Summer brings scorching sun and heat waves, leaving us sweaty, restless, exhausted, and in desperate need of something cool and refreshing. The advancement of technology has indeed blessed us with numerous ways to cool our bodies from the outside, but this is insufficient when the mercury rises, and the heat becomes unbearable. To ultimately beat the heat, we must cool and refresh our bodies from within by incorporating cold treats into our daily diet. Some numerous cold treats and beverages can refresh and calm us from within, but nothing works like and tastes better than Indian desserts for summer. To be honest, we Indians are addicted to kulfi and rabdi, aren’t we? And in the summer, we crave them even more because they are not only delicious but also cool our bodies from within. And is what this article will be about a list of 15 Indian desserts for summer. Let’s get this party started.
Introduction
Summer has arrived, and so have all of those delectable Indian desserts for summer. India has it all, whether you want a creamy delight loaded with dry fruits or cherries, ice covered in sweet syrups, or an ice-cold granita. Similar to how Indian markets are brimming with countless spices, these markets are brimming with countless delicious and refreshing Indian desserts for summer. Everything from creamy kulfi to Kaju Katli[1] is found in India when it comes to a cooler dessert offering for those hot and sweaty afternoons. Growing up, I remember my mother wanting to recreate recipes from cooking shows, and in the summers, she would always make a note of the recipes for specific ice cream, kheer, pudding, and various other Indian desserts for summers, and that is the summer we all miss. But don’t worry, we’ve got you wrapped with a list of 15 refreshing and delicious Indian desserts for summer that you can make at home & amaze your friends and family with.
Dessert brings us to our knees. When we’re craving a sweet treat, Indian desserts are like a warm blanket on a cold winter evening. We always think of mango, ice cream, and other cold treats when we think of summer, but wouldn’t it be interesting to prepare some of the popular and delicious Indian desserts for summer at home? Summer is synonymous with light, healthy eating. This is the time to stay hydrated and eat delicious Indian summer desserts. Summer Indian desserts are not limited to plain milk kulfi or fruit ice cream; you will be surprised to learn that there are halwa recipes, unique kulfi recipes, some of the most delicious sweet recipes, kheer, and more. All of the recipes we’ve listed for you are not only delicious and refreshing, but they’re also extremely healthy and nutritious for our bodies when made with pure A2 milk, dry fruits, fruits, and chhena.
Refreshing and Delicious Indian Desserts for Summer
Here’s our list of the 15 best and most refreshing Indian desserts for summer that will keep you cool, refreshed, and active on those scorching hot days. Don’t worry about spending your entire day sweating in the kitchen preparing these recipes. These 15 Indian desserts for summer require only a few ingredients and the refrigerator’s magic to bring them all together. So, to begin:
Rose Falooda: When the first summer wave arrives, we can expect to see food trucks on the streets and in markets. Rose Falooda is a typical Indian dessert for summer made with chilled milk, cooked vermicelli, rose syrups, rose jelly, almonds, cherries, soaked basil seeds, and strawberry ice cream. You’ll need rose-flavoured milk to make a glass of delicious rose falooda. To make this milk, mix 2-3 tablespoons of rose syrup into a glass of chilledA2 milk. To begin, add rose jelly as the first layer to a tall glass. Add 2 tablespoons of rose syrup and 1 tablespoon of soaked basil seeds to the second layer. Then add 3 tablespoons of cooked vermicelli and 3 tablespoons of rose-flavoured milk. Serve with dried fruits and cherries on top. Enjoy with a scoop of strawberry ice cream. This Indian dessert for summer is not only simple to make, but it’s also delicious and refreshing to eat in the scorching heat.
