Sugary treats that tell the story of Baishakh

Crunchy, sweet, and deeply nostalgic, Baishakh sweets are more than festive treats. They are edible memories passed down through generations. From brittle peanut confections to airy sugar drops, each sweet carries the warmth of home and the joy of a new beginning. As families gather to welcome the Bengali New Year, these timeless recipes bring together tradition, celebration, and the simple magic of sugar transformed.

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BADAM ER KOTKOTI (PEANUT BRITTLE)

Ingredients

1 cup peanuts (badam), roasted and skins removed

1½ cup sugar

4 tbsp water

1 tsp ghee

A pinch of baking soda (optional, for a lighter texture)

Method

First, dry roast the peanuts in a pan until they become slightly golden and aromatic. Remove the skins and keep them aside. In another pan, add sugar and water and cook on medium heat until the sugar melts and turns into a light golden caramel. Stir occasionally so it does not burn.

Once the syrup becomes thick and bubbly, add the roasted peanuts and mix quickly so that all the peanuts are coated with the caramel. If you want a slightly airy and crisp texture, add a tiny pinch of baking soda and mix well. Then immediately pour the mixture onto a greased tray or parchment paper. Spread it using a greased rolling pin or spatula. While it is still warm, cut it into small pieces. Let it cool completely until hard and crunchy.

CHHANAMUKHI

Ingredients

1 litre full-cream milk

2 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar (to curdle the milk)

1 tsp flour

1 cup sugar

½ cup water

Oil or ghee for frying

Method

First, in a pan boil the milk. Add lemon juice or vinegar and stir gently until the milk curdles and the chhana separates from the whey. Strain it through a clean cloth and rinse with cold water to remove the sour taste. Squeeze out the excess water and knead the chhana with 1 teaspoon of flour until smooth. Next, shape the chhana into small cubes or diamond-shaped pieces. Heat oil or ghee in a pan over medium heat and fry the chhana pieces until light golden in colour. Remove from oil and set aside.

In another pan, cook the sugar and water together to make a syrup. When the syrup becomes slightly thick, add the fried chhana pieces. Keep stirring on low heat until the sugar starts to crystallize and forms a white coating around the sweets. Let them cool completely before serving.

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BATASHA (TRADITIONAL SUGAR DROPS)

Ingredients

1 cup sugar

½ cup water

A pinch of baking soda

2–3 drops lemon juice

Method

In a pan, combine sugar and water and heat gently until the sugar dissolves completely. Then boil the syrup until it reaches a thick, two-thread consistency. Add a few drops of lemon juice to prevent crystallisation.

Turn off the heat and let the syrup cool slightly until it becomes thick and opaque. At this stage, add a pinch of baking soda and beat the mixture quickly with a spoon until it turns light and slightly frothy.

Immediately drop small portions of the mixture onto a greased plate or parchment paper using a spoon. Let them cool and harden completely at room temperature. Once set, the batashas will become light, airy, and crisp.

CHINIR MURALI

Ingredients

2 cup all-purpose flour

2 tbsp milk powder

Water, as needed

Oil, for deep frying

2 cups sugar

½ tsp baking powder

A pinch of salt

Method

In a bowl, pour flour, milk, baking powder and salt. Mix well and add water to it. Knead well and make the dough. Make four parts from the dough. Roll each part out with about ½-inch thickness. Then cut the slab into finger long sticks. Now heat oil in a pan. Deep fry the sticks on low heat until crunchy. Make sure these do not turn red.

For the sugar coating —

In a saucepan, mix 1 cup of water with sugar. Stir on medium heat to make thick and sticky syrup. Then add the fried sticks. Mix well. Allow the sticks to cool. Store and serve.

KHOI ER MURKI

Ingredients

200g khoi (popped rice)

300g sugar

½ cup water

1 tbsp ginger juice

Method

Pour ½ cup of water in a pan and add sugar. Keep the pan on medium flame. Keep on stirring until the sugar becomes sticky. Now switch off the gas and after three minutes add khoi and ginger juice. Mix continuously with a spatula for the proper coating of sugar. Allow it to cool down. After cooling, store the murki in an air tight container.

KADMA

Ingredients

2 cups sugar

1 cup water

1–2 tbsp lemon juice

A pinch of cardamom powder

Method

In a pan and add sugar and water. Heat it on medium flame and stir until the sugar completely dissolves. Once it starts boiling, add a little lemon juice. Keep cooking until the syrup becomes thick and reaches a hard-crack stage. (When a drop put in the cold water it becomes hard and brittle).

