Indians have a unique love of and for mithaais (desserts in English) and no matter what, it’s tough to say no to that one extra piece of Gulaab Jamun or Boondi ka Ladoo! Our ancestors have been in the business of making and feeding all with desi Indian delicacies but over time, the younger generations have been trying to limit its intake because hello calories!
I am guilty as charged too!
No matter how much I try to avoid the ladoos and barfis because of all the sugar and desi ghee put in them, the Punjabi soul in me fails to. And eventually, one ladoo ends up becoming three and I always lose the count of how many gulaab jamuns I have. The balance is tough and I end up swinging towards “I can’t eat because it’s unhealthy and caloric” and “I want to eat because it’s so yummy”.
But well, these two amazing women entrepreneurs from Delhi NCR: Subha Bajaj Aggarwal and her daughter Arshya Aggarwal have found a middle way!
Founders of Nihira Mithai, the duo have revolutionised the Indian Dessert Space by fusing traditional mithaais with newer, contemporary flavours and giving them a healthy avataar! Nihira offers a wide assortment of delicacies: from barfis and ladoos to panjiris and halwas. Made in the authentic age-old desi Indian way, these edibles are juxtaposed with Gen-Z flavours and made to the likes of health freaks.
For instance, they have infused their desserts with liquors, making them a perfect and toned down option for festivities. There ladoos are infused with champagne, whiskey, red wine, jaggerbomb, sambuca, and gin, while their halwas are an amalgamation of moong dal with honey instead of sugar, raisins and almonds for added nutrition, and added spirits of old monk, mulled wine, and kashmiri kahwa!
For those who love cheesecakes and pastries but want an alternate healthier versions, Nihira also offers assorted modern bakery flavours. You can try their bubblegum, blueberry, cheesecake, lavender, tiramisu, pina colada, mojito, and khoya dough barfis for the same taste but at lower calories and junk!
To maximise and enhance the healthy component in the desserts, they offer an assortment of ladoos and panjiris loaded with pistachio, cashew, sesame seeds, edible gum, dried fruits, figs, honey, chickpeas , nolen gur, coconut, chandan, and basil leaf! Usually made with wholewheat flour or besan, they also use granola for their panjiris and load them with lentils for an added burst of taste and nutrition.
The author is a freelance writer.
