Gudi Padwa 2024: 8 Sweet Dishes To Prepare At Home

Gudi Padwa marks the beginning of a year in Maharashtra. It is the harvest festival for Marathis across the country and is celebrated with great vigour and enthusiasm. This year, Gudi Padwa will be celebrated on the 9th of April. Preparations for the joyous occasion begin with cleaning and decorating homes, performing puja and special rituals at home, and preparing delicious meals and sweet dishes to be enjoyed with family.

If you are searching for sweet dish recipes to prepare during Gudi Padwa, here are eight items you can prepare to celebrate the harvest festival.

1) Karanji

A sweet delicacy from Maharashtrian cuisine, karanji has a texture similar to samosa, except for its shape, which resembles a half moon. The crispy outer layer is prepared using ghee, all-purpose flour, and semolina (suji), while the sweet stuffing is made by roasting shredded coconut and nuts and mixing them with jaggery and powdered sugar. In some cases, people also add sesame and poppy seeds to the stuffing, which is flavoured with nutmeg and ground cardamom. The filling is stuffed into the prepared dough, then given a half-moon shape, sealed around the edges and deep-fried to make it crisp and golden.

2) Puran Poli

A dish popular in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Gujarat, the word ''puran'' means sweet filling while ''poli'' refers to the flatbread. The poli is made by mixing all-purpose flour or wheat flour with water, salt and ajwain to make a dough. The sweet stuffing is prepared by cooking and mashing chana dal, mixed with jaggery and flavoured with nutmeg and cardamom powder. The filling is then stuffed inside the dough, shaped into rotis and cooked on a tawa till both sides are cooked evenly. It is then served alongside pickle or melted ghee and milk.

3) Basundi

A popular sweet dish from Maharashtra, Basundi is prepared by boiling milk till it reaches half its quantity and mixed with sugar, saffron, nutmeg and cardamom powder. It is garnished using chopped nuts and can be served warm or refrigerated for some time and served chilled. Basundi is a typical sweet dish prepared during festivals and enjoyed with friends, family and relatives.

4) Sabudana Kheer

This delicious sweet dish is commonly prepared during the fasting period and is made by washing and cooking sabudana in boiling water. It is later mixed with full-fat milk, jaggery, sugar, and cardamom powder and garnished with chopped nuts fried in ghee. Sabudana kheer can be served warm or chilled, depending upon your preference.

5) Amrakhand

Also known as mango shrikhand, it is a sweet delight that kids and adults enjoy. With its sweet and smooth texture, it is often paired with puris and rotis and enjoyed as lunch or dinner. It is prepared by straining the yoghurt, removing the whey, and making the mixture creamy and thick, also known as hung curd. It is mixed with mango pulp, cardamom, and sugar and topped with nuts such as pistachios or nuts for added flavour. While various flavours of shrikhand are consumed during Gudi Padwa, mango shrikhand is usually preferred for enjoying its taste during summer.

6) Kaju Modak

Made using cashews, sugar, ghee, and water, kaju modak is prepared by crushing cashews, turning them into powder, and mixing them with sugar syrup on a low flame. Once the ingredients have been thoroughly combined and the mixture cools down, a layer of ghee is applied and given a modak shape. Kaju modaks are commonly prepared during festivals such as Ganesh Chaturthi, and it is a delight to have them during Gudi Padwa.

7) Nariyal Ladoo

Coconut ladoo is an incredibly delicious sweet dish made with shredded coconut, jaggery, and sugar. Shredded coconut is first roasted in ghee, mixed with milk, sugar, or jaggery, and cooked until the mixture absorbs the milk and attains a solid texture. The mixture is then shaped into ladoos and refrigerated for half an hour, after which it is flavoured with cardamom or topped with finely chopped nuts.

8) Milk Mawa Barfi

As the name suggests, milk mawa or khoya barfi is prepared using mawa, ghee and sugar. Full-fat milk is boiled for hours till it achieves a semi-solid texture, resulting in khoya. It is then mixed and cooked with sugar to form a dough, and saffron and cardamom are added to enhance its taste. The mixture is then transferred to a tray, set aside to cool, and cut into a square or diamond shape.