Milk Creams (Indian Cashew Sweets)

Indian-Style Spiced Carrot Bars (Gajar Ka Halwa)

This Indian sweet is made by cooking down grated carrots with milk, then slowly frying the paste in oil. It's usually eaten garnished with chopped almonds, and raisins and clotted cream are also a nice accompaniment.

Halva With Spice Dried Fruit and Nuts

A classic Indian dessert made from semolina that comes together in minutes.

Chocolate Chip Gulab Jamun

This classic Indian dessert of cakey doughnut-like balls drenched in sweet syrup gets a twist with grated bittersweet chocolate.

Phirni (Indian Rice Pudding)

A well made phirni will always highlight its star ingredient, rice, while the other delicious ingredients gently follow.

Chai Ice Cream

Masala chai in ice cream form, with strong notes of black pepper, ginger, and star anise.

Light and Frothy Raspberry Faluda

Faluda, like many Indian sweets, can be a heavy, super-sweet affair. There's a place for it, but not during the first days of spring. This version froths puréed raspberries with milk (though you could as easily use yogurt, half-and-half, or melted kulfi ice cream). You could sweeten it as much as you like, layer it with whipped cream, or spike it with ginger and cardamom. This lighter version just adds a garnish of candied ginger, which you could also dice up and add to the basil seed.

Mango Lassi

Canned Kesar mango purée is the key to making this bright and floral drink year-round. This lassi is sweetened with a touch of nutty palm sugar syrup and finished with a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

Masala Chai

You can adjust this chai recipe to your own personal taste and preference. The ratio of milk to water (or indeed, choice to use cow's milk at all) is perhaps the biggest variable, followed by choice and amount of sweetener. Start with an easy recipe like this, and then adjust to emphasize the qualities you like best in your masala chai.

Masala Chai Shortbread

Swapped at the SE Cookie Swap by James Boo.

Papri Chaat (Indian Street Snack With Potato, Chickpeas, and Chutneys)

Papri chaat is a traditional street snack found all over India, with crunchy, soft, and fluffy textures, all smothered in tangy, sweet, and hot chutneys.