Fantastic Sweets & Where To Find Them #EidSpecial
Walk, Food & More
An Eid celebration or Ramzan food trail isn’t complete without sweets to balance out the meat feast. There are some amazing confections worth trying, and this is the best time to!
Invite your friends
and enjoy a shared experience
Malai Khaja
It takes a skilled hand to craft this decadent, layered pastry made up of a deep-fried shell of flour that conceals a heart of milk cream mixed with nuts. The syrupy pastry lavished with ghee scores on texture as its crisp, flaky surface is contrasted by the soft malai, which oozes when sliced. No surprise then that it’s among the best-selling items at Bhendi Bazaar sweet shop Shabbir’s Tawakkal, which is otherwise known for its vast selection of barfi. A single portion of the malai khaja is rich enough for two people.
Where to eat it: Shabbir’s Tawakkal, Shop No.24, Khara Tank Road, Bhendi Bazar. Tel: 82860 86979. Open all year.
Malpua and Phirni
A confection of deep-fried eggs, flour and sugar that’s served with a side of malai, malpua is among the most indulgent of the desserts eaten at this time of the year. At Mohammed Ali Road institution Suleman Usman, they can customise the treat, using between one and four eggs depending on the size of the group. A greater proportion of eggs to flour makes for a malpua that’s fluffier than a pancake. Suleman Usman also offers a praise-worthy phirni, the creamy rice pudding. Theirs is lighter and more delicate in flavour than its peers.
Where to eat it: Suleman Usman, 167 Ibrahim Merchant Road, outside Minara Masjid. Tel: 022 2346 5059. Open all year.
Mawa jalebi
The mawa jalebi is best described as a deep-fried gulab jamun. The palm-sized sweet has fewer spirals than a regular jalebi and is deep brown in colour with a crisp surface and a warm, soft crumb within. Oil-soaked, thick and slathered with silken rabdi, it’s a delicious threat to arteries.
Where to eat it: J. J. Jalebi, 4, Pradhan Building, J. J. Junction, M. S. Ali Road, off Mohammed Ali Road. Tel: 98195 56929. Open all year. Also at Shop No.14, Kismat Compound, next to Farid Seekh Kabab Centre, Behram Baug, Jogeshwari (West). Tel: 98199 66948. Open all year. And at 212/195 Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg, opposite Kalpana Talkies, Kurla. Tel: 80806 29202. Open all year.
Sancha ice cream
We’re not talking about any ordinary ice cream but the traditional sancha or hand-churned variety, which is made using a contraption called the sancha, typically in flavours such as sitaphal, strawberry and anjeer. The result is scoops that are creamier and fresher than those of mass-market brands.
Where to eat it: Taj Ice Cream, 36 Khara Tank Road, Bohri Mohalla. Tel: 022 2346 1257. Open all year.
Sheer khurma
Sheer khurma is a luscious dessert made with vermicelli, dry fruits, nuts, semolina, chironji and a considerable heap of sugar with milk. According to Munaf Kapadia, the business head of Colaba-based catering service The Bohri Kitchen, which is helmed by his mother Nafisa Kapadia, Eid is an occasion in the Bohri community to flaunt your sheer khurma among neighbours and relatives in a friendly contest. “It gets really competitive,” he said. Because a ready-made sheer khurma doesn’t travel too well, The Bohri Kitchen sells a pre-mix to which you need to add a litre of milk and boil for five to seven minutes before serving.
If you’re looking for a twist on tradition, then know that ice cream brand Sucres Des Terres has crafted a limited edition flavour inspired by sheer khurma. Like the homemade milky stew, their Joyeux Eid ice cream is enriched with pista, almond and vermicelli and sweetened with date. Priced at Rs950 per 500ml jar, the ice cream is only available until Monday, June 26.
Where to eat it: The Bohri Kitchen, call 90290 20285. Sucres Des Terres, call 99209 85880.
Curated by The Daily Pao, a website that nourishes your daily need for intelligent journalism about food, nightlife, culture and shopping in Mumbai.
Subscribe to receive our newsletter!
Find the best experiences happening out there in your city or enjoy handpicked content while sitting comfortably at home. Paytm Insider is your go-to place to figure out what to do today!