A 'sweet' restart

Gulab Jamuns, Rasgullas, Soan Papdis, Gajar Ka Halwa - Is your mouth watering reading these delicious desserts? I got this craving for Indian desserts. Craving might be a lighter word, perhaps. I love them and I simply adore these delicacies. Whoever invented these, God bless their souls.

From my childhood, I always preferred Indian sweets to any other kind of desserts. Even now, when I had to choose between the two cuisines served during lunch at office, I always choose the one which has a better dessert; And if there is gulab jamun in one of the menus, I don't even take a look at the other menu. I still remember those rasgulla tins my dad used to buy during Diwali. I never eat jamuns or rasgullas in one go , rather I relish them bite by bite, slowly as the piece melts down in my tongue. Hmm....heaven !

Donuts, pies, pastries and puddings can never even come close to what the Indian sweets offer to our taste buds. Even the simplest sweet of all, Payasam (Kheer) - doesn't it taste so great? How many of you agree that icecream when tasted with hot jamuns or gajar halwa is amazing compared to eating icecreams alone? I love the rasmalais served in KC Das outlets and the melting "Mysore Pak" of Shri Krishna sweets.

In terms of South Indian sweets, I like all varieties of payasams, especially like the ones made using jaggery. The festival specialities are superb. I miss the vella cheedais (small balls made using jaggery and flour) and adhirasams my grandma used to make during Krishna Jayanti. And all the pori urundais made during Karthigai Deepam!!! Lovely.....The bad news is that they are made only once a year. Is there anything to beat our very own sweet pongal?

I plan to buy a recipe book dedicated to Indian sweets and become an expert in preparing them so I can try out the traditional sweets menu during the festival season.