All of these foods can be viewed as an example of abiding Indian culture, where families cook opulent meals to celebrate special events or to invite other family members.
In most cases, after a rich meal, fruits and other light meals are provided to prepare the tongue for the rich meals. These foods usually contain fruits, dairy, light grains, and spices, which are soothing and easy to digest systematically.
In India, everyone likes to have something sweet after the meal, as if it is not complete without something sweet. Born into a Punjabi family, I am passionate about sweets, which are integral to Punjabi food. Of course, many Punjabi desserts are tasty and make the meal more enjoyable.
Some Dessert Options Traditionally Eaten In Indian Households After A Meal:
1. Phirni
Phirni is a simple and delicate rice pudding made from ground rice, milk, sugar, and freshly ground cardamom.
It is creamier in texture and is usually consumed cold; it may be flavoured with saffron or rose water or decorated with almonds and pistachios. It is conventionally relished in petty earthenware bowls (mitti ke ka sour), which make it calm and taste excellent.
Phirni Recipe
Ingredients: The ingredients for phirni are basmati rice, milk, sugar, khoya, cardamom, saffron, and nuts.
Instructions:
- Soak and grind .
- Boil milk, add rice paste, cook until thick.
- Stir in sugar, khoya, cardamom, and saffron.
- Cool, serve in bowls, and garnish with nuts. Enjoy!rice
2. Gulab Jamun
Although a rich dish, another delightful sweet, gulab jamun can also be considered light if consumed moderately. These dumplings made out of khoya are deep-fried and then drowned in rose-flavoured sugar syrup, making them quite popular in Indian households.
Filling them with less syrup or warming them a little makes them lighter, making them the right proportion of sweet and soft to relish after a heavy meal.
Gulab Jamun Recipe:
Ingredients: Khoya, all-purpose flour, baking powder, sugar, water, rose water, oil.
Instructions:
- Make sugar syrup with water, sugar, and rose water.
- Mix khoya, flour, baking powder; form small balls.
- Fry until golden.
- Soak in warm syrup for 30 minutes. Enjoy!
3. Seviyan Kheer (Vermicelli Pudding)
Another version of kheer, seviyan kheer, is made using thin noodles called vermicelli. When the roasted vermicelli is prepared, it is boiled in milk with the addition of cardamom and sugar and served with almonds, raisins, or pistachios.
It is slightly sweet and does not upset the stomach. It is served best cold in Shandy style for people who want something refreshing after their pepper-scorching meal.
Seviyan Kheer Recipe
Ingredients: Vermicelli, milk, sugar, cardamom, almonds, raisins, pistachios.
Instructions:
- Roast vermicelli until golden.
- Boil milk, add roasted vermicelli, sugar, and cardamom.
- Cook until thickened.
- Serve topped with nuts and raisins, chilled or warm.
4. Fruit Custard
Fruit custard is another favorite dish lighter in Indian households and served after meals or as a supper dish.
It contains apples, bananas, grapes, pomegranate seeds, and fresh fruits taken in season and served with rich vanilla custard. Due to its natural appeal and easy preparation, it makes an excellent healthy beverage after a meal.
Using seasonal fruits brings in extra flavors and makes the meal liberally sweet without overwhelming the taste buds. It is lovely during the warm season, and it is good for the stomach as well.
Fruit Custard Recipe
Ingredients: Milk, custard powder, sugar, vanilla essence, mixed seasonal fruits (apples, bananas, grapes, pomegranate).
Instructions:
- Boil milk and mix custard powder with a bit of cold milk.
- Add the mixture to boiling milk, stirring until thick.
- Sweeten with sugar and add vanilla essence.
- Let it cool, then mix in chopped fruits.
- Serve chilled.
5. Rabri:
Rabri is prepared by boiling milk with sugar and then simmering it on low heat until it forms a creamy custard. It is a somewhat delicate and sweet dish made in relatively small portions, with the predominant flavor of cardamom, saffron, and, occasionally, rose water.
It is garnished with almonds or pistachios. Traditionally, Punjabi households consume rabri with malpua during festivals; however, it can also be relished as a small-serving dish on occasions other than festivals.
Rabri Recipe
Ingredients: Milk, sugar, cardamom, saffron, rose water (optional), almonds, pistachios.
Instructions:
- Boil milk in a heavy pan, stirring frequently.
- Reduce heat and simmer until thickened.
- Add sugar, cardamom, and saffron; mix well.
- Garnish with chopped almonds and pistachios.
- Serve warm or chilled.
6. Sandesh
Regarding Bengali sweets, Sandesh is among the most famous among Indians. It is a milk sweet made using paneer (cottage cheese) and sugar and can be steamed or cooked slightly.
It contains cardamom, saffron, or even rose essence and is usually decorated with almonds or pistachios. Due to its relatively mild, sweet taste, it is well suited as a dessert after a hearty, richly flavored meal.
Sandesh Recipe
Ingredients: Paneer, sugar, cardamom, saffron (optional), pistachios or almonds.
Instructions:
- Crumble paneer until smooth.
