https://indiamap.com/food/dessert/petha
With a soft and moist inside and a crunchy and translucent exterior, the one of the most famous sweets of North India is the delightful Petha. It is a translucent or white colored candy dessert made from ash gourd or raakhlaukee, a vegetable prepared as a savory and is a prime ingredient in this unique sweet dish. Petha is popular in North India, and particularly in Agra in the state of Uttar Pradesh, and hence is also called as Agra Petha. Multiple sellers of Petha can be found lined outside of Taj Mahal in their mobile stalls or sweet shops in Agra. Originally, Petha comes in ivory color, but over the years several variations have been developed of Petha with different flavorings such as Kesar Petha, AngooriPetha, PaanPetha, Coconut Petha, Rose or Kewda Petha, etc. According to some beliefs, Petha was originated in India during the Mughal rule of Shah Jahan but since there have been no description of it in the cookbook of Shah Jahan’s times, the exact origination of it is still uncertain. Unlike other Indian desserts that use extensive dairy products and nuts, Petha is a unique sweet and does not require too many ingredients. It uses Ash Gourd which is cut and soaked in limestone water and then rinsed properly to be boiled in water and cooked in a sugar syrup. Making Petha requires some expertise and patience as it is not an instant dessert and needs some preparations. But the sweet taste and moist texture of Petha wins all hearts and proved worthwhile of the efforts that goes into making this sweet dish.
Published on: Feb 3, 2023
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