Festival is the soul of Indian culture. Throughout the year, there is a celebration of one festival or the other. This is the country of festivals and colors. In India, festivals are deeply associated with lights, colors, authenticity, and food. Although food is the last and final element in these celebrations, it is the most exciting part too. In Indian festivals and celebrations as far as food is concerned, sweets play a significant role. Be it temple food, any festival, or any occasion sweets are the central part of these feasts. It is tough to pick only twenty sweet dishes as there are many. Below are given twenty festive sweet dishes throughout states of India that are prepared on festive occasions.
1.Adirasam
This dish is made on all auspicious occasions in Tamil Nadu. It is a traditional sweet and belongs to the era of Krishna Deva Raya. Adirasam is like a deep-fried fritter that is prepared with rice and jaggery.
2.Sakkarai Pongal
This dish is prepared mainly to offer god. Sakkarai Pongal is made with moong dal, rice, ghee, jaggery, cardamom, and nuts. It is prepared in the homes of Tamil Nadu in the festive season of ‘Makara Sankranti’ or ‘Pongal’. It signifies prosperity after the harvest.
3.Ada Pradhaman
This dish is popular in Kerala. It is a variation of classic payasam. It is cooked with ‘Ada’ rice, jaggery, coconut, and dry fruits. It is very delicious and cooked during ‘Onam.’ It is one of the major elements of ‘sadya’ meals. Ada Pradhaman is considered to be ‘King of payasam.
4.Palada Payasam
This is offered as prasadam in the temples. It is a main dish at festive events. It is cooked with rice, sugar, milk, and dry fruits. It is a creamy dessert. Palada Payasam is an integral part of the traditional Keralian feast ‘Ona Sadya’.
5.Ney Appam
It is a traditional fritter made with rice powder, jaggery, banana, coconut, and cardamom. It is fried and a crispy snack. The word Ney Appam comes from the word ‘ney’, meaning ‘ghee’, and ‘appam’ which means ‘pancake.’ This sweet dish is also served in onam.
6.Holige/ Obbattu
Holige/Obbattu is the puran poli of Karnataka. It is made during the festive seasons or religious ceremonies. It is made with flour, chana dal, and jaggery. It is thinner than the original Puran Poli.
7.Belgavi Kunda
It originated in the North of Karnataka. It is made with thickened milk, cardamom powder, dry fruits, and sugar. Belgavi Kunda is cooked during festivals like Dusshera, Ganesh Chathurthi, Diwali, and Sankranti. This sweet has a Rajasthani Influence.
8.Ariselu
Ariselu is a traditional sweet in Andhra Pradesh. It is made of jaggery, sugar, ghee, rice flour, and sesame. The use of sesame seeds is the specialty of Ariselu. It is made in the times of ‘Sankranti,’ ‘Dusshera,’ ‘Diwali’ etc.
9.Shrikhand
This sweet is popular in Gujarat. It is a delicious sweet dish made in Janmashtami. It is made of thick hung curd, sugar, and dry fruits. Saffron and cardamom are used as a flavor. It is a creamy and dense sweet dish, that tastes delicious.
10.Sabudana Kheer
Sabudana Kheer is a popular dish in ‘vrat’ during ‘Navratris. It is sabudana pearls cooked with milk, flavored with cardamom,and kesar, it is garnished with nuts. This is easy to digest and provides instant energy after vrat fastings.
11.Modak
It is a famous sweet of Maharashtra. It is offered to Lord Ganesha during ‘Ganesh Chaturthi.’ Modak is made of rice flour, coconut, and jaggery. It is a sweet dumpling that is very popular all over Maharashtra.
12.Puran Poli
Puran poli is another famous sweet flatbread of Maharashtra. It is made during Ganesh Chaturthi and even on Diwali and Holi. The ingredients of puran poli are flour, chana dal, and jaggery.
13.Mawa Kachori
This sweet kachori is very popular in the festivities of Rajasthan. It is made of flour, mawa, dry fruits, and sugar. It is very delicious. It is an authentic and exotic dish of Rajasthan. It is distributed in community gatherings during local festivals or as temple food.
14.Kaju Katli
Kaju Katli is one of the most well known sweet dishes of Uttar Pradesh. It is the most celebrated mithai of the Diwali festival. It is made with khoya, sugar, and cashews.
15.Gujiya
In Uttar Pradesh Holi is celebrated with colors and Gujiya. Gujiya is made in almost every home in the festival of colors. It is made of maida, sugar, and dry fruits. It is one of the famous North Indian sweets.
16.Mawa Bati
Mawa Bati is a specialty in Madhya Pradesh. These are mawa balls stuffed with dry fruits and deep-fried. It is served on festive occasions. Mawa battis are a larger variation of gulab jamuns. Apart from being larger, they are also stuffed with chopped dry fruits. These sweet balls are famous all over Madhya Pradesh. They are popular at parties and festivals as well.
17.Chhena Poda
Chhena poda is very popular in Odisha. It is a favorite of lord Jaggannath. It is a staple dish during Ratha Yatra. This dish is cooked for several hours. It is made from cottage cheese and caramelized sugar.
18.Tilor Laru
It is a very popular sweet. It is made especially during ‘Magh Bihu’. It falls around the same time in January when other parts of the country celebrate ‘Makara Sankranti.’ It is made with whole sesame and jaggery. ‘Magh Bihu’ is a harvest festival which is held when granaries are full, at the end of the harvesting season.
19.Thekua
Thekua is a traditional sweet of Bihar. It is a festive sweet and is offered to god during ‘Chhat Puja.’ It is made of whole wheat flour and sugar. It is also popular in states like U.P, and the Terai region in Nepal in different names like Kajuria, Khajoor, Thekari, Thokwa, etc.
20.Patishapta
It is a festive food in Bengal. It is prepared during the time of ‘Poush Sankranti’, which is a harvest festival in Bengal. Here ‘Poush Sankranti’ is celebrated with another sweet named ‘Pithe.’ Patishapta is a rice pancake folded with a filling of coconut and jaggery.
