Delhi New: Local Desserts

Milk-solid dumplings fried until dark and steeped in cardamom sugar syrup, served warm. The name combines the Persian for rose water with the Hindi for the jamun fruit, which the shape resembles. The texture depends on how the khoya is kneaded. Delhi versions are usually smaller and less syrup-heavy than eastern Indian ones.

Fermented batter piped in coils into hot ghee, then soaked in saffron syrup while still crisp. Old Famous Jalebi Wala at the Dariba corner of Chandni Chowk has been frying them since the 1880s and uses desi ghee rather than oil. The coils there are thicker than usual. Best eaten within minutes of coming out of the pan.

Milk reduced slowly over low heat until it thickens, with the skin folded back in to give a layered texture. Cardamom and saffron are added towards the end, and it is finished with chopped nuts. Delhi shops serve it chilled, often alongside jalebi or faluda. The reduction can take several hours for a single batch.

Dense frozen milk dessert set inside a hollowed fruit, then sliced to reveal the filling. Kuremal Mohan Lal in Chawri Bazaar has made the stuffed version since 1908, working with mango, pomegranate, guava and jamun as the seasons turn. The kulfi is frozen in earthen pots packed with salt and ice rather than churned.

Fried bread soaked in sugar syrup and covered with thickened rabdi, finished with pistachio and silver leaf. The name translates as royal piece, and the dish comes from Mughal court kitchens where it used surplus bread. Old Delhi versions are richer and sweeter. It is usually served cold after a heavy Mughlai meal.

Split green gram ground to a paste and cooked slowly in ghee until it darkens and separates, then sweetened and scented with cardamom. The dish demands long, constant stirring, which is why it appears mainly in winter and at weddings. Served hot in small portions with almond and cashew slivers on top.

Grainy brown barfi made from sprouted wheat, milk and ghee, cooked down over hours until it caramelises. The sweet comes from the Punjab, and Sindhi and Punjabi halwais brought it to Delhi after Partition. Texture is chewy rather than fudge-like. Sold by weight and keeps well, which makes it a common gift.