Welcome to the vibrant, colorful land of Rajasthan, where every bite of dessert is a royal affair. Whether you're at a palace or a roadside stall, Rajasthani desserts are the sweet cherry on top of the state's rich culinary heritage. If you have a sweet tooth, buckle up for this delicious ride.
Ghevar:
Ghevar looks like a disk of crunchy, honeycomb-like goodness, soaked in sweet syrup and often topped with creamy rabri. It’s crispy, syrupy, and a bit complicated to make, but totally worth it!
Ingredients:
- 500 gm all-purpose flour (maida)
- 250 gm clarified butter (ghee)
- 1 lt cold water
- 500 ml milk
- 750 gm sugar
- 5 gm saffron strands (optional)
- 5 gm cardamom powder
- Chopped pistachios and almonds for garnish
Procedure:
- Prep the batter: In a deep bowl, add 500 gm of all-purpose flour and 250 gm of ghee. Mix until the ghee and flour look like crumbs. Slowly, add 1 liter of cold water while whisking constantly. You want a smooth, thin batter, so don’t rush!
- Hot oil bath: Take a deep, flat-bottomed pan, and heat ghee for frying. Now, here’s where the magic happens. Slowly pour the batter into the center of the ghee. The batter will sizzle, splatter, and form its iconic honeycomb pattern. Cook until golden brown.
- Sweet syrup dip: Heat 750 gm of sugar with 500 ml of water until the sugar dissolves. Add a pinch of saffron and cardamom powder. Dunk your crispy Ghevar in the syrup and let it soak for about 5 minutes.
- Garnish with flair: Drizzle rabri (thickened milk) on top and sprinkle chopped almonds and pistachios for that royal finish.
Malpua:
Think of Malpua as the love child of pancakes and syrup-soaked donuts. A crispy-edged, soft-centered dessert served with rabri, Malpua will make you rethink breakfast. If you want to try desserts with unique textures, try Nalen Gur Sandesh recipe.
Ingredients:
- 200 gm all-purpose flour
- 100 gm semolina (sooji)
- 250 ml milk
- 200 gm sugar
- 5 gm fennel seeds
- 5 gm cardamom powder
- Ghee for frying
- Chopped nuts for garnish
Procedure:
- Whisk up the batter: In a bowl, mix 200 gm of flour and 100 gm of semolina. Add 250 ml of milk and whisk until smooth. Toss in fennel seeds and cardamom powder. Let the batter rest for 30 minutes to allow the semolina to absorb the milk.
- Fry it up: Heat ghee in a pan. Pour small ladles of batter into the hot ghee, spreading it into thin circles. Fry until golden brown on both sides.
- The sweet soak: While the Malpuas are frying, prepare sugar syrup by heating 200 gm of sugar and 100 ml of water. Once the sugar has dissolved, dunk the fried Malpuas into the syrup and let them soak.
- Top it off: Garnish with chopped nuts and a drizzle of rabri.
Mawa Kachori:
This is among the popular Rajasthani desserts. It's a flaky, deep-fried pastry stuffed with sweetened mawa (dried milk solids) and nuts, then dunked in sugar syrup. Pair it with a cup of chai, and you’re in for an indulgent treat. Or serve it alongside Chocolate Barfi on any occasion.
Ingredients:
- 250 gm all-purpose flour
- 100 gm ghee (for dough)
- 150 gm mawa
- 100 gm powdered sugar
- 50 gm chopped almonds and pistachios
- 500 gm sugar
- 500 ml water
- Ghee for frying
Procedure:
1. Dough time: Combine 250 gm of flour with 100 gm of ghee to make a crumbly dough. Add cold water and knead it into a smooth dough. Let it rest for 15 minutes.
2. Stuffing prep: In a pan, cook 150 gm of mawa until slightly golden. Remove from heat and add 100 gm of powdered sugar, along with chopped nuts. Mix it all up!
3. Fill and fold: Roll out small portions of the dough into circles, place a spoonful of mawa mixture in the center, and fold the edges over to seal them into dumpling shapes.
4. Fry, then soak: Fry the Kachoris in hot ghee until they turn golden and crispy. Meanwhile, prepare sugar syrup with 500 gm of sugar and 500 ml of water. Once the Kachoris are done, dunk them into the syrup and let them soak for 5-10 minutes.