Rakhi Remix: Six Indian Desserts with a Modern Twist

Traditional mithais have their own charm, but Rakhi is also the perfect excuse to give those familiar flavours a little makeover. From gulab jamun layered into creamy cheesecake jars to rasmalai transformed into a soft, milk-soaked cake, these six desserts bring Indian favourites into contemporary formats. Here are four festive fusion treats that look impressive but can be made in a regular home kitchen.

1. Gulab Jamun Cheesecake Jars

Creamy cheesecake, buttery biscuit crumbs and juicy gulab jamuns come together in individual jars for a festive dessert that’s as pretty as it is indulgent.

Prep: 25 min | Chill: 1 hr | Serves: 8–10

Ingredients:

For the biscuit base

• 20 Marie biscuits
• 6–7 tbsp melted butter

For the cheesecake layer

• 1½ cups cream cheese, softened
• ¾ cup whipping cream
• ¼ cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp cardamom powder
• 8–10 gulab jamuns
• Chopped pistachios, for garnish

Get the ingredients here

Method:

1. Crush the Marie biscuits into fine crumbs and mix with the melted butter.
2. Whip the cream until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
3. In another bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar and cardamom powder until smooth and creamy.
4. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.
5. Add 2–3 tbsp of the biscuit mixture to each small serving jar and press lightly.
6. Cut the gulab jamuns into smaller pieces and add a layer over the biscuit base.
7. Spoon or pipe the cheesecake mixture over the gulab jamun layer.
8. Chill the jars for at least 1 hour.
9. Garnish with chopped pistachios and a small piece of gulab jamun before serving.

Tip: Drain excess syrup from the gulab jamuns before layering so the biscuit base stays firm. Drizzle a little syrup over the finished dessert just before serving.

2. Rasmalai Tres Leches Cake

Soft sponge meets a saffron-cardamom milk soak in this Indian spin on the classic tres leches cake. Finish it with whipped cream, pistachios and rose petals for a proper festive centrepiece.

Prep: 15 min | Cook: 35 min | Chill: 1–2 hrs | Serves: 9

Ingredients:

For the sponge

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ cup curd
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ cup oil
• ½ cup milk
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

For the rasmalai milk soak

• 1½ cups warm milk
• ½ cup condensed milk
• ½ cup fresh cream
• A pinch of saffron
• ½ tsp cardamom powder

For the topping

• ¾ cup whipping cream
• 1–2 tbsp powdered sugar
• Chopped pistachios
• A few saffron strands
• Dried rose petals

Get the ingredients here

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and line a 7-inch square cake tin.
2. Whisk the curd and baking soda together and leave for about 5 minutes.
3. Add sugar, oil, vanilla and milk, and whisk until combined.
4. Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt. Fold gently to form a smooth batter. Do not overmix.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
6. Meanwhile, prepare the milk soak. Add warm milk, condensed milk, cream, saffron and cardamom powder to a bowl and whisk well.
7. Let the baked cake cool for 5–10 minutes. Pierce the surface all over with a skewer or fork.
8. Pour the milk mixture over the cake in 2–3 batches, allowing it to absorb between pours.
9. Refrigerate for 1–2 hours.
10. Whip the cream with powdered sugar until stiff peaks form.
11. Spread the whipped cream over the chilled cake and garnish with pistachios, saffron and rose petals.
12. Slice and serve chilled.

Tip: Pour the milk mixture gradually rather than all at once. This helps the sponge absorb the liquid evenly without becoming soggy.

3. Motichoor Rabdi Parfait

Think of it as a mithai makeover in a glass. Crumbled motichoor ladoos meet thick, chilled rabdi in layers, creating an easy dessert that turns leftover mithai into something completely new.

Prep: 10 min | Cook: 1 hr | Chill: 5–6 hrs | Serves: 6

Ingredients:

• 6 motichoor ladoos
• 1 litre full-fat milk
• 1 tsp cardamom powder
• 2 tbsp sugar
• Almond slivers, for garnish
• Pistachio slivers, for garnish

Get the ingredients here

Method:

1. Pour the full-fat milk into a heavy-bottomed pan and bring it to a boil.
2. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the milk reduces to about half its original quantity.
3. Add cardamom powder and sugar. Continue cooking until the milk thickens further and reduces to approximately one-fourth of its original quantity.
4. Remove from heat and allow the rabdi to cool completely.
5. Crumble the motichoor ladoos.
6. Add a layer of crumbled motichoor to individual serving glasses.
7. Spoon a layer of chilled rabdi over the motichoor.
8. Repeat the layers.
9. Garnish with almond and pistachio slivers.
10. Refrigerate for 5–6 hours before serving.

Tip: Make the rabdi a little thicker than usual because it will loosen slightly as it chills and sits between the motichoor layers.

4. Thandai Panna Cotta

A silky Italian panna cotta gets an Indian festive makeover with aromatic thandai spices. Serve it chilled with pistachios and rose petals for a dessert that feels light, creamy and wonderfully fragrant.

