In the name of full disclosure, I am not an expert on Hindi, India, or literature. The explanations you find here are the compilation of what I can find on a given term or a phrase. If you see a mistake or if you would like to contribute, please let me know by posting a comment. Thank you.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Indian Sweets

‘…they have made such delicitious gulab-jamuns, but owing to my diabetes I cannot eat them even after the ceremonies. I am not even allowed gajak, which is so difficult to resist in winter.’ (p. 4)

Gulab-jamun is a popular Indian dessert. Fried balls of reduced milk and flour are soaked in sugar syrup flavored with rosewater or saffron. The sweet is often eaten at festivals and celebrations, so it is not surprising that it is being offered at Savita’s and Pran’s wedding.

Gajak is another Indian sweet, usually made with sesame seeds. There are a variety of gajak recipes available on the web, but not many descriptions. So I am still looking for information on why this dessert appeals so much more during the winter months as opposed to other seasons.

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