Top News

Durga Puja is an extravagant celebration of culture, devotion, and culinary delights. Among the highlights of the festival, Bengali sweets hold a special place. From the creamy Mishti Doi to delicate Pati Shapta, these desserts are a treat to the taste buds and reflect the rich culinary heritage of Kolkata.

Whether served as a prasad, during family gatherings, or festive feasts, these traditional desserts are integral to the celebrations. This year, celebrate your Durga Puja festivites with these iconic Bengali sweets that promise joy in every bite.

1. Pati Shapta

Pati Shapta is a showstopper during Durga Puja. These are delicate crepes that are rolled with a luscious filling of khoya, coconut, and jaggery. It creates a perfect harmony of textures and flavours. The soft, golden crepes wrap around the sweet filling, offering a melt-in-the-mouth experience that's extremely hard to resist. This sweet delight is traditionally prepared during festive gatherings and is served as a highlight dessert at bhog or family feasts. The dish not only appeals visually with its rolled elegance but also delights the palate with its combination of soft, chewy, and sweet notes.

2. Rosogolla

The iconic Rosogolla is synonymous with Bengali desserts and Durga Puja celebrations. These are soft, spongy balls that are soaked in fragrant sugar syrup. Made from chhena and semolina, the Rosogolla’s spongy consistency soaks up the syrup beautifully, creating a juicy bite that melts in the mouth. They are often offered as prasad to Goddess Durga, and carries both religious and cultural significance. Every bite is a celebration of Bengal’s culinary legacy, making Rosogolla a must-have for the festive season.

3. Chhena Payesh

Chhena Payesh is Bengal's take on the rice pudding with a divine twist. Made with fresh chhena, milk, sugar, and fragrant spices like cardamom, this dessert is slow-cooked to creamy perfection. It's often served warm. The luscious consistency and delicate flavours of Chhena Payesh are ideal for festive indulgence. It's also considered auspicious and is offered to Goddess Durga during rituals. Topped with nuts and saffron, each serving is a visual and gastronomic delight. It’s a dessert that brings both nostalgia and festivity to the table.

4. Bhapa Sandesh

Bhapa Sandesh is a steamed Bengali dessert. It's airy, light, and flavourful. Made with chhena, sugar, and sometimes infused with cardamom or saffron, it offers a unique texture that makes it unique. Traditionally, the chhena mixture is steamed in small cups, giving it a soft, melt-in-the-mouth quality. This traditional delight has a subtle sweetness that makes it the perfect additional to the festivities. Bhapa Sandesh is often garnished with nuts or rose petals, making it a festive favourite during the Durga Puja celebrations.

5. Kheer Kadam

Kheer Kadam is a dessert that combines two textures in a single bite. It has a milk based outer layer and a sweet, creamy filling inside. Kheer Kadam is made from khoya, chhena, and sugar. These bite-sized delights are coated in a fine layer of desiccated coconut or powdered sugar. The sweet's chewy exterior and creamy centre makes it irresistible, making it the ideal treat during the festive gatherings. The intricate preparation of this traditional delight showcases the artistry and culinary precision of Bengali dessert-making.

6. Mishti Doi

Mishti Doi is basically sweetened yogurt, that is a quintessential Bengali dessert. Thick, creamy, and naturally fermented this traditional yogurt is sweetened with jaggery or sugar and set in earthen pots. This gives Mishti Doi its unique earthy aroma and flavour. It has a silky texture and balanced sweetness that makes it a perfect way to conclude a hearty meal or offer as prasad during Durga Puja. Mishti Doi is not only delicious but also probiotic-rich, aiding digestion and adding a wholesome touch to festive indulgence.