Sweet Delights from Andhra Pradesh: Traditional Treats You Must Try at Home

Step into the flavorful world of Andhra Pradesh, where spicy curries meet some of India's most exquisite sweets. From crispy Ariselu to the delicate Pootharekulu, these traditional desserts are more than just sugar and spice, they’re a slice of Andhra’s rich culinary heritage. You can crave for mousses and tarts all you want, Indian sweets have a charm of their own. Easy to make and absolutely delicious to taste you can try these simple sweets with few ingredients. 

1. Pootharekulu (Paper Sweet)

Imagine biting into a sweet that looks like a delicate sheet of paper but explodes with flavor and crunch. That’s Pootharekulu for you! This traditional Andhra sweet is made from rice starch, ghee, and sugar, rolled up like a little scroll of happiness. 

Ingredients:

• 100 gm Rice flour
• 150 ml Ghee
• 200 gm Sugar
• 5 gm Cardamom powder

Instructions:

1. Make a thin batter with rice flour and water.
2. Heat a non-stick pan with ghee and let it warm. Then pour a thin layer of the batter to create a paper-like sheet. The process will be similar to making a crepe.
3. Once cooked, gently lift it off the pan, brush it with ghee, and sprinkle sugar and cardamom powder.
4. Roll it up, and voila! You’ve got a Pootharekulu ready to amaze.

2. Ariselu

Ariselu is the Andhra version of a crispy, golden doughnut, but way better. These deep-fried delights are made with rice flour and jaggery, and they pack a crunchy yet chewy punch that’s hard to resist. These will be as delicious as chocolate modak or a Chocolate Barfi.

Ingredients:

• 500 gm Rice flour
• 300 gm Jaggery
• 50 gm Sesame seeds
• 100 ml Ghee
• 200 ml Water

Instructions:

1. In boiling water, add jaggery and keep stirring until the consistency of the mixture gets thick and gooey. Let it cool slightly, but not too cold.
2. Slowly mix the rice flour into the mixture to form a dough. 
3. Divide the dough into small balls, flatten them, and sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
4. Fry them in hot ghee until golden brown and crispy. Ariselu is ready to make your day!

3. Bobbatlu (Puran Poli)

Bobbatlu, also known as Puran Poli, is a festive favorite. Think of it as a sweet flatbread stuffed with a heavenly mixture of chana dal and jaggery. It’s the kind of sweet that makes you want to do a little dance after each bite. These sweets are perfect for a birthday morning before you enjoy your Black Forest Birthday Cake in the evening.

Ingredients:

• 200 gm All-purpose flour
• 200 gm Chana dal
• 150 gm Jaggery
• 5 gm Cardamom powder
• 50 ml Ghee
• 100 ml Water

Instructions:

1. Cook the chana dal until soft, then mash and mix it with jaggery and cardamom powder.
2. Prepare a soft dough with the flour and water.
3. Divide the dough and filling into equal parts.
4. Roll out the dough, place the filling in the center, fold, and roll again.
5. Cook on a hot tawa with ghee until golden. Bobbatlu is ready to melt in your mouth!

4. Kakinada Kaja

Kakinada Kaja is the Andhra answer to the cronut craze. These layered, crispy, and syrupy sweets are like a cross between a pastry and a sweet fritter, and they’re nothing short of divine.

Ingredients:

• 250 gm All-purpose flour 
• 50 ml Ghee
• 300 gm Sugar
• 200 ml Water
• 500 ml Oil (for frying)

Instructions:

1. Prepare a dough with flour and ghee, and let it rest.
2. Roll out the dough, fold it multiple times to create layers, and cut into small rectangles.
3. Fry the rectangles until golden brown and crispy.
4. Dip them in sugar syrup and let them soak up the sweetness. Kakinada Kaja is ready to dazzle!

5. Boondi Laddu

Last but certainly not least, the ever-popular Boondi Laddu and also one of the best sweet desserts. These small, round delights are made with tiny droplets of gram flour batter, fried to perfection, and bound together with sugar syrup.

Ingredients:

• 250 gm Gram flour (besan)
• 350 gm Sugar
• 150 ml Water
• 100 ml Ghee
• 5 gm Cardamom powder

Instructions:

1. Prepare a batter with gram flour and water.
2. Use a perforated spoon to drop the batter into hot ghee, creating tiny boondis.
3. Prepare a sugar syrup and mix in the boondis while still warm.
4. Shape into laddus once the mixture cools enough to handle. Boondi Laddu is ready to win hearts!