Dussehra, or Vijayadashami, celebrates the light over darkness and is celebrated in different ways in different regions in India. While every region of India celebrates Dussehra with processions, prayers, and getting together with family, one common element across India is sweets. Making mithai at home is not just a recipe; it's a feeling or a ritual that has been passed down from generations. 

If you want an authentic festive plate this year, here we go - here are 10 traditional Dussehra sweets recipes that you can make at home, and they are all easy to follow, flavorful, and shareable.

1. Motichoor Ladoo Recipe

Ingredients for Motichoor Ladoo 

• 2 cups besan (gram flour)
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons ghee
• A pinch of orange food colour
• Cardamom powder
• Chopped pistachios for garnish

Method for Motichoor Ladoo 

1. Make a thin batter of besan and water.
2. Pass through a perforated spoon into hot ghee to make tiny boondis.
3. Prepare sugar syrup with a one-string consistency, add cardamom and colour.
4. Mix fried boondis into the syrup, rest for 10 minutes.
5. Shape into round ladoos, garnish with pistachios.

2. Kaju Katli Recipe

Ingredients for Kaju Katli 

• 2 cups cashews
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup water
• 1 teaspoon ghee
• Silver leaf (optional)

Method for Kaju Katli 

1. Grind cashews into fine powder.
2. Make sugar syrup with a one-string consistency.
3. Stir in cashew powder until dough forms.
4. Knead with ghee, roll out thin.
5. Cut into diamond shapes and decorate with silver leaf.

3. Rasgulla Recipe

Ingredients for Rasgulla 

• 1 litre of full-fat milk
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 cups water
• A few drops of rose water.

Method to make Rasgulla 

1. Boil milk, curdle with lemon juice to make chhena.
2. Drain, knead chhena into soft dough.
3. Shape into small balls.
4. Boil sugar and water, add chhena balls.
5. Cook for 15 minutes, add rose water, cool, and serve.

4. Rasmalai Recipe

Ingredients for Rasmalai 

• Prepared rasgullas (from above)
• 1 litre of full-fat milk
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
• Saffron strands
• Chopped pistachios

Method for Rasmalai 

1. Boil milk until reduced to half.
2. Add sugar, saffron, and cardamom.
3. Squeeze syrup from rasgullas and drop into thickened milk.
4. Garnish with pistachios.

5. Shrikhand Recipe

Ingredients for Shrikhand 

• 2 cups hung curd
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
• A few saffron strands soaked in warm milk
• Almond and pistachio slivers

Method for Shrikhand 

1. Whisk hung curd until creamy.
2. Add sugar, cardamom, and saffron milk.
3. Mix well, chill for 2 hours.
4. Garnish with nuts before serving.

6. Sandesh Recipe

Ingredients for Sandesh 

• 2 cups fresh chhena (paneer)
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
• A few drops of rose essence.

Method for Sandesh 

1. Mash chhena until smooth.
2. Add sugar and cardamom, cook gently for 3–4 minutes.
3. Remove from heat, add rose essence.
4. Shape into flat discs or festive moulds.

7. Puran Poli Recipe

Ingredients for Puran Poli 

• 2 cups chana dal
• 1 ½ cups jaggery
• ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
• 2 cups wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons ghee

Method for Puran Poli 

1. Cook chana dal until soft, and mash well.
2. Add jaggery and cardamom, cook until thick (puran filling).
3. Knead flour into soft dough.
4. Stuff puran into dough, roll into flatbreads.
5. Roast with ghee until golden. Serve warm with milk.

8. Rice Kheer Recipe

Ingredients for Rice Kheer 

• ½ cup basmati rice
• 1 litre of milk
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
• Saffron strands
• Almonds and cashews

Method for Rice Kheer 

1. Boil milk, and add the soaked rice.
2. Simmer until rice softens and the mixture thickens.
3. Stir in sugar, saffron, and cardamom.
4. Garnish with nuts before serving.

9. Anjeer Barfi Recipe

Ingredients for Anjeer Barfi 

• 1 cup dried figs (anjeer), soaked
• ½ cup dates
• ½ cup almonds, cashews, pistachios
• 2 tablespoons ghee

Method for Anjeer Barfi 

1. Grind figs and dates into a paste.
2. Heat the ghee, add the nut mixture, then the paste.
3. Cook until thick.
4. Spread on a greased tray, cut into squares.

10. Balushahi Recipe

Ingredients for Balushahi 

• 2 cups maida (all-purpose flour)
• ½ cup ghee
• ½ cup yoghurt
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup water
• Oil/ghee for frying

Method for Balushahi 

1. Mix flour, ghee, and yoghurt into the dough.
2. Shape small discs, fry on low heat until golden.
3. Prepare sugar syrup.
4. Deep-fried balushahi in syrup, rest for 30 minutes.

11. Kesari Jalebi with Rabri Recipe

Ingredients for Kesari Jalebi with Rabri 

• Jalebi batter (flour, cornflour, yoghurt)
• Saffron strands
• 1 litre of milk
• ½ cup sugar
• Cardamom powder

Method for Kesari Jalebi with Rabri 

1. Fry jalebis in ghee, soak in saffron syrup.
2. Boil milk until thick, add sugar and cardamom (rabri).
3. Serve jalebis topped with rabri.

Why Homemade Sweets Add to Dussehra Festivities

Particularly in India, sweets are the highlights of joy, plentiful foods, and blessings from the gods. Each recipe — from Besan Ladoo to Peda — has meaning and history in our culture.  Ladoos symbolise completeness, the golden spirals of jalebi symbolise commerce, and barfi symbolise sharing.

When we make these sweets as homemade dishes, they carry our personal touch. It is a truly magical aroma when besan is roasted, or milk is infused with saffron. Homemade sweets and snacks add value to puja, and sharing these with friends or family adds value to the bonds we share - just as it gently reminds us of the victory over evil while existing in unity with one another.

Which sweet did you make at home this Dussehra? Download Foodism and share it with like-minded foodies.