Okay, real talk — traditional Indian sweets are the reason I gained 12 pounds since moving to the US and I literally do not care. Like, I’m sitting here in my freezing Seattle apartment wearing three hoodies, staring at a tin of motichoor ladoo I panic-ordered from Jersey at 3x the price, and I’m still gonna tell you these are worth every cavity. Anyway, here’s the list nobody asked for but I’m giving you because therapy is expensive.
Why Traditional Indian Sweets Still Own Me in America
I’m gonna be straight — half these I only appreciated after I left India. Back home I was that annoying kid who wanted chocolate pastry from Monginis. Now? I’m the weirdo refreshing Amazon every five minutes for “fresh” rasmalai that arrives looking like it survived a war.
Top 10 Traditional Indian Sweets That Haunt My Dreams (Ranked by How Fast I’ll Fight You For the Last Piece)
10. Kaju Katli – The Fancy One I Pretend to Be Classy With
Look, I know it’s basically cashew fudge, but the silver foil makes me feel rich for 2.5 seconds. Last month I ate an entire 1kg box while doom-scrolling election results. Woke up with foil stuck to my cheek like a failed beauty treatment.
9. Rasmalai – My White People Magnet
This is the one I bring to potlucks because white Americans lose their minds over “cheese balls in sweet milk.” Bro, my coworker Karen asked if it’s “Indian cheesecake” and I just nodded because explaining rabri felt too hard at 9 a.m.
8. Soan Papdi – The Regret Cube Traditional Indian sweets
Why do we even buy this? It’s 90% air and 100% disappointment. Yet every Diwali my mom ships me three boxes and I eat them anyway while hating myself. Texture of fiberglass, taste of sweet nothing. Iconic. https://www.archanaskitchen.com/gajar-ka-halwa-recipe
7. Peda – Underrated King
Mathura peda specifically. I found a place in Artesia that makes them decent and I cried actual tears in my car. Don’t @ me, the dairy in America just hits different — in a bad way — so real peda feels like a hug from nani.
6. Gulab Jamun – Obviously Traditional Indian sweets
If you don’t soak these khoya balls until they’re basically diabetic bombs, are you even Indian? I once ate 11 at a wedding and threw up rose syrup in the parking lot. 10/10 would repeat.
5. Jalebi with Rabri – Breakfast of Champions
Hot jalebis straight from the kadhai, dunked in thick rabri? Illegal in 12 states probably. I tried making them in my tiny American kitchen and set off the smoke alarm. Neighbors thought I was cooking meth.
4. Motichoor Ladoo – My Emotional Support Sphere
Whenever I’m homesick I just inhale three of these and pretend I’m at a random cousin’s mundan. Pro tip: microwave for 8 seconds. You’ll thank me when the ghee melts and you ascend. https://www.tarladalal.com/recipes-for-indian-sweets-mithai-9
3. Rasgulla – The One That Started Wars Traditional Indian sweets
Spongy, syrupy, stupidly perfect. Bengal vs Odisha drama aside, I will throw hands for these. Found canned ones at the Indian store here and honestly? Not terrible when you’re desperate at 2 a.m. missing Kolkata.
2. Barfi – All Variants, Fight Me Traditional Indian sweets
Kaju barfi, pista barfi, chocolate barfi (yes that exists now and I’m not mad). My local mithai guy in Jersey started making Nutella barfi and I almost proposed. https://www.swiggy.com/instaview/articles/history-of-indian-sweets
1. Halwa – Specifically Gajar Halwa in Winter
Nothing — and I mean NOTHING — beats sitting on the floor eating burning-hot gajar ka halwa straight from the kadhai while watching old Bollywood movies. I tried making it last week and my kitchen still smells like ghee and childhood. Top tier traditional Indian sweet, no competition.
Yeah I’m Aware This Is a Problem Traditional Indian sweets
I’m 32, live alone, and my blood sugar is probably writing a resignation letter, but traditional Indian sweets are the one thing that make this whole immigrant experience bearable. Like, taxes suck, healthcare is a scam, but at least I can DoorDash 2kg of mithai and cry-eat it while watching Kapil Sharma reruns. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulab_jamun
Anyway, go try these. Start with gulab jamun if you’re basic, graduate to soan papdi when you want to question your life choices. And if you’re in the US, hit me up — I’ll literally Venmo you for decent jalebis. No seriously.
Which traditional Indian sweet should I hunt down next? Drop your dealer— I mean shop— in the comments. I’m desperate.
