There’s joyous chaos inside Indian markets on Diwali — and mithai (sweets) are at the center of it. The Festival of Lights, significant for people of Hindu, Jain, Sikh, and Buddhist faiths, falls on Monday, Oct. 20. Like clockwork, laddoos, gajar ka halwa, burfi, gulab jamun, and more, have begun to fill display cases with the vibrant, colorful sweets (made with dairy, sugar, and nuts) beckoning guests to pack two or three boxes for their loved ones.
There’s gajar ka halwa, a carrot-based treat studded with nuts; and gulab jamun, made sweet with rose water syrup and sometimes coated in coconut. Kulfi is a traditional creamy no-churn ice cream, similar to frozen custard with a distinct taste of the fruits and nuts it’s flavored with. Then you have creamy, milk-based mithai like burfi, ras malai, kalakand, and cham cham. And you can’t forget about laddoos, rava kesari or suji ka halwa — nutty, semolina-based sweets.
Whether you’re gifting or feasting by yourself, here are a handful of Philly spots to get your mithai in time for Diwali.
International Foods & Spices
Diwali is big at the store near Penn’s campus.
“Mithai is the go-to gift to bring to people or celebrate with,” said owner Paramjit Singh.
There’s fresh, frozen, and canned mithai offered at the shop. Packaged boxes sit in the front. Canned are stacked on shelves, and frozen packages from India and Canada are in the refrigerators in the back.
Singh has a variety of options for the area’smany students and price-conscious customers. But he noted that prices of mithai have increased as well as the cost to ship boxes from India.
Find boxes of bundi and motichoor laddoo, gulab jamun, badam and kaju burfi, kalakand, and a variety of Bengali sweets in the fresh market up front.
📍4203 Walnut St., 📞 215-222-4480, 🌐 facebook.com/intlfoodsandspices, 🕑 Wednesday to Monday 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Subzi Mundi
With the Philadelphia Sikh Society nearby, this Upper Darby store is bustling with energy on Diwali morning, said co-owner Mohinder Pal.
“Mithai is a favorite, everybody likes it,” he said.
Walk up to the refrigerators next to the cashier station and pick from a variety of boxed mithai. There’s gajar ka halwa, laddoos, assorted cham cham, coconut and regular gulab jamun, and more. Frozen mithai is also available.
📍6700 Market St., Upper Darby, 📞 610-352-3400, 🌐 facebook.com/sabjimandi, 🕑 Monday to Sunday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Veda
Inside this modern bistro in Rittenhouse Square, order kulfi topped with poached blueberries. The dessert is sweetened with sugar that’s added as the milk is reduced in a flat pan. It’s frozen with crushed cardamom seeds mixed in that bring an inviting texture to the kulfi. Enjoy for $7 at Veda. (The dessert is also offered at Bhasin’s four other restaurants: Indiya in Collingswood, Coriander in Voorhees, and Naan in Moorestown).
📍 1920 Chestnut St., 📞 267-519-2001, 🌐 vedaphilly.com, 🕒 Daily, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (lunch) and 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. (dinner), till 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Patel’s Grocery Store
Grab one-pound boxes of laddoo, kalakand, gulab jamun, and besan burfi at this Mayfair grocery store. There are also frozen options.
📍1907 Street Road, Bensalem, Pa. 19020, 📞 215-447-8154, 🕑 Monday to Sunday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Kabobeesh
On Chestnut Street, you’ll find freshly made gulab jamun, gajar ka halwa, and ras malai. Step into the restaurant and you’ll see the tub of brown spheres soaking in a sugary bath in the display case. That’s gulab jamun. The ras malai is milky, soft, and sweet. The gajar ka halwa is creamy, filled with carrots and perfectly nutty — it’s a specialty item for the fall and winter season.
“Ras malai is really the selling item,” said owner Asad Ghuman. “We get catering orders and families coming in to the restaurant (for food and sweets).”
📍4201 Chestnut St., 📞 215-222-8081, 🌐 kabobeesh.com, 🕑 Monday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Tuesday to Sunday 11 a.m. to midnight.
Desi Chaat House
If you’re in West Philly, small boxes of gulab jamun, gajar ka halwa, and orange sticky, sweet jalebi wait for you. Kheer or rice pudding, and ras malai are also available.
📍501 S 42nd St., 📞 215-386-1999, 🌐 desichaathousephilly.com, 🕑 Monday to Sunday noon to 9 p.m.
Wah-Gi-Wah
Wah-Gi-Wah in University City is a big fan of Crown Kulfi. Restaurant manager Muhammad Khan said they previously served housemade kulfi but switched to the premade brand. “[The brand] is very famous over here in Philadelphia,” he said. Enjoy chocolate, coconut, almond, pistachio, mango, and malai as frozen pops ($3) or in cups ($4.50).
📍 4447 Chestnut St., 📞 215-921-5597, 🌐 wahgiwah.com, 🕒 Daily, noon to 9:30 p.m.
Amma’s South Indian Cuisine
Laddoos, gulab jamun, semiya payasam or vermicelli pudding, ras malai, and rava kesari or suji ka halwa are all on the menu at Amma’s in Center City.
📍1518 Chestnut St., 📞 808-762-6627, 🌐 ammasrestaurants.com, 🕑 Monday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 9:45 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 8:45 p.m.
