Confections for the soul

India is known as the land of festivals. And each festival is celebrated on a sweet note with specially created confections, whether Eid with sevai, Holi with gujia, Onam with payasam or Guru Nanak Jayanti with karah prasad.

Homespun fun

Diwali, the biggest festival for Hindus, brings with it its share of sweets. Earlier, people prepared sweets at home (I have sat with my mother, aunts and grandmothers, kneading dough and making sugar syrup). Due to our hectic lifestyle, this tradition is fading out. But there are also many who offer home-made fare during festivals.

"Sweets are a symbol of happiness and togetherness," says Ajay Agarwal, chairman of Puranmal, one of the leading chain of Indian sweet shops in the UAE. "By distributing sweets, you share this happiness and togetherness."

Essence of festivals

Pankaj Agarwal, director at Bikanervala, another leading chain of Indian sweet shops in the UAE, agrees with Ajay. "Diwali is the biggest festival among Hindus," he says. "And it is not only a ritual to gift sweets on Diwali but no Hindu worship is complete without them."

Nirmal Khanna, a Dubai-based freelance writer and author of cookery books, feels it may be good to buy sweets but "when you make something yourself, it is twice as nice. You also get a lot of appreciation."

Just as new jewellery and fashion collections are launched at this time, confectioners also come up with new varieties. While Puranmal has come up with "Nargis", made from dry fruit and mawa (thickened milk), Bikanervala has come with a new concept — sugar-free sweets.

"For the first time in Dubai, we are making sugar-free Indian sweets," Pankaj says. "We have a whole range of such sweets, such as kaju barfi, boondi laddoo, kalakand, gulab jamun.

"We have done this keeping in mind not only the calorie-conscious but also because it is a healthier option, given that Indian sweets are very rich."

Steady business

Khanna says she makes sugar-free sweets for herself but not for guests. "It's OK to cheat once in a while even if you are health-conscious," she says.

At this time, when everyone is downsizing their lifestyle, will the sale of sweets also be affected? Both Ajay and Pankaj feel that despite all that, business would not be affected during Diwali.

"I think festival celebrations never stop because they are like stress relievers and help people cope better with their problems," Ajay says. "Festivals also signify there is a new opening in the offing."

Quality and quantity

"At this time, I think it would be difficult to spend Dh60-Dh70 per kg for just basic sweets," Khanna says. "Making them at home may not be as fancy but will definitely be less costly. Also, there's always a lot more of it when you make them yourself."