Bal Mithai

बाल मिठाई

Traditional sweet from Almora, the Kumaon region, Uttarakhand

Almora's signature sweet and the one souvenir every visitor carries home. Khoya is slow-roasted until it turns a deep chocolate brown, set into fudge, cut into cubes and rolled in tiny white sugar balls that give it a crunchy shell.

Cubes of bal mithai, dark brown khoya fudge coated in white sugar balls
Cubes of bal mithai, dark brown khoya fudge coated in white sugar ballsPhoto: vkumar / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)

Ingredients

  • •Khoya (mawa), 500 g
  • •Sugar, 250 g (plus a little for the coating balls)
  • •Poppy seeds or sugar-ball pearls (chini ke dane)
  • •A spoon of ghee

How it's made

  1. 1Roast the khoya over a low flame, stirring without pause, until it darkens to a rich brown. This is the slow, patient step that gives bal mithai its colour.
  2. 2Add sugar, cook until the mass leaves the sides of the pan, then spread on a greased tray and let it set.
  3. 3Cut into small rectangles once firm.
  4. 4Roll each piece in the white sugar balls until fully coated.
This recipe is a general reference written for readers who want to know the dish. Quantities are to taste and every household cooks it a little differently.