Desserts

Halwas, kheers and festive sweets

• Vermicelli Kheer · Tamil Nadu. Semiya payasam in the South and seviyan kheer in the North: thin wheat vermicelli roasted in ghee and simmered in milk with cardamom, cashews and raisins. Festival-ready in half an hour.
• Flan (Caramel Custard) · International. A silky set custard of eggs, milk and vanilla under a glossy amber caramel that pools into sauce when you turn it out. The Goan, Portuguese and Spanish party pudding, baked or steamed.
• Mysore Pak · Karnataka. Mysore's royal sweet: gram flour cooked into a sugar syrup with hot ghee poured in a spoon at a time, until it froths, sets porous and melts in the mouth.
• Gajar ka Halwa · Punjab. The Punjabi winter pudding: grated red carrots cooked slowly in full-fat milk until it all reduces, then fried in ghee with sugar, cardamom and nuts.
• Gulab Jamun · Uttar Pradesh. Soft khoya dumplings fried slowly to a deep brown and soaked in a warm cardamom and rose syrup.
• Saffron Rice Kheer · Uttar Pradesh. Rice slow-cooked in full-cream milk with saffron and cardamom until thick and creamy, topped with pistachios.
• Double ka Meetha · Telangana. Hyderabad's bread pudding: ghee-fried bread soaked in saffron sugar syrup and reduced milk, finished with nuts.
• Bobbatlu · Andhra Pradesh. Ugadi and Sankranti's sweet flatbread: a soft maida dough wrapped round chana dal and jaggery filling, rolled thin and cooked in ghee.