Indian Fried Sweets are the favourite confectionary of the people over India. It is also an essential requirement of all the festivals and cultural and religious ceremonies of the country. Numerous varieties of sweets are prepared in India some of which are well known all over the world. Tourist from different countries visiting India greatly relishes the sweet delicacies of India. Among the wide variety of sweets, Fried Indian Sweets are highly popular throughout the entire country.
Gulab Jamun
Gulab Jamun is one of the most craved Indian Fried Sweets. It is a milk based sweet which is prepared from milk solids, known as `khoya`. For making Gulab Jamuns, dough of milk solids is prepared from which small balls are made. These balls are then deep fried and soaked in sugar syrup. Sometimes Gulab Jamuns are flavoured with different agents like cardamom, saffron, rose water etc. Gulab Jamun always holds a significant place in Indian festivals. There are many variations of this delicacy which come from slight variations in the recipes and ingredients. Origin of this fried sweet is however disputed. Some believe that Sajjan Dhillon, a Sikh chef was the creator of this delicacy who prepared it for the king of Punjab for the first time. The popularity of Gulab Jamun also heightened in the Ottoman Empire.
Jalebi
Jalebi is another highly popular Indian Fried Sweet. It is flour based sweet which is prepared by wheat flour batter. This batter is firstly deep fried in circular form and then soaked in sugar syrup. Different flavours are also added in Jalebis. These are savoured either cold or warm. This sweet delicacy originated ages ago and in the ancient time it was called Jal-vallika or Kundalika.
Gujia
Gujia is a famous fried sweet of northern India. It is a stuffed sweet in which the stuffing often differs. Stuffing is generally prepared by a variety of materials like coconut, suji, khoya, roasted dry fruits etc. Gujias have a typical shape. In Bihar these are known as `Pedakiyas`. Different states of India have different versions of Gujia with variations in recipes and ingredients. It is called Karanji in Maharashtra, Ghughra in Gujarat, Karjikayi in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka and Karachika in Tamil Nadu. In Goa, these are called Nevris and are prepared during Ganesh Chaturthi.
Balushahi
Balushahi is another traditional fried sweet of northern India. It is somewhat similar to doughnut. These are also made by maida flour which is deep fried and then immersed in sugar syrup. Badushah is a similar item prepared in south India. The shaping of this delicacy is done by hands. Slightly flaky in nature, these are one of the scrumptious fried sweets of India.
Malapua
Indian Fried Sweets also enlist Malapua which can also be called as Indian pancake. Malapuas also exhibit many variations in recipes. The main ingredients of Malapua include milk solids, flour, rawa, milk, sugar, fennel seeds etc. Malapuas are deep fried in the shape of a pancake. Sometimes, these are soaked in sugar syrup. This sweet delicacy is cherished greatly during Indian festivals. Malpuas are very famous during the Muslim holy month, known as Ramadan.
Other Indian Fried Sweets
Apart from these, India serves a number of other fried sweets too, each one of which is uniquely delicious in its own way. Other Indian Fried Sweets include sweet bondi, adhirasam, shor bhaja, Sita Bhog, Unni appam and many more. These luscious sweets also have variants which are prepared by different combinations of ingredients.
Indian Fried Sweets are greatly enjoyed by people of different ethnicities. Different parts of India are renowned for different types of sweets. Sweets have become in inseparable part of Indian tradition and culture and festivals and occasions in India remain incomplete without sweets.