Akshaya Tritiya is an auspicious Hindu festival. “Akshaya” means “never diminishing,” symbolizing eternal prosperity and success. It is considered an ideal day for starting new ventures, and investments, as it is believed that any endeavor begun on this day will flourish. The festival is also seen as a symbol of enduring wealth. Here are some Akshaya Tritiya special sweets to make at home:
1.Doodhi Halwa
Doodhi Halwa is also known as Lauki Halwa. Peel and grate the bottle gourd, which is then sauteed in ghee until it softens. Add milk, sugar, cardamom powder, and cook on low heat until it all gets fully absorbed. The halwa is cooked further until it thickens to a pudding-like consistency. Garnish with chopped nuts.
2.Rava Kesari
Roast semolina (rava) in ghee until it turns golden brown. Gradually add water or milk to form a thick, smooth mixture. Then, add a generous amount of sugar and continue stirring to avoid sticking to the pan. Next, add cardamom powder and orange food coloring for that classic look. Garnish with roasted cashews and raisins, and serve hot.
3.Rava Ladoo
Roast semolina in a generous amount of ghee until it turns golden. Create a simple syrup using sugar, cardamom powder, and water. Mix the roasted semolina with the syrup and coat completely. Once the mixture thickens, shape it into round balls. Press a nut or raisin into the center of each. These ladoos are left to set and can be stored for several days.
4.Kanga Che Kheer
Kanga Che Kheer is a Goan dessert made with sweet potatoes. Peel and grate the sweet potatoes. In a pot, heat some ghee and saute the grated sweet potatoes until they are lightly golden. Next, add milk and bring it to a boil. Once the sweet potatoes are soft, use the back of the ladle to mash them. Add sugar, crushed cardamom pods, and stir well till it reaches a creamy consistency. Garnish with halved cashews.
5.Aamras
Aamras is made using mangoes. Select ripe and sweet mangoes, preferably Alphonso or Kesar varieties. Peel, dice, and blend the mangoes in a blender until they are partially smooth. The tiny chunks of mangoes in the texture make the experience more joyous. You can also add a little bit of sugar if the mangoes aren’t sweet enough. Store it in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before consuming.
6.Rice Kheer
Rice Kheer, called Rice Pudding, is loved for its simple and comforting flavor. Rinse half a cup of basmati rice and soak it for thirty minutes. Boil four cups of milk. Drain the water from the rice and add it to the milk with sugar and crushed cardamom pods. Stir occasionally on low heat for about thirty minutes. Once you see that the rice has cooked, turn the heat off. Mix in a handful of chopped nuts such as almonds, cashews, and pistachios. Cool it before serving.
7.Puran Poli
It is an Indian sweet flatbread. The dough is made with wheat flour, water, and oil. Knead it and make it into small balls. Puran is the sweet filling made by cooking and mashing yellow lentils. It is then blended with jaggery and cardamom. The balls are rolled out and filled with a spoonful of puran. Seal and roll it back into thin discs that are cooked with ghee until brown spots start forming.
8.Kesar Shrikhand
Shrikhand is made only using strained yogurt. Ensure you utilize thick yogurt hung in a muslin cloth to drain the excess whey. Soak some saffron strands in milk to steep the flavor and the color. Mix the yogurt with sugar, the soaked saffron, and some spices. Chill it so that the flavors can infuse. The flavored yogurt is then garnished with chopped nuts and rose petals.
9.Mango Barfi
Blend fresh mango pulp until smooth. In a pan, add ghee, the mango puree, and stir continuously. Gradually mix in milk powder and sugar, cooking the mixture over medium heat. This process can take around fifteen minutes. Once it thickens, pour onto a tray that is greased with ghee and smooth it out. Allow it to cool and cut into squares or diamond shapes. Garnish with chopped nuts or silver foil.
10.Kaju Katli
It is a prevalent choice for all festive celebrations in India. The process involves grinding the cashews into a fine powder, mixing it with sugar syrup, ghee, and stirring it continuously until a smooth dough is formed. This dough is then rolled out and cut into diamonds of medium thickness. A thin layer of edible silver leaf can be added on top for decoration.
11.Rabdi
Rabdi is a decadent dessert made only with milk. Heat some whole milk and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat, and stir frequently till it thickens and reduces by about half. Scrape the cream that has formed on the sides of the vessel and mix it back with the milk. After it has thickened really well, add sugar and keep stirring till it dissolves. Finally, flavor it with crushed cardamom seeds, saffron strands, and add chopped nuts like almonds and pistachios.
12.Basundi
Basundi is a decadent buttery sweet made by simmering full-fat milk until it reduces to half. Then, sugar, saffron, cardamom, and nuts are added. Slow cooking the milk allows it to caramelize, hence the golden color. Basundi is mostly served chilled and garnished with chopped pistachios.
13.Gujiya
Make a dough from all-purpose flour and ghee. Roll it into flat, circular discs. These discs are filled with a mixture of khoya, grated coconut, nuts, and cardamom. Once filled, seal the edges by crimping them to form a half-moon shape. Deep-fry until golden brown. You could also dip it in sugar syrup for added sweetness. Garnish with chopped almonds.
14.Rasmalai
Curdle milk to make chenna, which is then drained and kneaded until smooth. Shape it into medium sized balls and cook in a sugar syrup to maintain their softness. In a separate pan, milk is boiled and reduced to half its volume. Next, add sugar, cardamom, and saffron. The cooked balls are soaked in this milk to absorb the flavors. Garnish with chopped pistachios and serve chilled.
15.Mango Kheer
Soak and drain the basmati rice. In a pan, heat milk and add the basmati rice. Cook until the rice is soft and the mixture thickens. Next, add sugar and cardamom powder. Once the rice becomes soft and the milk thickens, fold in fresh mango puree. Stir for another five minutes for the flavors to blend. Garnish with chopped nuts, pieces of mangoes, and serve chilled.
16.Peda
It is a beloved Indian sweet, famed for its rich texture. Cook khoya in a pan until it reaches a golden color and begins to detach from the sides of the pan. Next, add the appropriate ratio of sugar and keep stirring until it entirely blends into the khoya. Once it attains the consistency of a dough, turn the heat off. Shape it into smooth flat balls which is the iconic peda shape. Let it cool, and garnish with chopped nuts before serving.
17.Naralachi Karanji
Make a dough using maida, ghee, and roll it into thin flat circles. Prepare a filling with grated coconut, jaggery, cardamom powder, and dry fruits. Stuff the dough in the center with filling and fold it into half-moon shapes. Press the edges with a fork to prevent the filling from spilling out. Deep-fry in hot oil until they become crispy and drain the excess oil.
18.Payasam
It is made using thin vermicelli noodles. Saute the vermicelli in ghee until it turns golden brown, and boil in milk until soft. You could utilize saffron-infused milk for a brighter flavor, but cardamom is also acceptable. Keep on stirring till it absorbs all of the milk and swells up. Toasted cashews and raisins can be added for texture.
19.Shankarpali
Prepare a dough consisting of all-purpose flour, sugar, ghee, and milk. Roll out the dough into a thick sheet and cut small diamond shapes. Deep-fry the dough in hot oil until they turn light brown. Drain the excess oil and let it cool. Store in an airtight container to help it stay crunchy for several weeks.
20.Besan Ladoo
Roast besan in a generous amount of ghee over a low flame until it releases a nutty aroma. This step is important as it enhances the flavor of the ladoo. Once roasted, turn off the heat. Allow the mixture to cool slightly before adding sugar and ground cardamom. Mix until it reaches a dough-like consistency. Shape it into small, round balls and garnish with chopped nuts.
