Banaras Palang Tod SweetsImage Credit source: instagram/_food_vibes_good_vibes/youtubeswadofficial
Like the name of this sweet, ‘Palang Tod Mithai’, it is also very special. This sweet found in the streets of Banaras tastes amazing and gets sold within a short time of being made. People stand in long queues to buy these sweets. Palang Tod sweet is available only in cold weather, so if you come here in winter then you must taste this special sweet once. This sweet is made using the age-old traditional method for almost 60 years and this is the reason for its unique taste. This sweet is made only with milk, in which saffron and many dry fruits are used. There is a very interesting reason behind the name of this sweet.
‘Palang Tod Mithai’ available in Banaras is one of the best tastes here. This sweet has layers of cream and in between, nuts, taste of saffron and mild sweetness make it wonderful. It is difficult to make this sweet at home because it is made in a special way, which requires a lot of patience and practice. Artisans start making this sweet from early morning and its sale starts in the evening.
How is this sweet made?
Stove is traditionally used to make Palang Tod sweets. Do not make it on gas stove. To make this sweet, milk is cooked on low flame on the upper fire so that a thick layer of cream gets formed in it. One by one, the milk cream is carefully removed and spread on large sheets, forming layers one above the other. A generous amount of almonds, walnuts, other nuts and saffron are added between these layers. These sweets are rich in nutrients, hence the sweetness is kept very limited. For this, sugar is added to the remaining milk at the end and then it is mixed in the sweets.
The process takes 12 hours
Making this sweet is not only a laborious task, but it also requires skilled artisans, because removing the cream from the milk and then spreading it layer by layer is a task in itself, which has to be done with patience. It takes approximately 12 hours to make Palang Tod Mithai in this way and it gets sold within a few hours.
Name of ‘Palang Tod Mithai’
Talking about the unique name of this sweet, it is sold in the winter season and during this time there is also the wedding season and this sweet is sold in the evening. Because of this, gradually this sweet came to be known as ‘Palang Tod Mithai’. This sweet made from milk cream works to boost energy and is beneficial for health in many ways, because it contains calcium, protein and many nutrients in abundance. Ingredients like saffron and almonds have a warming effect which is effective in protecting from cold.
Taste these sweets here in Banaras
Making Palang Tod sweets starts from Diwali and continues till Holi. If you are planning to go to Banaras this winter then you must definitely taste this sweet. For this you will have to go to Parshuram temple in Mahal in Banaras Chowk area. Opposite this is the old shop of Bhairav Sardar, where you can taste ‘Palang Tod Mithai’.