Short answer
Indian sweets, called mithai, are confections made mostly from milk, sugar, ghee, flour and nuts. They fall into a few families: milk fudges (barfi, peda), syrup-soaked sweets (gulab jamun, jalebi), and gram flour or lentil sweets (laddu).
Indian sweets, called mithai, are traditional confections built from milk, sugar, ghee, flour and nuts, and they come in a handful of clear families. The main Indian sweets mithai types are milk fudges such as barfi and peda, syrup-soaked sweets such as gulab jamun and jalebi, and ball-shaped laddu made from gram flour or semolina.
What is mithai?
Mithai is the Hindi and Urdu word for sweets, and it names the whole tradition of Indian confectionery. A mithai shop sells sweets by weight or by the box, usually alongside savoury fried snacks, and many families buy them for festivals, weddings, visits and everyday treats.
Spellings and names change by region. The same sweet may appear as barfi, burfi or burffi, and as jalebi, jelabi or jilapi. In Bengal the spelling and the recipes lean towards fresh curdled milk (chhena), while North Indian sweets lean towards reduced milk solids (khoya) and ghee.
What are the main types of Indian sweets?
The main types of Indian sweets are milk fudges, syrup sweets, laddus, pinni and patisa, and halwa. Knowing the family tells you the texture before you taste.
| Family | Examples | Base | Texture |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milk fudge | barfi, peda, kalakand, milk cake | milk solids (khoya), sugar | dense, soft, sliceable |
| Syrup-soaked | gulab jamun, rasgulla, jalebi | milk dough, chhena or fried batter | juicy, sticky or crisp |
| Laddu | motichoor, besan, boondi | gram flour, ghee, sugar | crumbly or soft balls |
| Nut and flour | kaju katli, pinni, patisa | cashew, wheat flour, gram flour, ghee | rich, dense or flaky |
| Halwa | carrot, semolina | vegetable or grain, ghee, sugar | soft, pudding-like |
Most sweets also carry a flavouring such as cardamom, saffron, rose water or crushed pistachio.
What are milk-based Indian sweets?
Milk-based Indian sweets are made by cooking milk down or curdling it, then sweetening and shaping the result. Khoya, also called mawa, is milk simmered until almost solid, and it is the base of many barfi, peda and gulab jamun.
Chhena is different. It is milk curdled with an acid and drained, giving a soft, mild curd that becomes rasgulla and rasmalai. Khoya sweets taste caramelised and rich, while chhena sweets taste light and milky.
What are syrup-soaked Indian sweets?
Syrup-soaked sweets are fried or boiled pieces of dough that are soaked in sugar syrup until they are juicy all the way through. Gulab jamun, kala jamun and jalebi are fried, while rasgulla is simmered in a light syrup.
Gulab jamun are soft, dark brown dumplings, rasgulla are white and spongy, and jalebi are crisp spirals that soften only on the surface. The syrup is usually scented with cardamom, rose or saffron. These sweets are at their best fresh and often warm.
What is the difference between barfi and laddu?
Barfi is a set fudge cut into squares or diamonds, while laddu is a round ball shaped by hand. Both can use milk solids, nuts or gram flour, so the difference is the final form rather than the base.
Barfi is cooked until thick, spread in a tray and cut once it sets. Laddu is cooked until crumbly or made from small fried droplets, then pressed into balls while still warm. Motichoor laddu is made of tiny fried gram flour pearls, and besan laddu is made from roasted gram flour and ghee.
How do you choose sweets for a mixed box?
For a mixed box, choose one sweet from each of three or four families so that colours and textures differ. A reliable pattern is one milk fudge, one laddu, one syrup sweet and one nut or coconut sweet.
- Start with the sweet people expect, such as gulab jamun or barfi.
- Add a crumbly sweet, such as a laddu.
- Add something nutty, such as a cashew or coconut barfi.
- Pack syrup sweets in their own container so they do not soak the dry ones.
- Decide how many people are sharing and buy by weight or count accordingly.
Very sweet sweets taste stronger when eaten together, so a small piece of each is usually enough for a sampler.
How should you store Indian sweets?
Store dry sweets such as barfi and laddu in a closed container in a cool place, and keep syrup sweets and any sweet made with fresh milk in the refrigerator. A general habit is to eat milk-based sweets within a few days and to ask the shop how long each one keeps.
Shelf life differs by recipe, ingredients and the weather, so no single number fits every sweet. Bring refrigerated sweets back to room temperature before serving, since cold dulls both flavour and softness.
Which Indian sweets does Ram Sweet Shop list?
Ram Sweet Shop in LaSalle lists around 30 sweets in its Indian sweets section on the Uber Eats ordering page, read on November 14, 2026. The section covers all the main families above, and the guide records the names as the listing spells them.
| Family | Listed items (Uber Eats app prices, may differ in the shop) |
|---|---|
| Syrup-soaked | Gulab jamun $8.99, Rasgulla $8.99, Kala jamun $8.99, Jelabi $6.99 |
| Milk fudge | Regular burffi white $8.99, Khoya burffi brown $11.99, Malyi burffi White $11.99, Milk cake $11.99, White peda $9.99 |
| Laddu | Motichoor laddu $8.99, Boondi laddu yellow $8.50, Besan laddu $7.99 |
| Nut and other | Kaju burffi (katli) $11.99, Coconut burffi $9.99, Besan burffi $6.99, Khoya pinni $9.99, Gujiya $11.99 |
The listing does not state weights or piece counts for most items, so confirm the quantity before ordering. The full list is on the menu page, and opening times are on the hours and location page. This guide is independent and takes no orders.
What are good pairings for Indian sweets?
Indian sweets pair well with plain hot tea, cardamom tea or a salted drink that offsets the sugar. Many people end a savoury meal with one small piece instead of a large dessert.
Hot jalebi suits milky tea, and gulab jamun is often served warm. A salty lassi or plain chai gives contrast to richer fudges. The tea and lassi that Ram Sweet Shop lists include Kadak Chai Tea at $3.29, Cardamom Tea at $3.29 and Salty Lassi at $5.49 on the same Uber Eats page.
Common questions
What does mithai mean?
Mithai is the Hindi and Urdu word for sweets, meaning any sweet confection. In everyday use it points to traditional Indian sweets sold by weight or by the box, rather than to cakes or chocolate.
Are all Indian sweets made with milk?
No. Many are milk-based, but jalebi is fried flour batter, besan laddu uses roasted chickpea flour, and halwa can be semolina or vegetables cooked in ghee. Milk is common, not universal.
How long do Indian sweets keep?
It depends on the family. Dry fudges such as barfi usually keep for several days in a cool place, while syrup sweets and anything with fresh milk are best eaten quickly. Ask the shop for its own guidance.
What is the difference between barfi and laddu?
Barfi is a set, cut fudge, usually in squares or diamonds. Laddu is a round ball shaped by hand from a crumbly mixture such as fried gram flour pearls or roasted flour and ghee.
What sweets are good for a first mixed box?
Choose one milk fudge, one syrup sweet, one laddu and one nut or coconut sweet. This gives a spread of textures without repeating the same flavour four times.
Looking for the basics? Ram Sweet Shop address and opening hours are on the home page.
This article is general information from an independent guide, not from Ram Sweet Shop itself. For the store’s current details see hours and location.