensed milk, sugar and / or jaggery, this sweet comes in many variations, molded in different shapes and designs. These varieties include Nolen Gurer Shondesh, a seasonal treat; Jol Bhara Shondesh, who is a classic; or Chocolate Shondesh, a much more modern and trendy variant.
Moa
Moa is another classic sweet from Bengal. This delicious dry mix is made from jaggery, puffed rice and ghee and is packed together into a delicious round ball. The most famous Moa of all time is Joynagar's Moa, a seasonal treat with dry fruits and nuts.
Ras Kadam
If it sounds tasty to eat a small rasagolla wrapped in a Sondesh, you can imagine how good it will taste. Ras Kadam is an exotic and authentic Bengali sweet. It is made from a small Roshogolla with cocoon in khoya and powdered sugar.
Kheer kadam
Kheer Kadam is like a sibling of Ras Kadam. The only difference is that instead of Rosogolla, Kheer Kadam contains a small ball of chhena inside, while it is coated with khoya-kheer and powdered sugar on the outside.
Darbesh
Darbesh is the Bengali version of Laddoo. Although very similar to Laddoo, Darbesh is still completely unique compared to the taste. These are basically Laddoos made by boondi.
Kacha golla
Kacha Golla is without a doubt one of the healthiest desserts. It is often preferred during religious ceremonies and festivals. It is a very soft and dry sweet that melts in your mouth. It is made from pure milk and can be prepared in many varieties.
Chandrapuli
Chandrapuli is a popular Bengali sweet and is most enjoyed on festive occasions such as Durga Puja. Shaped like a pale crescent, this dessert is made from cottage cheese, mawa, coconut and jaggery.
Naru
Naru is a dry sweet made into small balls. It can be made from a variety of ingredients, including grated coconut, cardamom, jaggery, and so on. These are generally a bit sticky, dry sweet balls of delicacy that can be chewed on anytime, anywhere.
Sitabhog
This is a very tasty and a very interesting dessert. Sitabhog generally looks like pulao, but tastes sweet. Although many varieties of this are available, the traditional Sitabhog is made from white rice and tiny gulab jamuns.
Khirer Chop
Then Khirer Chop is a popular sweet snack in Bengal. It is a crispy light sweet made from flour, sooji, nutmeg, milk, sugar and bread that tastes heavenly.
Seasonal condition
As much as sweets available all year round in Bengal are a delight to taste, there are also rare and authentic desserts that are available during certain seasons and occasions. Most of the best seasonal sweets are available in the winter, when special qualities of jaggery become available. This is also around the time when the autumn festival of Poush Parbon is celebrated in Bengal. Bengal celebrates Poush Parbon with a variety of authentic and delicious sweets, which are a whole meal of just sweets. These dishes are collectively known as 'Pithe'. However, there are varieties of Pithe available during this time.
The Parbon-Pithe:
Patishapta Pithe
This is a traditional Bengali crepe that encloses a mixture of coconut, cardamom, jaggery, khoya and dry fruit. This is generally the festival favorite during the festivities of Poush Parbon.
Doodh Puli
Doodh Puli or Puli Pithe is one of the most famous types of Pithe through the ages. It has an outer shell made of rice flour and an inner filling made of coconut and sugar. After these crescent-shaped pulises are cooked, they are boiled in thickened milk / doodh, sweetened with jaggery.
Chitoi Pitha
Chitoi Pithe is famous in Bengal as well as in Bangladesh. Made with the help of flour and baking soda, this Pithe is a bit complicated to make. In fact, if done incorrectly, it can crumble into pieces. It is often served with sweet syrups such as jaggery.
Khir Puli Pitha
Kheer Puli Pitha is very delicious and easy to make, and usually uses ingredients such as rice flour, coconut, khoya kheer, sugar and milk.
Asrish Kakara Pitha
Originally from Orissa, Kakara pitha is a sweet deep fried cake made from suji, shredded coconut, cardamom, sugar etc.
Gokul Pitha
Gokul pithe is a fried and syrupy wet dessert traditionally made with flour and coconut that is widely available in sweet shops in Bengal during the season.
Other Winter Delights:
Nolen Gurer Payesh
This is a variant of the classic Payesh with an extra twist. Mixed with milk, rice and 'Nolen gur', a special jagger, this dessert requires a lot of continuous stirring. But the delicious result makes all the effort worth it.
Kolar bora
Kolar bora is a well-known Sankranti dish. It is made from fried ripe banana fritters filled with rice, and tastes soft inside and crispy on the outside.
In Conclusion
Nowadays, there are many varieties of the classic sweets available, including different flavors, such as chocolate, mango, etc. and different colors and shapes. It's sugar free Sondesh. It's Mishti Doi without Gur. Blueberry Rosogolla is available in stores. Mango Doi is also available. Although these taste insanely good, the classic sweets from Bengal will always be the best version of them.
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