Mango Kulfi: Kulfi is a traditional Indian dessert for summer that is not only delicious but also extremely healthy because it contains milk, dry fruits, and fruits. Mango kulfi is my personal favourite because it contains mangoes. Mangoes are a summer staple, a fruit that is thoroughly enjoyed throughout the summer season. Pure milk, condensed milk, cream, and, of course, mangoes are required to make this kulfi. Check that your milk is cold and that your mangoes are ripe and juicy. To begin, chop your mangoes and set them aside. In a blender, combine chilled milk, condensed milk, sugar, and mango chunks. Make a fine paste out of everything, making sure there are no mango pulps. Once your kulfi paste is perfectly blended, add in the cream, saffron, and cardamom powder. Make a taste test and adjust the ingredients accordingly. Pour the kulfi mixture into the aluminium kulfi moulds and place in the refrigerator. Now, finely chop the almonds, pistachios, cashews, and other dry fruits of your choice. Unmould your kulfi after 4-5 hours and roll it in your chopped dry fruits before serving.
Strawberry Kheer: Who doesn’t love a bowl of Kheer or some fresh, organic strawberries? We’re all guilty of it! And when we combine the two, you get to enjoy a creamy, delicious, and extremely refreshing treat in the hot and scorching heat. You’ll need milk, rice, cardamom powder, sugar, strawberries, chopped almonds, and pistachios to make this delicious Indian dessert for summer. To begin, heat the milk and rice over medium heat until the milk crystallises and the rice is completely cooked. Now, in a separate pan, begin cooking strawberries with sugar until they are cooked but not mushy. Set aside both ingredients until they reach room temperature. Once they have reached room temperature, combine them and place them in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours. Se Serve garnished with chopped almonds and pistachios.
Rasgulla: Rasgulla is one of the delicious Indian desserts for summer. Milk, lemon juice, corn flour, and sugar syrup are used to make this dessert. This dessert is incredibly simple to make and tastes divine. Begin by heating the milk over a medium flame until it begins to boil. Once the water has boiled, add one cup of lemon juice. Stir the milk until it curdles. Drain all of the water from the curdled milk using a muslin cloth. To remove excess water, wrap the curdled milk in a muslin cloth. This leaves you with Chhena, an Indian cottage cheese. Now combine chhena and corn flour and knead for 10 minutes. Make small balls of Chhena and set them aside. To make the sugar syrup, heat sugar and water over medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture begins to boil. Cook for 20 minutes with your Chhena balls in sugar syrup. Your rasgullas are finished. Place in the refrigerator for about an hour before serving.
Shrikhand: Shrikhand is one of the popular Indian desserts for summer that is enjoyed throughout India due to its distinct flavour and smooth texture. This dessert is incredibly simple to make, requiring only yoghurt, saffron milk, cardamom, chopped dry fruits, and nuts. To make this recipe, place a cup of yoghurt in a muslin cloth and squeeze it to remove excess water before refrigerating it for 4-5 hours. Now, add a few strands of saffron to a cup of milk and set aside for 30 minutes. Remove the muslin cloth from the refrigerator after 4-5 hours and squeeze it again to remove excess water. Pour the yoghurt into a mixing bowl and add the saffron milk. Mix in the sugar, chopped almonds, chopped pistachios, and cardamom powder. Refrigerate for 30-60 minutes before serving.
Rasmalai: Rasmalai is a popular Bengali delicacy that is creamy and flavorful in every bite. Rasmalai is one of the refreshing and mouth-watering Indian desserts for summer. This recipe takes a lot of time and effort, so make it a day ahead of time to enjoy it cold and fresh. You’ll need milk, lemon juice, iced water, cardamom powder, full-fat milk, saffron strands, and chopped almonds and pistachios for this recipe. Let’s start with the rabdi because it needs to be refrigerated for a long time. To begin making rabdi, heat milk over medium heat. When the milk initiates to boil, add the sugar and saffron strands and continue to stir. Keep the pan aside to cool once the cream begins to form and the milk thickens. Refrigerate it after it has cooled.
Take a new pan and begin boiling the milk again, then add the lemon juice and continue stirring until the milk has curdled. Pour iced water into the curdled milk. Drain all the excess water and collect the Chhena using a muslin cloth. Tie and hang the muslin cloth for 45-60 hours to drain all excess water. After 45-60 minutes, tie the cloth and transfer the chhena to a new plate. Knead until smooth. Make small balls from your chhena and flatten them into a disc. Now we’ll get to work on making the sugar syrup. To make sugar syrup, heat water and sugar in a saucepan until the sugar dissolves and a boiling point is reached. Then stir in the cardamom powder until well combined. Cover the chhena disc with the sugar syrup for 10-15 minutes. Remove the rabdi from the refrigerator and combine it with the chhena disc dipped in the sugar syrup. Serve garnished with chopped almonds, pistachios, and saffron strands.
