Gulab Jamun and its Sweet Siblings
Gulab Jamun in a Lagan or Hammered Copper Vessel with Kalai or Tin Coating Source: Kevin James O'Mahony One of the states in India which is renowned for a variety of delectable sweets is West Bengal. Historically West Bengal was one of the important subas (provinces) of the Mughal Empire. As the empire began to crumble, the suba's Mughal provincial governors or the nawabs (rulers) of Bengal started to assert their independence and the Mughal authority remained only in name. Earlier, Bakhtiyar Khilji, a Turko-Afghan military general founded the Khilji dynasty of Bengal. The Sultans of Delhi too from time to time asserted their imperial authority over Bengal through their appointed governors. Their reigns influenced the cuisine of the region. Gulab jamun is one very good example of how food conquers people far and near and for ages. In this blog post, I will primarily discuss this particular Indian dessert and sweets which are in some ways akin to it. Gulab Jamun Dipped in...