Kulfi

• Kulfi, an Indian version of ice cream, contains cream, but unlike its Western counterpart, does not contain eggs out of respect for vegetarians. Pistachios, nuts, fruit and sugar flavor kulfi, which is frozen and served cold. Street vendors freeze kulfi around a stick in individually sized portion cones. Make an authentic kulfi using fresh pureed fruits. Season it with cardamom, cinnamon or saffron and mix in chopped nuts before freezing.

Burfi

• A dense and crumbly candy enjoyed from childhood by people of all religions in India, burfi uses sugar and water cooked into a syrup, adding ghee or cream plus flavorings. People eat burfi at tea time or after a meal, flavored with chocolate, coconut, almonds, pistachios or other nuts. Adding Indian seasonings, such as cardamom or saffron, adds to the authenticity. Serve burfi in small pieces at room temperature.

Halva

• Perfect in the afternoon or after a heavy meal, halva is a pastrylike confection made from ground wheat or other grains mixed into a batter and cooked with sugar and ghee in a frying pan then transferred to a cake pan. After cooling, cut the halva into squares and serve. Not overly sweet, halva contains dried fruits and nuts, along with traditional spices. Serve halva at room temperature or slightly warmed with a dollop of spiced whipped cream.

Gulab Jamun

• One of the more complicated Indian desserts to create, gulab jamun resembles cake pops floating in syrup. The first step is creating a smooth, sweetened dough, leavened with baking powder or yeast. After kneading the dough and forming small round balls, fry them in a small amount of oil in a pan or wok. After reaching a golden brown, the balls boil softly in sugar syrup flavored with cardamom and then soak in a reserved batch of the syrup for at least two hours. Gulab jamun keeps for several days in the refrigerator and can be reheated by adding a small amount of warm water to the syrup.