Shahi Tukda: Shahi Tukda is one of the traditional Indian desserts for summer that is simple to make and requires only a few ingredients from our kitchen. This recipe calls for milk, bread, sugar, soaked almonds, ghee, saffron strands, chopped almonds, and pistachios. Remember that rabdi takes time to prepare and should be refrigerated for at least 60 minutes for the best flavour and texture. Blend soaked almonds, saffron strands, cardamom, sugar, and 3 tablespoons of milk to make rabdi. Set aside the paste. Now, heat the milk over a medium flame until it begins to boil. Once the milk has boiled, add the almond saffron paste and continue to stir until it has reduced to 1/4th quality and thickened. Our rabdi is complete. Refrigerate the rabdi for at least 60 minutes after it has reached room temperature. To make the sugar syrup, combine the sugar and water and cook until the mixture thickens and the sugar is completely dissolved. The final step is to deep fry the bread in pure ghee until golden brown. When our bread, sugar syrup, and rabdi are all ready, it’s time to combine them all. Deep-fry the bread in the sugar syrup and place it on a plate. Pour rabdi over the bread and top with chopped almonds and pistachios. Enjoy!
Phirni: Phirni is a traditional Kashmiri sweet dish that is popular during the summer and festive seasons, such as Diwali and Karva Chauth. It’s one of the creamy, flavourful, and refreshing Indian desserts for summer. Milk, granulated rice, sugar, cardamom powder, saffron, and rose water are common ingredients in phirni. Wash your rice and it out on a large tray or plate to air dry. Once dried, grind your rice until it has the consistency of semolina. Heat A2 Desi cow milk over a low flame until it begins to boil, then add the ground rice. Stir continuously until the rice is almost done, scraping around the sides as needed. After that, stir in the chopped almonds, saffron strands, cardamom powder, and sugar. Cook for another 10 minutes or until the rice is tender and the milk has thickened. Allow it to cool before placing it in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours. Serve garnished with chopped almonds and pistachios.
Mango Halwa: Mango halwa is one of the widely known Indian desserts for summer that is both delicious and simple to make. This recipe calls for mangoes, sugar, custard powder, ghee, and chopped almonds. Begin by chopping your mangoes into small pieces. Now, in a blender, combine the chopped mangoes and sugar (use less sugar because mangoes are naturally sweet) and blend well. When finished, add 2-3 tablespoons custard powder and blend until smooth, making sure there are no tiny lumps. Cook the prepared mango puree on a low flame in a non-stick pan. Now, every 4-5 minutes, add one tablespoon of ghee until the halwa begins to leave the pan.
When the mango halwa is done, place it in a cake tin or other similar container and set it aside. Once the halwa has reached room temperature, garnish with almonds and place in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours. Remove the container after 2-3 hours and transfer the halwa to a plate, cutting it into pieces. Enjoy!
Matka Kulfi: Matka kulfi is a type of traditional kulfi that is served in a small earthen pot. It’s one of the popular and loved Indian desserts for summer because the earthy flavour of the Matka enhances the quality and also refreshes our bodies from within. Milk, thick cream, condensed milk, cardamom powder, dry fruit mix powder, and saffron strands are required for this recipe. Begin by simmering the milk over low heat and waiting for the first boil. After the first boil, add the thick cream and continue to stir constantly. After 3-5 minutes, add condensed milk and stir until the milk thickens and the amount of milk is reduced to 14. Your kulfi is done. Set aside the kulfi mixture until it reaches room temperature. After that, pour the kulfi into the Matka and place it in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours. Remove your kulfi after 2-3 hours and garnish with saffron strands and chopped dry fruits. Enjoy.
