What happens when a French croissant gets a gulab jamun makeover, a Bengali mishti doi turns into a cheesecake, or a traditional Punjabi doda barfi meets coffee? The answer lies in Delhi-NCR’s increasingly inventive dessert menus, where familiar Indian sweets are stepping beyond the mithai box and finding a place in contemporary bakeries and confectionery shops.
This festive season, the traditional flavours of motichoor, rasmalai, ghevar and doda barfi are being revisited through cheesecakes, cakes, French pastries and modern sweet creations. These combinations bring together familiar Indian ingredients and contemporary dessert-making, offering a different way to indulge in festive favourites.
Here are six Delhi-NCR spots serving desserts that give traditional Indian sweets a modern twist.
Motichoor Cheesecake
Motichoor ladoos, a familiar feature of Indian celebrations, get a contemporary interpretation at Café Delhi Heights with its Motichoor Ladoo Cheesecake. The dessert brings together the sweetness of the traditional gram-flour sweet with the creamy texture of a cheesecake.
The combination offers an alternative to conventional cheesecake flavours while retaining the familiar taste of an Indian festive favourite. For those who enjoy both mithai and Western-style desserts, this creation brings the two together in one serving.
Where: Café Delhi Heights
Mishti Doi Cheesecake
Bengal’s mishti doi, a traditional sweetened fermented yoghurt dessert, gets a modern makeover at The Dessert Bar. Its Mishti Doi Cheesecake combines the characteristic sweetness and tang of the Bengali dessert with the creamy texture of a cheesecake.
The creation offers a contemporary interpretation of a regional favourite, moving beyond conventional chocolate- and fruit-based cheesecake flavours. The Dessert Bar also features other Indian-inspired creations, including rasmalai cake and thandai truffles.
Where: The Dessert Bar
Gulab Jamun Croissant
What happens when a classic French pastry meets one of India’s most-loved festive sweets? The gulab jamun croissant brings together the flaky, buttery layers of a croissant and the familiar sweetness of gulab jamun.
The fusion gives a traditional Indian dessert a contemporary bakery makeover, making it an interesting alternative to the usual festive mithai assortment. The combination also reflects the growing popularity of experimenting with Indian flavours in familiar international desserts.
Where: Third Wave Coffee
Coffee Doda Fudge
Doda barfi, a traditional Punjabi sweet known for its rich, grainy texture, gets a contemporary flavour combination with Coffee Doda Fudge at Dilli Mithai Co.
The creation brings together the familiar richness of doda barfi with the bittersweet notes of coffee. The result is a modern confectionery-style interpretation of a traditional sweet, offering something different from the usual festive assortment of barfis and ladoos.
Where: Dilli Mithai Co.
Gulab Jamun meets French Pastry
What happens when a traditional Indian sweet meets French pastry-making? L’Opéra’s Cromun offers an answer. Inspired by gulab jamun and the French croissant, the creation brings together two distinct dessert traditions.
The pastry uses a cream inspired by the flavours of gulab jamun, paired with the flaky texture associated with a French croissant. The fusion offers a different interpretation of the familiar Indian sweet while retaining its recognisable flavour profile.
Where: L’Opéra
Pista Kunafa Ghevar
Ghevar, a traditional Rajasthani sweet associated with festivals and celebrations, gets a contemporary makeover with Pista Kunafa Ghevar at Dilli Mithai Co.
Known for its distinctive honeycomb-like structure, ghevar is traditionally prepared using a batter that creates its characteristic porous texture. The modern interpretation brings together the familiar Indian sweet and the crisp, nutty flavours associated with Middle Eastern kunafa.
The addition of pistachio further brings together the two dessert traditions, creating a combination of textures and flavours that moves beyond conventional ghevar varieties.
Where: Dilli Mithai Co.
