Not Plum Cake Or Eggnog, These Are 7 Traditional Christmas Desserts From India

Here's a lineup of the best Indian Christmas desserts you must try.

by Sanjana Shenoy
Not Plum Cake Or Eggnog, These Are 7 Traditional Christmas Desserts From India

Christmas is just around the corner. And while you’ve already started stocking up on boxes of plum cakes,  gingerbread men and eggnog, it’s time you sink your teeth into traditional Christmas desserts from India. So, if you’re not sure where the list for amazing Indian Christmas desserts start, then let’s help you don the Santa Claus har and get the Christmas feeling going! Here are 7 traditional Christmas desserts from India, that are crispy, sugary and all things sweet.

7 Best Traditional Indian Christmas Desserts You Must Try

1. Nevreo

indian christmas desserts
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Your guide to Christmas goodies from India, stars from nevreo. This dessert plays an important role in Goan Christmas platter called Kuswar. The crescent-shaped sweet puffs have a coconut, semolina and cardamom filling. So they are crispy on the outside and mushy on the inside. In other words, nevreo is the gujiya for Christmas. It’s not too sweet and its crispiness makes it all the more addictive.

Also Read: 7 Local Drinks From Goa You Must Try In Your Next Trip

2. Avalose Unda

indian christmas desserts
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Avalose Unda is a famous Syrian Christmas snack in Kerala. This is a rice and jaggery laddoo which is made many times in the year in the coastal state. But it adorns the Christmas tables of many households. This snack is called nallu mani palharam or a (4’o’clock snack). It has many health benefits as it’s prepared with rice powder, sugar or jaggery and coconut. Avalose Unda is a must-have for all those desi folks who love trying out laddoos.

3. Achappam Rose Cookies

indian christmas desserts
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You might have tried the regular chocolate chip cookies, but if you haven’t tried Kerala’s Achappam Rose Cookies then what have you been upto? This deep-fried sweet is prepared from rice flour. It has a gorgeous rose shape, which will captivate you instantly. Achu refers to the rose-shaped mould used for it. And appam means the rice flour batter used. You might find it similar to Europe’s rosette cookies that’s a deep-fried dish prepared from flour. Nevertheless, it’s a unique Indian Christmas dish that you must try this festive season.

Also Read: Forget Appams & Try These 5 Lesser-Known Kerala Breakfast Dishes

4. Kulkuls

indian christmas desserts
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Inspired by the Portuguese Filhoses Enroladas, a rose-like rolled pastry, kulkuls screams Christmas! This Goan dessert or snack is also called kidiyo, which means worms in Konkani. While this might not sound appetising, kulkuls shaped like worms, shells or curls are sweet and crispy. This is a dessert which is as fun to prepare as it is to eat. You need to roll the dough with forks and store it in an airtight container. When you wish to eat, just deep fry them and enjoy them super hot. Might we add that they’re super addictive?!

5. Ariselu

indian christmas desserts
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Ariselu or Arisa is a popular Christmas dessert especially enjoyed in South Indian states like Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Prepared with jaggery syrup, rice flour, ghee, cardamom and sesame seeds, ariselu is soft and sweet. This dish is easy to whip up and savour with your family. It’s usually consumed during the winter season, as the sesame seeds in ariselu help balance the body temperature.

Also Read: I Have Been Eating At Restaurants In Bangalore During The Pandemic & Here’s What I Recommend

6. Dodol

indian christmas desserts
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Dudol is a velvety Goan delicacy that will take your taste buds on a heavenly journey.  This is a mandatory Christmas dessert made with coconut milk jaggery, dry fruits and rice flour. While it takes quite some time for its preparation, it’s worth the wait. Dodol is a toffee dessert also popular in Indonesia. The Goan version of dodol is a wonderul post-meal dessert that will leave you feeling cool and light.

Also Read: 6 Desserts Other Than Rasgulla You Must Try In Kolkata

7. Bolinhas

indian christmas desserts
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Goa offers a variety of amazing Christmas sweets. And the bolinhas, is a special treat to make your Christmas, a merry one. With the goodness of coconut, sugar and rava, these cookies are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. It’s a lovely teatime snack that laces every Christmas plate in Goa. Families have their own secret recipes to prepare traditional bolinhas, nevertheless, you’ve got to try one to visit Goa through its flavours.

Dessert lovers! These are the 7 Christmas desserts from India you must try to get all jolly this festive season. Sink your teeth into these sinfully divine treats as you have a Merry Christmas!

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First Published: December 17, 2024 5:59 PM