Name This Indian Sweet

May 11, 2012 10:23 AM

Name This Indian Sweet

I'm travelling in India and came upon this sweet in Panjim in Goa. I forgot the name. It's delicious. It's got a very unique texture. Very chewy, but not in a sticky way. It's got a mild taste, not super sweet. Can someone tell me what the name is so I can ask for it? Thanks! see photo here.

posted by grak88 to food & drink (20 answers total)

It looks like barfi/burfi/burfee.
posted by Sidhedevil at 10:27 AM on May 11, 2012

That doesn't look like burfi to me. Burfi is opaque. This looks transluscent.
posted by alms at 10:34 AM on May 11, 2012

I don't think it's burfi (which is milk-based and grainy, and most non-Indians don't like it). Your pic looks like the Indian version of Turkish Delight, but I've got no idea what it's called.
posted by genmonster at 10:36 AM on May 11, 2012

It reminds me of the gaajar burfi I've had at an Indian sweet shop near me, except the version I've had is much less jelly-like. So maybe that's not it.

Maybe it's a version of petha?
posted by cooker girl at 10:47 AM on May 11, 2012

More petha!
posted by cooker girl at 10:49 AM on May 11, 2012

I got curious and wanted to see what burfi looks like; I did find one variety that looked like your picture.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:57 AM on May 11, 2012

When the guy sold it it me it didn't sound like barfi. It was like 4 or 5 syllables long and had some G's in it.
posted by grak88 at 10:59 AM on May 11, 2012

Looks like a halva to me(here's a similar-looking one), but what specific kind I couldn't say.
posted by Su at 11:07 AM on May 11, 2012

It doesn't have any G's in it but it looks like this picture.
posted by Mittenz at 11:09 AM on May 11, 2012

grak88, different languages in India have different names for same sweets, so the posters and the guy that sold you it could be talking about the same thing.
posted by sandmanwv at 11:13 AM on May 11, 2012

It looks like halwa to me too -- not the sesame seed containing middle-eastern kind, but the sweeter, stickier kinds you find in South India. Looks something like this. Thick and sticky.
posted by peacheater at 11:17 AM on May 11, 2012

gajjar ki halva? carrot halva? has lots of G's in it, and syllables. translates directly as something like carrot's sweet.
posted by saraindc at 11:18 AM on May 11, 2012

well a G and a couple of J's anyhow
posted by saraindc at 11:19 AM on May 11, 2012

It looks like Bombay halwa with badam (almonds) in it. If it's green then it's got pistachio (pista) in it. Could he have said "bombay badam ka halva"?
posted by Runes at 11:36 AM on May 11, 2012

No, that's wrong. "badam ka bombay halva".
posted by Runes at 11:54 AM on May 11, 2012

It is halwa.
posted by pakora1 at 1:28 PM on May 11, 2012

This is Karachi Halwa.
posted by embrangled at 1:37 PM on May 11, 2012 [1 favorite]

I don't think it is burfi. It looks like halwa, and has flakes of almond and pistachio, so I agree that it could be badam pista halwa.

However, you mention "unique texture" which makes me wonder if it could be a "petha" or "agra petha" variant as cooker girl mentioned (hard to describe, but pethas look like they could be hard/sticky, but are kind of crispy-chewy-yummy). Halwas have that translucent sheen like in the picture; pethas (usually) have a drier texture on the outside and are flavored with rosewater.
posted by prenominal at 1:41 PM on May 11, 2012

I'm pretty sure embrangled has it, looks like Karachi Halwa to me too.
posted by vanar sena at 2:11 PM on May 11, 2012

Thanks everyone!
posted by grak88 at 11:33 AM on May 12, 2012