Prep: 15 min | Cook: 10 min | Chill: 6–8 hrs | Serves: 6

Ingredients:

• 4 cups half-and-half
  or 2 cups full-fat milk + 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 tbsp unflavoured powdered gelatin
• ½ cup thandai masala
• Sugar, to taste
• Crushed pistachios, for garnish
• Dried rose petals, for garnish

Get the ingredients here

Method:

1. Pour 1 cup of the half-and-half into a bowl and sprinkle the gelatin evenly over it. Let it stand for about 5 minutes to soften.
2. Transfer the gelatin mixture to a saucepan and warm over medium-low heat, stirring continuously until the gelatin dissolves completely. Do not let it boil.
3. Add the remaining 3 cups of half-and-half and the thandai masala.
4. Add sugar according to taste and continue heating gently until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is steaming around the edges. Do not bring it to a boil.
5. Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool for 10–15 minutes.
6. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any coarse spices.
7. Pour into individual dessert cups or moulds.
8. Refrigerate for 6–8 hours, or overnight, until completely set.
9. Garnish with crushed pistachios and dried rose petals before serving.

Tip: Keep the panna cotta mixture below the boiling point after adding the gelatin. High heat can affect its setting ability and texture. 

5. Recipe: Kheer Brûlée

Classic Indian kheer gets a French-inspired finish in this creamy dessert. Fragrant cardamom rice pudding is portioned into ramekins, chilled and topped with caramelised sugar for that signature crisp brûlée crust.

Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 25 mins | Chill time: 30 mins | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• ½ cup rice, preferably basmati or another aromatic variety
• 5 cups full-fat milk
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 tbsp ghee
• ½ tsp cardamom powder
• 4 tbsp granulated sugar, for the brûlée topping
• 2 tbsp chopped cashews
• Dried rose petals, optional

Get the ingredients here

Method

1. Rinse the rice well and drain. Let it sit for a few minutes to let the excess water dry off.
2. Heat ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan and add the rice. Sauté gently for 3-5 minutes without browning it.
3. Add the milk and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice becomes soft and the milk thickens.
4. Stir in the sugar and cook for another few minutes until the kheer reaches a creamy consistency.
5. Add cardamom powder and mix well. Take the kheer off the heat and let it cool completely.
6. Divide the chilled kheer between four heatproof ramekins.
7. Sprinkle about 1 tbsp granulated sugar evenly over each portion.
8. Use a kitchen blowtorch to melt and caramelise the sugar until golden and crisp. Alternatively, place the ramekins briefly under a very hot grill, keeping a close eye on them.
9. Allow the caramel topping to firm up for a minute.
10. Garnish with chopped cashews and dried rose petals, if using, and serve.

Tip: Make sure the kheer is cold before adding the sugar topping. The contrast between chilled creamy kheer and a thin, crackly caramel crust is what gives this dessert its brûlée effect.

6. Recipe: Gajar Halwa Spring Rolls

Classic gajar halwa gets a crisp new avatar in these dessert spring rolls. A rich carrot-and-mawa filling is wrapped in spring-roll sheets, fried until golden and finished with saffron syrup for a festive sweet that’s crunchy outside and soft inside.

Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 45 mins | Servings: 10-12 spring rolls

Ingredients

For the gajar halwa

• 1kg carrots, grated
• 1 litre full-fat milk
• 100g mawa/khoya
• ½ cup sugar
• 4 tbsp ghee
• 2 tbsp chopped mixed nuts
• ½ tsp cardamom powder

For the spring rolls

• 10-12 spring-roll wrappers
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp water
• Oil, for frying

For the saffron syrup

• 100g sugar
• 50ml water
• A few strands of saffron

Get the ingredients here

Method

1. Heat ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add the grated carrots and cook for a few minutes until they begin to soften.
2. Pour in the milk and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are tender and most of the milk has cooked away.
3. Add the sugar and continue cooking until the mixture thickens.
4. Mix in the crumbled mawa, chopped nuts and cardamom powder. Cook until the halwa is thick and holds together. Cool completely.
5. Mix the flour and water into a smooth, thick slurry.
6. Place one spring-roll wrapper on a clean surface. Put a portion of the cooled gajar halwa near one edge.
7. Fold the sides over the filling and roll tightly. Brush the final edge with the flour slurry and seal.
8. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.
9. Heat oil over medium heat and fry the rolls until crisp and golden. Drain on kitchen paper.
10. For the syrup, combine sugar, water and saffron in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook until the sugar dissolves and the syrup becomes lightly sticky.
11. Drizzle the saffron syrup over the hot spring rolls and serve immediately.

Tip: The halwa needs to be quite thick and completely cool before you start rolling. If it’s loose or warm, it can make the wrappers difficult to seal and less crisp after frying.

From mithai jars to creamy parfaits, Rakhi just got a delicious remix. Pick your favourite Indian flavour, give it a modern twist and make this celebration a little sweeter. Shop everything you need for your festive dessert table, delivered to your doorstep.