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There was a time in my thin days, when I used to go to the junction of Kemps Corner and Gowalia Tank to have 100 grams of malai barfi as a feast for the ideal sweet store. That grainy, soft, yellow pleasant cake made of pure milk, khoya, imitation saffron color and sugar was like a luxury in your mouth. The shop was simple, lined with glass cases made in wood, bountiful sweets, burfis, pedas, milk cakes were displayed in small quantities, often refilled from the inside kitchen when needed. The best-selling sweet was the “kaju katli” – a diamond-shaped cashew marzipan covered with a silver ‘varak’. Apart from this, a brown cake like milk cake is also called ‘Alwar ka Mawa’, which is an Indian version of milk prepared from full cream milk, sugar and ghee. Rich, grainy, creamy and lightly sweet and caramelized. Of course, there were ‘pedes’ of all colours, yellow, brown, white, even green and orange. Milk cake made of fondant, cottage cheese. All kinds of laddoos, especially motichoor laddoos, small soft gram flour boondi, tied together in goodness. Rubbery cornflower pudding comes in bright psychedelic colors. Sutrafeni, Mahim ka Halwa, Mysore Pak, Jalebi, Gulab Jamun and Sohan Papdi etc. Besan, ghee, sugar, dry fruits, wheat and cream all together make up the world of Indian sweets. Making sweets is a tradition that goes back centuries, with even some of the sweets that are mentioned in the Vedas. But now is the time to respectfully and constructively break that tradition.
And it is being encouraged by a young group of food entrepreneurs who I can only call visionaries. Modern confectioners, who have decided to keep the heart, soul and origin of Indian sweets and transform them into revolutionary interpretations. This is what we need to have for Indian cuisine as a whole, but I am very glad that it is really spreading in the Indian confectionery world. I met some of these innovators and was very impressed.
Starting from Bombay Sweet Shop. From the same people who brought you the progressive Bombay Canteen and O Pedro, Bombay Sweet Shop Outlet is in a non-glamorous part of Mumbai but is like a Willy Wonka once inside. Bright, colorful and full of activity, you can watch their sweets being made right there and then. His gift for this Diwali is unique yet full of nostalgia. His two big pistachios are Apricot Jim Jam. This is Pista Ka Peda with Apricot Jam for a jam-filled gym-jam biscuit. Rangeela Ladoo is a soft Motichoor with multicolored beads mixed with Mawa. Of course, there is much more, including a fudge with glucose biscuits, chikkis made from salted bhel and a fine kaju katli made with pure aromatic saffron.
ITC Hotels has also launched handcrafted traditional sweets with a modern twist. A never ending list of handcrafted sweets, sweets and savory Diwali gifts. I focused on the dessert and found it to be inventive as well as familiar. Like Lavender Cashew Ladoo with Milk, Nuts, Soya and Lavender Flowers. Almonds include pumpkin seeds, apricot clusters in white chocolate, and cashews, sunflower seeds, orange peel clusters, ruby chocolate, and charoli, melon seeds, prune clusters in milk chocolate. These are just a few of the vast menu of modern Indian sweets.
Jaggery Sugar is another luxury sweets maker that focuses on traditional flavor especially for those who may be a little health conscious. They make an incredible range of laddoos and carefully crafted sweets that use natural sweeteners, such as dates and organic ingredients like natural honey, manuka, buckwheat, garchia and rosemary. Pink Motichoor Laddu, Bournvita Burfi, Italian Brut Pista Laddu, Pink Bubblegum Burfi, Gold Laddu Kesaria Modak and Alwar Milk Cake with Nellone Gur.
With a mind behind restaurants like Social and Smokehouse Deli, Khoya is an Indian sweet brand that promotes and preserves the ancient Indian cuisine of sweets while adding modern tweaks. It turns out well packaged and simply delicious like Pink Motichoor Laddoo, Paan Peda, and Pista Longe, Sattu Peda, Khas Khas Peda, Gulab Peda, Roasted Besan Ladoo, Nuts Basket.
And to prove that the old has to make way for the new, Bikanerwala, the giant sweet and namkeen makers famous for their Moong Dal Halwa, Bikaneri Bhujia and Kaju Katli since 1905, has launched a brand called Saugat. Building on their age-old ethos, tastes and traditions and a European twist, they have also launched a range of innovative, fresh flavors and flavours. Like Latte Crocker – Indian, Turkish and French flavors of French Wafer, Doda and Turkish Hazelnut. Orange noir, as the name suggests, is an intense dark chocolate with orange in it. Cashew Bon Bon – Salted Caramel and Cashew Balls. Lemongrass Cream- Khoya flavored with lemongrass. Crme de la Coco—Passionfruit and Ghee wrapped in Crunchy Coconut.
On this sweet note, I wish all my readers a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous Diwali. As I always wish everyone, eat well, live well and feed me too.
Kunal Vijaykar is a food writer based in Mumbai. He tweets @kunalvijayakar and can be followed on Instagram @kunalvijayakar. What is the name of his YouTube channel? The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the stand of this publication.
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