Desserts and Sweetmeats

Although desserts are an integral part of Indian cuisine, they rarely feature prominently as part of a meal and are still to a large extent reserved for special occasions. On a day-to-day basis, people usually opt for fresh fruit, or some chilled, sweetened yogurt. When desserts are consumed, cool, refreshing palate-cleansers such as saffron-scented strained yogurt or the world-renowned classic, kulfi, are appropriate after a spicy meal in a hot climate, while richer warm desserts such as cardamom-scented coconut dumplings or coconut-filled wheat pancakes are ideal after a lighter meal.