Sheer Khurma: Sheer Khurma is one of the festive-friendly Indian desserts for summer that is traditionally prepared during the Eid festival. This recipe includes a lot of dry fruits and milk, which gives it a creamy, nutty, and delicious flavour. Whole milk, vermicelli, dates, almonds, cashews, raisins, sugar pistachios, and saffron strands are required for this recipe. To begin, roast the aforementioned dry fruits in ghee and set aside. Before adding the vermicelli to the milk, it will be roasted in ghee. Heat the milk over low heat until it begins to boil, then add the vermicelli and sugar. Stir constantly until the vermicelli is completely cooked and the milk quantity is reduced to 1/4. Cook for another 4-5 minutes after adding the roasted dry fruits and saffron strands. Our Sheer Khurma is finished. Refrigerate the dish for 2-3 hours before serving, and then serve.
Basundi: Basundi is a Maharashtrian sweet dish that is also on our list of Indian desserts for summer. The traditional method calls for cooking whole milk for hours on low heat until it thickens and turns into condensed milk. You can use condensed milk to make this recipe easier and faster. Condensed milk, milk, dry fruits, cardamom powder, and saffron strands are required for this recipe. Begin by thoroughly combining condensed milk and whole milk. Now, heat the mixture on low heat while constantly stirring to prevent it from browning. Cook until the mixture thickens and reduces to half its original volume. Then stir in chopped dry fruits such as almonds, pistachios, cashews, and raisins. Mix in the saffron threads, nutmeg powder, and chironji. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving this delectable dessert.
Misti Doi: Misti Doi is a Bengali delicacy made with pure curd that has been sweetened and flavoured. Curd is a dairy product that acts as a natural cooling agent, cooling and refreshing our bodies from within. This recipe is traditionally served in a matka to enhance the flavour and provide additional cooling. Milk,A2 Dahi, sugar, brown sugar, saffron strands, and dry fruits are required for this recipe. Begin by heating the milk over low heat and waiting for it to boil. When the water is boiling, add the sugar and begin stirring constantly. Cook on medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the water boils in a separate pan with brown sugar, saffron strands, and water. After the milk has thickened, add the sugar mixture and cook for 5-6 minutes more. Keep the milk on the side and allow it to rest. When the mixture has reached room temperature, stir in 2 tablespoons of curd. Refrigerate it for 2-3 hours to achieve a creamy curd-like texture. Serve garnished with chopped dry fruits. Enjoy!
Rabdi: There are many dessert recipes in this list of Indian desserts for summer that use rabdi as a base and main ingredient. This dessert recipe takes a long time and effort to prepare, but the result is delicious and heavenly. Begin by heating the milk on low or medium heat, and when the malai begins to form on top, gently place it on the side of the pan. Continue this process until the milk thickens and is diminished to half of its original volume. After that, stir in the saffron strands, cardamom powder, sugar, and dry fruit powder. Cook for another 10 minutes after thoroughly combining all of the ingredients. Your rabdi is complete. Refrigerate this dessert for an hour before serving. Enjoy with chopped and sliced almond and pistachio garnishes.
Kaju Katli: Kaju Katli is another traditional Indian dessert that is popular during various festival seasons throughout India. However, I prefer it during the summer because the refrigerator cools the body from within. Traditional ingredients for Kaju Katli include cashews, water, sugar, ghee, and rose water. You will need to grind cashews into powder for this recipe, but not into a paste. Heat the sugar and water together in a non-stick pan until the sugar dissolves and the water begins to boil. Once finished, stir in the cashew powder and cook until the cashew mixture thickens. Place the mixture on a greased plate and knead it for 10 minutes. Then, using a rolling pin, roll it out and set it aside to cool for 40-60 minutes. Cut the dough into diamond shapes and serve.
Conclusion
After reading about Indian desserts for summer, we’re sure your mouth is watering and you’re itching to try at least one of these awesome recipes. But first, we’d like to remind you to use only A2 milk, A2 Gir Cow Ghee, and organic products, which will not only improve the taste of your dish but also increase its nutritional value. All of these recipes are extremely refreshing and chilled, and they work to calm and cool our bodies from within. Please try some of the recipes mentioned and leave your feedback.