Now comes to the tricky part. At this stage, you need to work quickly. Remove the pan from heat and start stirring the syrup continuously until it starts turning slightly opaque and grainy. At this point, quickly take small portions and drop them onto a greased tray, shaping them into round lumps. Let them cool and harden completely. Your homemade kadma is ready — crunchy on the outside with a slightly airy texture inside, perfect for a nostalgic sweet treat!

TILL CHAKKI (SESAME BRITTLE)

Ingredients

1 cup white sesame seeds

1 cup sugar

2 tbsp water

1 tsp ghee

A pinch of cardamom powder (optional)

Method

First, dry roast the sesame seeds in a pan on low heat until they become lightly golden and fragrant. Stir continuously so they do not burn. Remove from the pan and keep aside. In the same pan, add sugar and water and cook on medium heat until the sugar melts and forms a light golden syrup. Add the ghee and a pinch of cardamom powder for flavour. When the syrup reaches a sticky consistency, quickly mix in the roasted sesame seeds and stir well so all the seeds are coated. Immediately pour the mixture onto a greased tray or parchment paper and spread it thin with a greased rolling pin or spatula. While it is still warm, cut it into squares or diamond shapes. Let it cool completely until crisp.

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GOJA

Ingredients

2 cups refined flour

1 cup sugar

A pinch of baking powder

2 tbsp ghee

2 green cardamom

1 tbsp lemon juice

Salt to taste

Oil for deep fry

Method

Combine sugar, water and cardamom pods in a heavy bottom pan. Bring to a boil. Stir frequently. As the syrup thickens, reduce the heat and test the consistency. Once the sugar syrup has reached a two-string consistency, turn off the heat and add lemon juice (this prevents the syrup from crystallising). Keep warm. In a bowl mix flour, salt and baking powder. Add ghee and work it well into the mixture. Add water little by little and knead till stiff dough is formed.

Divide the dough into equal portions and using rolling pin roll out into ovals. Make several slashes on the ovals with a knife or a fork. Heat sufficient ghee or oil in a pan and deep fry the gojas till light brown and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on an absorbent paper to remove excess oil or ghee. Dip the fried gojas into the sugar syrup. Coat rapidly and remove quickly. Toss till dry and crisp.

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SUGAR COATED JHINUK PITHA

Ingredients

1 cup semolina

½ cup flour

1 egg

1tbsp ghee

¼ tsp baking powder

4 tbsp warm milk

Oil for deep fry

A pinch of salt

For sugar syrup —

1 cup sugar

¼ cup water

Method

Take semolina, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and ghee in a large bowl. And mix it well. Now add the egg and knead the dough. Dough must not be too dry nor too soft. Make small balls from the dough. Take one ball and shaped it like an egg, then spread it on top of a colander thinly and start to fold from one end and finish it to another end and close it. Using the same process make all the pitha. Now heat oil in a pan. Fry the pitha until golden brown and then take it out from oil to a paper tissue. Fry rest of the pitha and keep it aside. Now pour ¼  cup of water in a pan and add sugar. Keep the pan on medium flame. Keep on stirring until the sugar becomes sticky. Now switch off the gas and after three minutes add fried pithas. Mix continuously with a spatula for the proper coating of sugar. You can preserve this pitha in an airtight box for 2/3 weeks.

GUJIYA

Ingredients

For the dough —

2 cups refined flour

¼ cup clarified butter

A pinch of salt

Water to mix

For the filling —

1 cup mawa

1 tbsp sugar

½ tsp cardamom powder

2 tbsp almonds, finely chopped

Oil or ghee for deep frying

For the syrup —

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

Method

Rub ¼ cup ghee into the flour and knead into a stiff dough with water. Leave to rest for at least half an hour. Now saute the mawa over medium heat till it looks slightly fried. Add sugar and mix well. Cook for 2 minutes. Add cardamom powder and almonds. Mix well and remove from heat. Allow the filling to cool. Shape the filling into ovals about 21 cm length and 1 cm thickness.

Make balls of the dough and roll out into small round roti. Take a round roti, wet the edges with water and place a piece of filling over one half. Fold the other half over and press the edges together to seal, make a design by pinching and twisting all along the sealed edges. Make all the gujiya in this way. Heat ghee or oil in a pan, fry the gujiya till golden brown on all sides.

Make sugar syrup by cooking water and sugar together, till one thread consistency.  Dip the fried gujiya into the sugar syrup. Lift and let dry on a plate. Serve or store in air tight container.

Food & Recipes: Salina Parvin

Photo: Silvia Mahjabin

Décor: RBR