- Mix in sugar and flavor with cardamom or saffron.
- Shape into small discs or molds.
- Garnish with slivers of pistachios or almonds.
- Chill and serve.
7. Kulfi (Matka Kulfi)
Kulfi is an ancient type of Indian frozen dessert characterized by slow-cooked milk. The use of water also makes it a delightful and cooling dessert, especially during hot weather. It’s taken in small portions, and it is rather fluffy and light after a hot Punjabi meal.
It is very famous. It is placed in earthenware, and the options include Kesar and Malai. It is usually decorated with rose syrup or falooda for an authentic look.
Kulfi Recipe
Ingredients: Milk, sugar, khoya (optional), flavored essence (kesar, pista, malai), nuts (pistachios, almonds).
Instructions:
- Boil milk and reduce it until thick.
- Add sugar and khoya; mix well.
- Stir in flavored essence.
- Pour into molds and freeze until solid.
- Garnish with nuts before serving.
8. Chaas or Sweet Lassi
Chaas (buttermilk) and sweet lassi are like soured yogurt and fruit juice; both are much-loved Punjabi drinks that are sometimes served as light sweets after heavy meals.
Chaas is fermented yogurt and a desi version of buttermilk that has a tangy flavor and helps digestion.
Sweet lassi, on the other hand, is made from yogurt, then blended with sugar, and may be enriched with rose water or saffron. They also serve to rehydrate the body and temper the richness of such luxuries that big foods provide.
Sweet Lassi Recipe
Ingredients: Yogurt, sugar, water, rose water, or saffron (optional).
Instructions:
- Blend yogurt with sugar and water until smooth.
- Add rose water or saffron if desired.
- Serve chilled, garnished with nuts if preferred.
9. Aamras (Mango Pulp)
Aamras is a lovely dish prepared from ripe mango pulp and can be served in summer. Served chilled, it is one of the ways by which people can have a sweet course after having a meal.
Though it goes well with Puris, it is liked by Punjabi families into the bargain. Its natural sweetness and porous texture make it a tremendous fruity dessert.
Aamras Recipe
Ingredients: Ripe mangoes, sugar (optional), cardamom (optional).
Instructions:
- Peel and chop ripe mangoes.
- Blend the mango pulp until smooth.
- Add sugar and cardamom if desired; mix well.
- Chill and serve.
10. Panjeeri
Panjeeri is a sweet dish from Punjab prepared by roasting whole wheat flour with ghee, nuts, and sugar.
It is consumed because of its health benefits, particularly for new mothers; it can also be taken as a light dessert.
Though it contains ghee and nuts, which are rich in calories, it is proven that when taken in limited quantity, it does not create heaviness in the stomach and gives complete satisfaction.
Panjeeri Recipe
Ingredients: Whole wheat flour, ghee, sugar, nuts (almonds, pistachios), cardamom (optional).
Instructions:
- Roast whole wheat flour in ghee until golden.
- Add chopped nuts and mix well.
- Stir in sugar and cardamom; mix until combined.
- Let cool, then shape into small balls or serve as is.
11. Rasgulla
These sweets are known as rasgulla, and Bengalis take them like Punjabi households take their aam aur papad.
They are prepared from soft paneer balls soaked in thin sugar syrup. Rasgullas are slightly soft and slightly sweet in taste.
They are light and suitable for taking after a spicy and decadent meal. They are enjoyed most when chilled, and they complement most Punjabi dishes by giving a relaxed feel to the palate.
Rasgulla Recipe
Ingredients: Milk, lemon juice (or vinegar), sugar and water.
Instructions:
- Boil milk, add lemon juice to curdle, and strain to get china.
- Knead the chhena until smooth and form small balls.
- Boil sugar and water in a wide pan.
- Add the chhena balls to boiling syrup, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.
- Let the Rasgullas cool in the syrup before serving.
12. Mishti Doi (Sweetened Yogurt)
Mishti doi is a Bengali type of curry preparation in which sweetened milk is allowed to ferment.
It has a light texture with a denser bottom; it is supposed to be consumed cold. It has a cooling quality and a very faint acidity, which is excellent for countering spicy dishes or those heavy on proteins and oils.
Compared to other calorie-laden sweets and desserts, it is light and easy to digest in the stomach.
Mishti Doi Recipe
Ingredients: Full-fat milk, Sugar And Yogurt
Instructions:
- Boil milk until reduced by half.
- Caramelize sugar, add to milk and stir well.
- Let the milk cool to lukewarm.
- Add yogurt and mix well.
- Pour into bowls, cover, and let set in a warm place for 6-8 hours.
- Chill in the fridge before serving.
Conclusion:
In Indian homes, mainly Punjabi homes, sweets are compulsory with meals, making the dishes balanced in their richness. Delicate and not-too-heavy dishes that can cool the palette are Phirni, Gulab Jamun, Seviyan Kheer, and Mishti Doi.
These desserts help combat the desire for sweets and add cooling quality and nutritional value. From the decadent Rabri to the light and fruity Fruit Custard, each dish completes the meal with its distinctive taste and brings along its heritage.
