Indian Sweets from Zaika Indian Cuisine
Coming across “Zaika Indian Cuisine” the other day, I was so excited to see the homemade Indian sweets in town! After browsing some photos, I also realize it’s exactly the sweets provided in National Museum Palace Diwali function last year and were so popular at that time!
Being a sweet tooth, I subscribed to the page immediately and inquired about orders. Luckily, there’s the group order for Lunar New Year sweets this week, so I joined this order right away.
The sweets available this time are kaju katli and laddu — both these are popular sweets gifted to relatives and friends on Diwali.
In fact, each and every state of India features its own signature sweets which are prepared for celebrations. There has to be sweets to give a perfect ending to either a marriage, religious rituals, or simply a get-together party. Indian sweets, not just soul food, but also takes a fundamental part of Indian tradition actually, with good wishes and love.
Kaju katli, in fact, is an variation of Barfi, which is produced by thickening milk with sugar and other ingredients. Kaju means cashews in Hindi. Kaju katli specifically refers to Kaju Barfi (cashew fudge). It’s not difficult to get the ingredients, but to make the mouthwatering kaju katli, it takes time, practice and experience; the consistency of sugar syrup and cashew dough truly matters a lot!
Speaking of “national sweetness” , the first one came to most Indians’ mind must be laddu — Be it a birthday party, wedding function, baby birth or a exam result, laddus are always there to help you share the good news and joy with others. What makes Laddu so special is probably because of its versatility. Laddu can be made of different ingredients, therefore every region of India has its own variation.
The kaju katli I have from Zaika is ornamented with edible silver foil, and the texture is so fine and perfectly sweet. In fact, the moderate sweetness brings out the aroma of the spices and the cashew mixture, and tastes even more delicate than what I had during my last stay in India.
The laddu, comparing to the “standard” versions available in markets — for a foreigner like me usually one piece is more than enough — Zaika’s laddu is relatively less sweeter, yet still rich in flavor that makes me feel like having another one right after the piece in my mouth!
Having a wonderful conversation with Miral while picking my sweets at her home, I also came to know even more dishes she makes! Not just sweets I saw on the fan page, but also the Indian snacks that we usually see in the packages manufactured by some big brands, which I also had the chance to taste with the masala tea, including banana chips and poha chivda — It’s so yummy to eat with chai that I didn’t even think about it can be homemade until she told me! But Miral’s version is definitely healthier — less oil less sugar , and free from chemical preservatives.
Aside from sweets, she also shared a lot of the food she makes. Experienced in providing lunchbox and catering services in town, she is simply the live dictionary of Indian food I’ve ever met with the great passion and dedication to promote Indian / Vegetarian food culture here.
After having her paneer and gujarati chapati for dinner last night, I have started to look forward to next time, especially one of my favorite Indian snack, Chaat and the regional special dish, Undhiya!!!
Wanna get some authentic sweets or impress your guests with special Indian tea party at your place? Check out Zaika Indian Cuisine for more information!
