12 Traditional Tamil Nadu Diwali Sweets

Prashant Dhingra

Tamil Deepavali begins before dawn with an oil bath, new clothes and a plate of homemade sweets (bakshanam).

By Prashant Dhingra

See all 12 sweets Keeping guide

Chart titled 12 Traditional Tamil Nadu Diwali Sweets, showing Adhirasam, Mysore Pak, Jangiri, Badusha, Rava Ladoo, Boondi Ladoo, Thengai Burfi, Palkova, Tirunelveli Halwa, Somas, Nei Appam, Paal Kozhukattai

In short

Tamil Deepavali begins before dawn with an oil bath, new clothes and a plate of homemade sweets (bakshanam). The essentials are adhirasam, Mysore pak, rava ladoo, boondi ladoo and thengai burfi, with jangiri and badusha from the sweet shop. Palkova, Tirunelveli halwa, somas, nei appam and paal kozhukattai complete the list.

Diwali sweets in Tamil Nadu

In Tamil Nadu, Deepavali is celebrated on Naraka Chaturdashi morning, starting with the ganga snanam oil bath. Sweets and savories (bakshanam) are made over the preceding days and shared with neighbors. Tirunelveli is famous for its halwa and Srivilliputhur for its palkova.

The 12 sweets

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

01 of 12
Adhirasam
Fried & crispKeeps 2+ weeks
Rice flour and jaggery dough, rested and patted into discs, then fried. The essential Deepavali sweet in many Tamil homes.

Made with: Soaked rice flour, jaggery, cardamom, ghee
02 of 12
Mysore Pak
Barfi & fudgeKeeps 2+ weeks
Gram flour, sugar and ghee. The Tamil Nadu style is often the soft, ghee-rich version that melts in the mouth.

Made with: Gram flour, ghee, sugar syrup
03 of 12
Jangiri
Syrup-soakedRefrigerate, 2 to 4 days
Flower-shaped urad dal spirals, fried and soaked in syrup.

Made with: Urad dal batter, sugar syrup
04 of 12
Badusha
Syrup-soakedKeeps about a week
Flaky fried discs soaked in syrup with a glazed finish.

Made with: Maida, ghee, yogurt, sugar syrup
05 of 12
Rava Ladoo
LadooKeeps about a week
Roasted semolina and sugar ladoo with ghee-fried cashews and raisins.

Made with: Semolina, sugar, ghee, cashews, raisins
06 of 12
Boondi Ladoo
LadooKeeps about a week
Tiny fried gram-flour drops soaked in syrup and pressed into ladoos.

Made with: Gram flour boondi, sugar syrup, cardamom, cashews
07 of 12
Thengai Burfi
Barfi & fudgeKeeps about a week
Coconut burfi (thengai means coconut), cooked with sugar until it sets.

Made with: Fresh coconut, sugar, cardamom
08 of 12
Palkova
Milk & chhenaRefrigerate, 2 to 4 days
Milk slowly reduced to a soft, grainy sweet. Srivilliputhur's is the most famous.

Made with: Milk, sugar
09 of 12
Tirunelveli Halwa
Halwa & puddingKeeps about a week
A glossy, dark halwa made from wheat milk extracted from soaked wheat, cooked for hours with sugar and ghee.

Made with: Wheat milk, sugar, ghee
10 of 12
Somas
Stuffed pastry & flatbreadKeeps 2+ weeks
Tamil Nadu's karanji, with a dry filling of roasted gram, coconut and sugar.

Made with: Maida, roasted gram or semolina, coconut, sugar
11 of 12
Nei Appam
Fried & crispBest eaten fresh
Small sweet rice and jaggery fritters cooked in ghee in a paniyaram pan.

Made with: Rice, jaggery, banana, ghee
12 of 12
Paal Kozhukattai
Milk & chhenaBest eaten fresh
Small rice-flour dumplings simmered in sweetened milk or coconut milk.

Made with: Rice flour, milk or coconut milk, jaggery or sugar, cardamom

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
Adhirasam	Fried & crisp	Keeps 2+ weeks
Mysore Pak	Barfi & fudge	Keeps 2+ weeks
Jangiri	Syrup-soaked	Refrigerate, 2 to 4 days
Badusha	Syrup-soaked	Keeps about a week
Rava Ladoo	Ladoo	Keeps about a week
Boondi Ladoo	Ladoo	Keeps about a week
Thengai Burfi	Barfi & fudge	Keeps about a week
Palkova	Milk & chhena	Refrigerate, 2 to 4 days
Tirunelveli Halwa	Halwa & pudding	Keeps about a week
Somas	Stuffed pastry & flatbread	Keeps 2+ weeks
Nei Appam	Fried & crisp	Best eaten fresh
Paal Kozhukattai	Milk & chhena	Best eaten fresh

Related sweets in other states

Adhirasam: soaked rice flour and jaggery dough, rested, then fried. Related: Anarsa (Maharashtra), Ariselu (Andhra Pradesh), Anarsa (Bihar).
Somas: a sealed half-moon pastry with a dry sweet filling, fried crisp. Related: Karanji (Maharashtra), Kajjikayalu (Andhra Pradesh), Karjikai (Karnataka), Ghughra (Gujarat), Pedakiya (Bihar).
Badusha: a layered fried dough disc finished in syrup. Related: Balushahi (Rajasthan), Balushahi (Bihar), Badusha (Karnataka).
Mysore Pak: besan roasted in ghee and set with sugar. Related: Mysore Pak (Karnataka), Mohanthal (Gujarat), Mohanthal (Rajasthan), Magaj (Gujarat), Besan Chakki (Rajasthan), Besan Burfi (Burfi).
Palkova: milk cooked down for hours into kova, peda or kunda. Related: Palakova (Andhra Pradesh), Dharwad Peda (Karnataka), Belagavi Kunda (Karnataka), Basundi (Maharashtra), Basundi (Gujarat).

Frequently asked questions

What are the most popular Tamil Diwali sweets?

Tamil Deepavali begins before dawn with an oil bath, new clothes and a plate of homemade sweets (bakshanam). The essentials are adhirasam, Mysore pak, rava ladoo, boondi ladoo and thengai burfi, with jangiri and badusha from the sweet shop. Palkova, Tirunelveli halwa, somas, nei appam and paal kozhukattai complete the list.

Which Tamil Diwali sweets keep longest for gifting?

Adhirasam, Mysore Pak and Somas 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 Tamil Diwali sweets need to be made last or refrigerated?

Jangiri, Palkova, Nei Appam and Paal Kozhukattai 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?

Rice and jaggery fried discs: Anarsa (Maharashtra), Ariselu (Andhra Pradesh), Anarsa (Bihar). Crimped crescent pastries: Karanji (Maharashtra), Kajjikayalu (Andhra Pradesh), Karjikai (Karnataka), Ghughra (Gujarat), Pedakiya (Bihar). Flaky syrup-soaked discs: Balushahi (Rajasthan), Balushahi (Bihar), Badusha (Karnataka). Gram flour and ghee fudges: Mysore Pak (Karnataka), Mohanthal (Gujarat), Mohanthal (Rajasthan), Magaj (Gujarat), Besan Chakki (Rajasthan), Besan Burfi (Burfi). Slow-reduced milk sweets: Palakova (Andhra Pradesh), Dharwad Peda (Karnataka), Belagavi Kunda (Karnataka), Basundi (Maharashtra), Basundi (Gujarat).