SWEET TOOTH DIWALI Fresh Jalebi Jaipur Sweets

It’s almost as if there’s spiritual blessing behind Jaipur Sweets’ iconic fresh jalebis. No wonder they’re such a big hit. Such a big hit in fact, that you can safely assume there’ll be a wait of 30-40 minutes before you get your fingers on that hot, sticky deliciousness. Such a big hit in fact, that the local commerce association says it has raised the business profile of the famous eat street considerably.

Jaipur Sweets launched in the area three years ago, after a successful CBD run. It wasn’t a smooth launch, and exhausted chef and owner Narinder Singh decided he would provide langar (free food service) once a week as a way of saying thanks.

Some 70 people turned up the first week. Today, 900-1000 free meals are served every Tuesday at lunch.

“Everyone is welcome,” Singh says. “This is my form of community service.”

The jalebis, served as dessert, went down like hot cakes, literally. People came back for more on other days of the week. They vanished so quickly that Singh had to start making them on the premises. Very soon he had to install an automated machine, then a second one; today, he’s sourcing two more to keep up with demand. Interestingly, there hasn’t been a price upgrade in three years, even though there’s been quality upgrade.

So what’s Jaipur’s secret?

“Only the purest ingredients,” Singh replies. “The best almond meal, the purest saffron, organic sugar, premium quality organic New Zealand ghee.”

And the spirit of seva (community service).

JAIPUR SWEETS

48 Marion St, Harris Park NSW

Aam Ki Zulfi Nilgiri’s Classic Cassata Dessert Corner

If the term ‘cassata’ brings back childhood memories of ice cream treats, try the fare at Dessert Corner, a Melbourne food truck. While it lists some truly unique faloodas and rabris, owner-operators

Deval and Yogi Patel reveal it is the Classic Cassata that’s the biggest seller. “We’ve never had a customer who hasn’t fallen in love with our Classic Cassata,” they laugh.

Perhaps it’s the nostalgia of it all, or perhaps it’s the pure wholesomeness of it. No artificial flavours are used, “only fresh ingredients, from the ground up,” according to the Patels. Like all their preparations, this dish is egg-free, alcohol-free and gelatinfree. The layers here are vanilla, orange, tutti frutti, mango and pistachio ice creams, with cashew sprinkles on top. The ice creams themselves are dense, quite kulfi-like.

For more ice creams that taste like nostalgia, check out Thandai Ice Cream, Khoya Ice Cream, and the new item on the menu, South Indian Coffee Ice Cream, launched this month on World Coffee Day.

Soon to come, Guava and Black Salt Ice Cream - that should take you back too!

DESSERT CORNER dessertcorner.com.au

Ajoy and Meera Joshi’s Nilgiris is well-known for its menu change every three months. These days, they’re on a ‘trip back home’ with their food, going back to the original form of subcontinent cuisine one region at a time. (The theme currently is ‘Undivided Bengal’).

“It’s all authentic fare,” Ajoy says. “No anglicised or fusion versions of Indian cuisine anymore. I’m loving retaining the original names of dishes too.”

At the moment, a dessert he’s offering is based on the mangoes from Eastern India. His Aam ki Zulfi (not kulfi, please note) is a kind of brulee, made with mangoes and almond meal but significantly, with no eggs. Sitting on top of it, is his version of aampapad (or fruit leather, made of mango pulp and then dried in the sun).

“I cook my aampapad to just before the sukhana (drying) stage, so that it retains its toffee-like texture.”

The top of this mango toffee is decorated with a mango gel or glaze, giving it all a glowing saffron colour. Go on, crack that shell, but with the gentlest of taps…

NILGIRI’S

3/283 Military Rd, Cremorne NSW

Mohanthal Chatkazz

How often is it that a restaurant puts a dish on the menu because clients asked for it repeatedly? Well, Chatkazz at Harris Park says it listens to its regular customers. As a restaurant Chatkazz is known for its hugely diverse menu, but its distinct Gujarati cuisine and Mumbai-style street food truly stand out. And so, if you want a traditionally Gujarati dessert like Mohanthal, this is where you’ll find it.

“Yes it’s true – you probably won’t find this dessert on any other restaurant menu,” manager Hiren tells us. Mohanthal is a fudge made of chickpea flour or besan. It is prepared much like burfi, although it is grainier in texture, spread out in a plate (thal) to set and then cut into pieces.

At Chatkazz, a Mohanthal slice is heated in a pan to melt, and then poured into a bowl. It is served hot, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and nuts sprinkled on top. A spectacular winter dessert.

4-6/14-20 Station St East, Harris Park, NSW

7 ye A rs AND BELOW

It’s been another fantastic year of entries from our littlest readers. This year, we tasked them with a somewhat unusual flower mandala - talk about flower power!

Our heartiest congratulations to Aria Bansal (up to 7 Category) and Chinmay vanarse (8-12 Category) who take home book vouchers valued at $75 each.

Congratulations also to runners-up Arya Goudar (up to 7 Category) and kushagra Ahuja (8-12 Category). they’ve won book vouchers worth $50 each.

Keep your eyes peeled for our annual Diwali card, which will feature Chinmay Vanarse’s design for 2022. happy Diwali to all the little ones who participated – keep colouring!

8 - 12 YEARS

ARIA BANSAL CHINMAY VANARSE