South India’s Ghee Sweets Affair: 8 Traditional Desserts That Are Scrumptious

From the creamy Rava Kesari to the ghee-enriched Mysore Pak, there are many scrumptious southern creations that can create any sweet lover get hooked for life.

 

Usually, when we ponder ‘South Indian food’, suddenly our mind moves off to the much loved dosas and idlis, and steaming hot vadas with mouth-watery coconut chutney that make the supreme morning fix. Also the enriched and tastiest curries prepared by using earthy spices like mustard and curry leaves, along with creamy coconut milk are hard to let go. In terms of beverages, kokum sharbat or imli sharbat highlight up for a great drink, irrespective of the season.

 

Flavours from the south have crossed way all across India and shattered territorial boundaries and have been welcomed by Kerala. As we focus detailed on the delicious side of what this cuisine has to provide to our palates in Kerala, the delicate desserts most often take a superior lot. From the creamy rava kesari to the ghee-enriched Mysore Pak, there are many delicious southern creations that can make any sweet lover get tangled for life. So let’s rethink some traditional South Indian delicacies and the history behind their unmatchable predominance.

 

• Payasam

 

Payasam is the one dessert that is tasted in the South irrespective of age and culture. The milk treat is made during all special occasions and also for those occasional treaties. It is thought that the term is derived from ‘peeyusham’ which signifies honey or ambrosia.

Payasa or payasam is also the Sanskrit term for milk. In Kerala, it gets a reserved space in the traditional thali during festivals like Onam in their traditional Malayalam feast famously known as sadhya. In other states like Tamilnadu, payasam is served during most festivals like Gokulashtami and others. Traditional payasam involves ingredients like jaggery and coconut milk over sugar and dairy milk that is employed eminently in the North Indian variants.

It is also supremely delicious and tempting with the aroma of ghee that can allure your taste buds and make you crave for more.

Quick Tip: To add to its many variants, this dessert can be cooked with pineapple, carrots and even mango. So, get creative!

 

• Mysore Pak

 

The word “Mysore Pak” does magical spectre to a sweet lover’s palate. As though as spontaneous as turning on a switch, it brings about an instantaneous drool. Made from lavish amounts of ghee, sugar, gram flour and fragrant cardamom, it’s hard to say no to another piece of it.

Regarded as the ‘royal sweet’, even now it is treated as the ‘king’ of sweets in the South. Women in Mysore say that during the 10 days of Dasara festivities, they are bonded to prepare at least 51 traditional items. And a platter of food and sweets without a bit of Mysore Pak in it, they say is incomplete.

This delicacy straight from the bellows of Mysore have equally tempted all the Keralites and the capital town residents of Trivandrum also sheepishly followed the queue with no qualms. It simply irresistible with the loads of ghee that add on to its fresh aroma and its luscious taste.

 

• Boorelu

 

Originating from Andhra Pradesh, boorelu are deep-fried sweet balls which are tokens of joy and festivities. The stuffing of this delicacy is made from Bengal gram, jaggery or sugar, coconut and cardamom powder, which is employed as a flavour enhancer. It is then put in a batter prepared from black gram dal and rice, rolled into balls and deep-fried until golden brown.

 

• Kozhukattai

 

Kozhukattai is a popular South Indian sweet dumpling prepared from rice flour, with a stuffing of grated coconut and jaggery, and resembles modak made in other parts of India. It is usually eaten for breakfast or as a snack along with tea.

In Tamil Nadu, the dish is traditionally associated with the Hindu God Ganesha, and prepared as an offering on the occasion of Vinayaka Chathurthi. In Kerala, it is also famously related with Oshana Sunday eve celebrations of Saint Thomas Christians.

Quick tip: This dessert is sassy to make and you can add your favourite dry fruits for an extra crunch and richness.

A spoon of ghee will not do any harm and it can only enhance its richness. The treat can be so relishable and moreish. It is also lauded as a craving ghee sweet.

 

• Sweet Idli or Paniyaram

 

Ever wondered about making savoury desserts from leftover idli batter? This is the answer. Extremely sassy to make with a buttery, creamy and ghee aftertaste, paniyaram are fluffy and chewy on the entrails. The leftover batter is sweetened with some jaggery along with the coconut and cardamom. It makes for a faster snack when you are craving anything sweet. You can also top chopped bananas to the mix for a tropical twist.

The most delicious dumpling you can ever try with loads of ghee onto it with the essence of jaggery crumbs can make your taste buds tickle a bit and let your craving ends left loose!

 

• Maa Ladoo or Maladu

 

Maa ladoo or maladu is a protein rich treat that is assumed to have originated from the district of Tirunelveli. It is prepared from roasted gram dal or chutney dal (pottukadalai). Made in almost 15 minutes using less than six ingredients, they give a tough and standby competition to the much relished besan ladoos. Not only are they ‘melt in the mouth’ good but are also nutritious.

A spoonful of ghee can spark wonders to it and it can be an awesome trail of ambrosial enigma. It can leave you drooling and have an undying crave for the melting little piece of paradise and the moreish taste retaining on your taste buds!

 

• Unni Appam

 

Alike to the soft and sugary gulab jamuns, it is a popular delicacy in Kerala. Also called and known as karollappam, it is a small round snack made from rice, jaggery, banana, roasted coconut pieces, roasted sesame seeds, ghee and cardamom powder.

Prepared in less than 20 minutes, the extraordinary balance of crunchiness and creaminess will make you fall in love with this version of the famous appam! The relishing savoury can make you stay lost in the trails of the scrumptious path it takes you to and a comeback obviously hurts for our sweet-tooth. It would be more enriched with dices of ghee poured into it.

 

• Rava Kesari with Milk

 

Much like sooji ka halwa, South India’s rava kesari is an absolute treat with its creamy and roasty after taste that have allured Kerala alike. Usually bright orange in colour, thanks to the addition of saffron, it is superiorly delicious and very inviting. Moreover it looks so appealing and leave a perfect first impression. It fills your eyes first and later proceed to satisfy your sweet cravings. You can add fruits of your choice, like mangoes or pineapples to make it more savoury. This dessert hardly needs an occasion to be prepared and relished.

The treaty is so delectable with dozens of spoons of ghee loaded into it. It can make it more relishing and the taste will not be forgiving one anytime soon and it will keep on mesmerising your sweet tooth. The aroma it spews into the air is incredibly inviting.

A palette of ghee sweets that can make you go crazy over the moreish food and simply delectable. The more you love, the more you will fall prey to it. The lip-smacking delicacies is easily available from Bread Factory in Trivandrum.

 

“The lip-smacking ghee sweets in Trivandrum”

Avail one of  the most scrumptious ghee sweets in Trivandrum from Bread Factory with the strong aroma of freshly skimmed ghee and nicely mingled in the crumbs and crust of the sweets adding onto its electre.