Sugary Bites: Mithai

Mithai, collectively, refers to decadent confectionaries that are primarily consumed in South Asia. These indulgent desserts can be made with a myriad of ingredients and come in varying colors and textures. One such mithai is known as the gulab jamun. This rich, sugary dessert is essentially a fried dough ball made of milk solids and other ingredients such as a semolina. The flavor made me enhanced with various other spices such as saffron and cardamom which create an aromatic essence to this luxurious dessert. The texture is spongy and soft, and is drenched in a sweet syrup flavored with rose essence. This syrup alludes to its name, “gulab” which means lowers. Overall, this scrumptious dessert is spongy, soft, and moist, making it a delectable treat and popular all over the subcontinent. Another popular type of mithai is jalebi. This mithai is fairly unique compared to its counterparts due to its distinct shape and bright appearance. The batter itself is made of flour which is then deep fried into spirals—almost like a funnel cake. It is characterized by its vibrant orange color and crispy texture. Much like gulab jamun, jalebis is encapsulated in a sugar syrup which makes it sticky and super sweet. Furthermore, rasgulla is another crowd pleaser. Rasgulla is characterized by its milk curdling process! After the dough of the rasgulla is prepared and they are rolled into their respective shape, they are soaked into a sugar syrup that makes them spongy and light. The dish can be topped off with saffron and various chopped nuts such as almonds or pistachios. Mithai is often served at special occasions whether it be grand weddings, religious holidays, family gatherings, birthdays, and other festivities. People often consume this with tea that is made with black tea and milk that is infused with cardamom and other spices!