18 Must-Try Western India Mithai

Indian cuisine is vast, complex, and rich with history, and a huge part of the culture is centered around sweets. Traditional Indian sweets, or mithai, vary greatly across the country, not to mention households, making the act of choosing a list of the best ones a difficult task. To help, we have collected some of the most delectable mithai, specifically from the western states of India, Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Daman and Diu, Dadra, and Nagar Haveli.

These states, like many other regions in India, base their mithai on some staple ingredients such as jaggery (unrefined sugar), mawa (milk solids), besan flour (gram or chickpea flour), and ghee (clarified butter). Whether you celebrate any Indian festivals such as Diwali, Holi, or Ganesh Chaturthi, or just have an insatiable sweet tooth and want to try the best desserts the world has to offer, this collection of Indian mithai is sure to inspire you to make something sweet.

Kharvas, also known as junnu or ginnu in other parts of India, are made from cow colostrum, the milk cows produce in the first few days after they give birth (via Swasthi's Recipes). According to WebMD, cow colostrum boasts many health benefits, such as being high in protein and antibodies. Cow colostrum is also often thicker than regular milk, adding to the creamy and dense texture of kharvas.

So what are kharvas? They are a dessert made by boiling down milk until it is incredibly thick. According to Hebbars Kitchen, the final texture and appearance is similar to soft paneer but sweetened and flavored with cardamom. Because obtaining cow colostrum is not as easy as it once was, new ways to make kharvas include using powdered milk or sweetened condensed milk. The final kharvas are smooth, creamy, and very decadent. It pairs well with tea or coffee and is a very satisfying way to complete any meal.

This dessert has many names. Perad, parade, or simply guava cheese, is a dessert eaten in Goa around Christmas time and is commonly added to Christmas collections of Kuswar, traditional Goan Christmas sweets (via Kitchen Corner). Although the name is deceiving, guava cheese does not actually contain any cheese and is almost entirely guava. As per Goan Food Recipies, perad is made by simmering fresh guavas, straining them to remove the seeds, and then cooking down the puree with sugar and food coloring into a very thick paste. Once this puree sets overnight, it is dense, chewy, and flavorful.

Similar in preparation to pâte de fruit, perad is a great way to transform guava into an indulgent, texturally delightful sweet. The reason it may be so similar to pâte de fruit is that perad traces its origins back to the Portuguese who colonized Goa in the 1500s to 1960s (via Britannica). The Portuguese brought something called quince cheese to Goa. This quince cheese is very similar to Goan perad, except that it is made from quince. Other desserts similar to perad can be found around the world in other previous Portuguese colonies and guava-loving places.

Originating from the city of Surat in Gujarat, surti ghari is a regional sweet that is undeniably beloved. In fact, surti ghari is so loved that it has a yearly festival in its honor (via Tasted Recipes). The Chandi Padvo is an annual festival put on in Surat to celebrate surti ghari and other accompanying sweets, which then must be enjoyed under the moonlight to complete the full experience.

So what makes surti ghari so delicious? Made with a filling of mawa, almond flour, pistachios, and gram flour, wrapped in dough, and then deep fried in ghee, these sweets are everything you need. They are crunchy on the outside, sweet and nutty in the middle, and have a creaminess from the mawa that pairs perfectly with a hot drink. Surti ghari is also often filled with dried fruits and can come in even more elaborate variations like chocolate or topped with gold leaf.

Chana dal sabudana kheer, also known as payasam or payasa, is a traditional sweet originating from Goa with variations all over the country. It uses lentils, tapioca pearls, and sometimes rice to make a thick sweet pudding. Dal, or lentils, can be both sweet or savory, and this preparation definitely falls in the dessert category. Sweetened with jaggery, a type of unrefined sugar, and flavored with cardamom and coconut milk, chana dal sabudana kheer is creamy, rich, and delicious (via Cook With Kushi).

