Why I prefer Indian sweets.
Most foods contain a combination of fats, protein and carbohydrates.
One of my favourite combinations of these three macronutrients happens to be Indian sweets or mithai.
The "bliss point" is the exact combination of sugar, fat and salt that influences our tastebuds to make us "hooked."
But Indian sweets have been around longer than this concept in modern food manufacturing.
And since these sweets make up a small proportion of my diet, I enjoy them as a healthier alternative to mass-produced sweets (Yes, I am justifying my addiction!).
What Makes Indian Sweets better?
Ah okay...this one might not be healthier...
An enormous array of Indian sweets are available. There are countless regional favourites and many recipe alternatives.
My favourite usually contains fat such as ghee, a sweetener like sugar or jaggery and nuts, milk products, pulses etc.
There may be mass-produced versions these days that contain preservatives and that do not contain the original ingredients.
If you make these sweets at home, however, they are a healthier treat than most options in my books.
After two decades of trying every possible sweet imaginable, here are my favourites!
Kaju Katli or Barfi
Kaju (cashew) is, without doubt, healthy and nutritious and tastes incredible when transformed into a sweet.
I made this at home once by lightly oven roasting some cashews, grinding the nuts, and then adding ghee and sugar.
Kaju Katli is one of the most addictive substances for this nut lover!
(I also love badam or almond Katli too!).
Kalakand
This delicacy contains milk products and is so delicious that I must be very disciplined when it's near me!
Like a sweet milk pudding, it contains milk, ghee, paneer (similar to cottage cheese), cardamom powder and a few almonds or pistachios for decoration.
Never leave me alone with this!
Coconut Barfi
Luckily India is one of the world's largest coconut producers - so my supply of this favourite is guaranteed for some time.
(India is also the world's largest producer of milk).
As is commonly found in homes and food businesses, there are variations to this recipe.
The taste is basically similar to kalakand, just with added coconut.
If anyone is familiar with Bounty bars, it's similar to the filling inside.
Coconut Barfi is delicious and a fantastic way to enjoy coconut.
Kesar Peda
I am not a fan of kesar (saffron). I generally do not enjoy the taste.
However, when it is utilised in a sweet recipe, I seem to be able to eat it (a lot of it!).
I got hooked in Mumbai on this 'dangerous' sweet.
Sweet Dreams
I could go on, but the point is that using healthy nuts, coconut, and pulses along with ghee makes the base product healthy.
The sugar or jaggery use is questionable in a health sense. I guess you can use an artificial sweetener instead.
But if you do not eat a lot of them, Indian sweets are a far superior choice of sweets in comparison to a chocolate bar any day!
What's your favourite Indian sweet?