Sunday, November 3 is Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights celebrating the philosophy of good conquering evil. Traditionally, Hindus remember the importance of Hindu God Rama coming home after being in exile for 14 years. It's also celebrated by Sikhs, Jains and followers of other smaller religions. And just like any major holiday, people celebrate family, being grateful and of course, food.
If you're familiar with Indian food, you would know Indian sweets or mithai are often sugary, soft and sometimes, too sweet. Popular desserts during diwali are made with sugar, milk ingredients and flour and are usually flavoured with coconut, nuts and saffron. You can try these desserts at local Indian shops, Hindu temples or attempt making your own recipes at home.
Some of the most popular desserts during Diwali (and all year round) include jalebi, deep-fried swirly dough drenched in sugar syrup and orange food colouring, and gulab jamun, which is deep-fried dough balls also drenched in sugar syrup. Yum.
So in honour of all things sweet and delicious, we've rounded up 10 of the most popular sweets during Diwali and for those of you who are health conscious, we've also included the calories. Which ones did we miss? Let us know in the comments below:
10 Indian Sweets For Diwali
Gulab Jamun:
THE DISH: Gulab Jamun is a popular Indian dessert made with fried dough and milk. Rolled into balls, the dough is then chilled in sugar syrup.
CALORIE COUNT: Two balls have about 387 calories.
Jalebi:
THE DISH: Keeping with the trend of deep-fried goodness, jalebi is also fried wheat flour (twisted into swirls or pretzel shapes) and dipped in sugar syrup. It gets its bright orange colour from food colouring.
CALORIE COUNT: One piece is about 150 calories.
Laddu (Or Ladoo):
THE DISH: Laddo is a ball-shaped dessert that is made from flour and sugar. They come in different colours, including yellow and orange.
CALORIE COUNT: One piece has about 185 calories.
Ras Malai:
THE DISH: Ras malai is usually made with powdered milk, eggs and flour, then moulded into balls and served with sugar, cream and milk.
CALORIE COUNT: One piece has about 180 calories.
Peda:
THE DISH: Peda is made with thickened milk, sugar and flavourings like pistachios, cardamom and saffron.
CALORIE COUNT: One piece has about 82 calories.
Halwa:
THE DISH: Halwa is typically made with a flour base or nut base and often contains semolina. Halwa can be made with carrots, pistachios or almonds.
CALORIE COUNT: One piece has about 100 calories.
Kheer:
THE DISH: Kheer is the South Asian version of rice pudding, made with milk, sugar and toppings like almonds and cashews.
CALORIE COUNT: One serving has 270 calories.
Kaju Katli:
THE DISH: Kaju katli is made from ground cashews and sugar. The sweet (also called a barfi) is topped with an edible silver foil.
CALORIE COUNT: One piece has about 58 calories.
Karanji:
THE DISH: Karanji is a dough pastry filled with coconut or sugar and fruit.
CALORIE COUNT: One serving has about 224 calories.
Cham Cham (Chum Chum):
THE DISH: Cham Cham, or Chum Chum, is a popular Bengali dessert made with flour, sugar and coconut flakes.
CALORIE COUNT: One piece has about 175 calories.