Commonly made for special occasions like birthdays or specific festivals, chana dal sabudana kheer can come in many variations so that anyone can find a version they like. If you are not a fan of tapioca pearls, then leave them out! But if you love the texture of traditional kheer, then feel free to add rice. Both ways of preparing chana dal sabudana kheer are delicious and traditional, making this dessert even more of a crowd-pleaser.

Ladoo, or laddu, are common desserts found all across India and can come in many different flavors. Ladoo means round ball, which is very fitting considering that ladoo desserts are shaped (you guessed it) in balls (via Veggie Food Recipes). Churma ladoo, originating from Rajasthan and Gujarat, is made from whole wheat flour, jaggery, and ghee. These ingredients combine to create a dense, sweet, and a little bit crumbly authentic mithai.

Commonly eaten at Ganesh Chaturthi, the festival celebrating lord Ganesha, churma ladoo are also enjoyed throughout India all year round. The key to making churma ladoo is in the flour. You must use coarsely ground whole wheat flour to obtain the perfect gritty, almost crunchy texture. This flour is then made into a dough and fried before it is mixed in with the ghee and jaggery. The resulting churma ladoo is covered in poppy seeds and is a sufficiently satisfying way to conclude any meal.

Known as nevri in Goa and karanji in Maharashtra, these sweet, deep-fried dumplings slightly resemble empanadas. Depending on the region, nevri and karanji fillings can vary. In Goa, it is common to have nevri with fresh coconut and jaggery, while in Maharashtra, karanji are usually filled with poppy seeds and dried fruit (via Dassana's Veg Recipes).

Regardless of their filling, these mithai are classically enjoyed during Diwali and Ganesh Chaturthi and must be eaten fresh because of the coconut inside. Nonetheless, they usually last only a short time because who can resist eating such deliciousness? The sweet filling combined with the crunchy, flaky dough on the outside makes nevri and karanji irresistibly wonderful.

You will probably love this simple yet delicious dessert if you are a fan of thick yogurts like greek yogurt. Shrikhand, a mithai from Gujarat and Maharashtra, is incredibly simple and quick to make. Traditionally made from hung curd, or homemade yogurt, that thickens as the whey drains, this texture can be achieved by substituting greek yogurt so that the final dish is dense and creamy (via Dassana's Veg Recipies).

While this yogurt dessert may seem simple, it is a staple in west Indian weddings, meaning it is culturally vital and worth a try! Often flavored with cardamon and saffron in a beautiful duo of flavors, shrikhand can also be found or made with fruit purees, nuts, and seeds. Adding some textural element on top, like toasted pistachios, is a great way to contrast the creaminess of the shrikhand with a nice pop of crunch. This versatility makes shrikhand a very useful and irresistible dessert to have in your repertoire.

Modak actually refers to the overall mithai of modak, which comes in many variations. The modak from Maharashtra, ukadiche modak, is one of the most popular types of modak found in India and is also Lord Ganesha's favorite mithai and therefore made during Ganesh Chaturthi (via Dassana's Veg Recipies).

So what are they? Modak is steamed dumplings that can be molded into delicate forms or simply folded by hand. They can be put into a mold or shaped into a half-moon shape like nevri. Depending on the region, modak is filled and shaped differently. Traditionally filled with coconut and jaggery in Maharashtra, the ukadiche modak are then steamed until the dough is cooked and the inside is gooey from the jaggery. The dough of modak is made from rice flour, which gives this dessert an additional chew and tenderness.

Patholi is common in the south of India and as far north as Goa, where banana trees and coconut grow bountifully. Patholi requires banana trees because they are often steamed in banana or turmeric leaves. Patholi are fairly similar to modak in that both mithai have the same filling. However, unlike modak, patholi can also be steamed in turmeric leaves which imparts a unique and irresistible flavor (via Cook with Kushi)

The dough for the outside of the patholi is made from rice, while the inside is made from coconut and jaggery, which creates a sugary, chewy, and almost nutty flavor. You can serve patholi with melted ghee or browned butter, but they are also just delicious as is!