The flaky mithai might stay in the corner during the rest of the year, but come Diwali week, soan papdi grabs the limelight. Also known as sohan papdi, san papri and shonpapdi in different parts of the country, this square-cut sweetmeat is made with gram flour, sugar, ghee, almond, milk and cardamom. Sometimes crowned with dry fruits, soan papdi is flaky in texture but it simply dissolves on your tongue. The Turkish pismaniye or floss halva closely resembles soan papdi. Primarily made with roasted wheat flour, sugar and butter and garnished with pistachios, it is prepared by flossing thin strands of halva into a light confection and wrapped into a ball. China’s dragon’s beard candy is another culinary twin. Crafted with rice flour, white sugar, maltose or corn syrup and filled with crushed peanuts, desiccated coconut and sesame seeds, its preparation is considered to be nothing short of an art. The Korean version is called kkultarae.
Petha and Turkish Delight
Agra isn’t just known for the Taj Mahal but also for another edible wonder–the petha. This translucent sweet is made with ash gourd or white pumpkin which is cut into bite-sized pieces, cured in a lime solution (white calcium hydroxide) and then soaked in a sugary syrup. With a crystallised, sugar-crisp exterior and a soft, wet, chewy inside, it comes in various colours and flavours right from rose to paan. Its distant cousin is Turkey’s Turkish delight or lokum which is a gel-based confection of corn starch, sugar and milk. The chewy goodness is flavoured with rosewater or lemon or bergamot orange, cut into squares and is dusted with heaps of icing sugar. Some of the premium varieties even have nuts and dry fruits in them.
Halwa and Halvah
A symphony of textures and flavours, this rich, gooey and sometimes grainy treat is not just had as a comfort sweet but also served as prasad on auspicious occasions. From various flours to fruits and vegetables, Indians have left no ingredient when it comes to making halwa. While aate ka halwa and sooji ka halwa are more widely known, there is also moong dal halwa, lauki ka halwa, besan halwa, walnut halwa and mango halwa to name a few. In South India, halwa is called kesari due to the mandatory use of saffron which gives it a kesari or orange-coloured look. It has delicious varieties including rava kesari, pineapple kesari and chikoo kesari. In India, the arrival of winters means bowlfuls of the much-awaited gajar ka halwa. Sheera is another name given to halwa in the western parts of India. The Middle Eastern fraternal twin of this dish is called halva or halvah and the similarities end at the name. Its texture is vastly different with a crumbly, chalky feel and is typically made with sesame seed paste (tahini), butter, oil, sugar, spices and nuts.