12 Traditional Rajasthani Diwali Sweets

Prashant Dhingra

Rajasthani Diwali sweets are rich with ghee, mawa and gram flour: ghevar and rabri ghevar, Jodhpur's mawa kachori, mohanthal, besan chakki, churma ladoo and mishri mawa.

By Prashant Dhingra

See all 12 sweets Keeping guide

Chart titled 12 Traditional Rajasthani Diwali Sweets, showing Ghevar, Rabri Ghevar, Mawa Kachori, Mohanthal, Besan Chakki, Churma Ladoo, Feeni, Mishri Mawa, Balushahi, Malpua, Moong Dal Halwa, Gajak

In short

Rajasthani Diwali sweets are rich with ghee, mawa and gram flour: ghevar and rabri ghevar, Jodhpur's mawa kachori, mohanthal, besan chakki, churma ladoo and mishri mawa. Feeni, balushahi, malpua, moong dal halwa and the winter favorite gajak complete the spread.

Diwali sweets in Rajasthan

Rajasthan's desert climate shaped sweets that keep well, built on ghee, gram flour, sesame and jaggery. Families visit with sweet boxes through the five days of Diwali, and halwais in cities like Jaipur and Jodhpur stay open late in the run-up.

The 12 sweets

What each one is, what it is made of, and how long it keeps.

01 of 12
Ghevar
Syrup-soakedKeeps about a week
A honeycomb disc of batter poured into hot ghee, then soaked in syrup. Most associated with Teej and Raksha Bandhan but sold through the festival season.

Made with: Maida, ghee, milk, sugar syrup
02 of 12
Rabri Ghevar
Syrup-soakedRefrigerate, 2 to 4 days
Ghevar topped with thick rabri and nuts. Richer and softer, and it needs refrigeration.

Made with: Ghevar, rabri, saffron, nuts
03 of 12
Mawa Kachori
Stuffed pastry & flatbreadRefrigerate, 2 to 4 days
Jodhpur's sweet kachori: a fried pastry stuffed with mawa and dry fruit, dipped in syrup.

Made with: Maida, mawa, nuts, sugar syrup
04 of 12
Mohanthal
Barfi & fudgeKeeps 2+ weeks
Coarse gram flour roasted in ghee with khoya and syrup, set and cut into squares.

Made with: Coarse gram flour, ghee, khoya, sugar syrup, saffron
05 of 12
Besan Chakki
Barfi & fudgeKeeps 2+ weeks
A dense, layered gram-flour barfi, often finished with silver leaf. Rajasthan's everyday festival barfi.

Made with: Gram flour, ghee, sugar syrup, cardamom, silver leaf
06 of 12
Churma Ladoo
LadooKeeps about a week
Coarse wheat dough fried or baked, crushed, then mixed with ghee and jaggery and shaped into ladoos.

Made with: Coarse wheat flour, ghee, jaggery or sugar, cardamom, nuts
07 of 12
Feeni
Fried & crispKeeps 2+ weeks
Fine fried threads of layered pastry, eaten dry or soaked in warm sweetened milk.

Made with: Maida, ghee, sugar
08 of 12
Mishri Mawa
Milk & chhenaRefrigerate, 2 to 4 days
A soft mawa sweet sweetened with mishri and finished with silver leaf.

Made with: Mawa, mishri (rock sugar), cardamom, silver leaf
09 of 12
Balushahi
Syrup-soakedKeeps about a week
A flaky fried disc soaked in syrup with a slightly crisp coating.

Made with: Maida, ghee, yogurt, sugar syrup
10 of 12
Malpua
Syrup-soakedBest eaten fresh
Sweet pancakes fried in ghee and dipped in syrup, often served with rabri.

Made with: Flour, milk, sugar syrup, fennel, cardamom
11 of 12
Moong Dal Halwa
Halwa & puddingRefrigerate, 2 to 4 days
Soaked and ground moong dal cooked in ghee for a long time until golden and grainy. A winter and wedding favorite.

Made with: Moong dal, ghee, sugar, milk, nuts
12 of 12
Gajak
Brittle & crunchyKeeps 2+ weeks
A crisp, flaky sesame and jaggery sweet, pounded or pulled into thin layers. A winter specialty.

Made with: Sesame seeds, jaggery or sugar

At a glance: type and keeping time

Make the long-keeping sweets first and the milk-based ones last. Keeping times are typical for homemade sweets in an airtight container in a cool kitchen; shop-bought sweets may differ.

Sweet	Type	Keeps
Ghevar	Syrup-soaked	Keeps about a week
Rabri Ghevar	Syrup-soaked	Refrigerate, 2 to 4 days
Mawa Kachori	Stuffed pastry & flatbread	Refrigerate, 2 to 4 days
Mohanthal	Barfi & fudge	Keeps 2+ weeks
Besan Chakki	Barfi & fudge	Keeps 2+ weeks
Churma Ladoo	Ladoo	Keeps about a week
Feeni	Fried & crisp	Keeps 2+ weeks
Mishri Mawa	Milk & chhena	Refrigerate, 2 to 4 days
Balushahi	Syrup-soaked	Keeps about a week
Malpua	Syrup-soaked	Best eaten fresh
Moong Dal Halwa	Halwa & pudding	Refrigerate, 2 to 4 days
Gajak	Brittle & crunchy	Keeps 2+ weeks

Related sweets in other states

Balushahi: a layered fried dough disc finished in syrup. Related: Balushahi (Bihar), Badusha (Karnataka), Badusha (Tamil Nadu).
Feeni: hair-fine fried pastry nests, eaten dry or with milk. Related: Suterfeni (Gujarat).
Mohanthal / Besan Chakki: besan roasted in ghee and set with sugar. Related: Mysore Pak (Karnataka), Mysore Pak (Tamil Nadu), Mohanthal (Gujarat), Magaj (Gujarat), Besan Burfi (Burfi).
Gajak: winter sweets of sesame bound with jaggery. Related: Tilkut (Bihar), Til-Gud Ladoo (Laddoos).

Frequently asked questions

What are the most popular Rajasthani Diwali sweets?

Rajasthani Diwali sweets are rich with ghee, mawa and gram flour: ghevar and rabri ghevar, Jodhpur's mawa kachori, mohanthal, besan chakki, churma ladoo and mishri mawa. Feeni, balushahi, malpua, moong dal halwa and the winter favorite gajak complete the spread.

Which Rajasthani Diwali sweets keep longest for gifting?

Mohanthal, Besan Chakki, Feeni and Gajak keep for two weeks or more in an airtight container, so they can be made first and are the safest to gift or courier.

Which Rajasthani Diwali sweets need to be made last or refrigerated?

Rabri Ghevar, Mawa Kachori, Mishri Mawa, Malpua and Moong Dal Halwa are milk-, chhena-, curd- or fresh-coconut based or best served warm. Make them a day or two ahead at most, refrigerate, and serve within a few days.

Which other states make similar sweets?

Flaky syrup-soaked discs: Balushahi (Bihar), Badusha (Karnataka), Badusha (Tamil Nadu). Fine pastry threads: Suterfeni (Gujarat). Gram flour and ghee fudges: Mysore Pak (Karnataka), Mysore Pak (Tamil Nadu), Mohanthal (Gujarat), Magaj (Gujarat), Besan Burfi (Burfi). Sesame and jaggery: Tilkut (Bihar), Til-Gud Ladoo (Laddoos).