Mihidana

A beautiful cluster of countless tiny golden grains, Mihidana is a sweet whose charm lies in its delicate texture and appearance. Its name perfectly describes its form: ‘Mihi’ means fine or delicate, while ‘Dana’ refers to tiny grains.

The history of Mihidana is closely associated with the British colonial era and a fascinating story of royal hospitality at the Burdwan Rajbari. In August 1904, Lord Curzon, the then Viceroy of India, visited Burdwan to confer the title of ‘Maharajadhiraj’ upon the local zamindar, Bijay Chand Mahtab. To welcome the Viceroy and make his visit memorable, Maharaja Bijay Chand Mahtab commissioned renowned local sweet-maker Bhairab Chandra Nag to create an entirely new and distinctive sweet.

Taking up the royal challenge, Bhairab Chandra Nag showcased his culinary brilliance by creating two iconic sweets for Lord Curzon on 19 August 1904—Mihidana and Sitabhog. Lord Curzon was so impressed by the delicate, golden sweet that he praised its unique taste and craftsmanship and presented Bhairab Chandra Nag with a personally signed certificate of appreciation. Since then, Mihidana has earned widespread recognition, with its fame reaching far beyond Bengal and India.

Ingredients

• Fine gram flour (besan) – ½ cup

• Fine rice flour – 2 tbsp

• Water – As required

• Saffron-infused water – 1 tsp

• Sugar – 1 cup

• Water for sugar syrup – ¾ cup

• Green cardamom – 2

• Shalimar's Soyabean Oil – For deep-frying

  
  

Method

1. Prepare the batter: Sift the gram flour and rice flour together. Gradually add water and whisk until you get a smooth, lump-free batter. The consistency should be thin enough to pass through a perforated ladle in tiny droplets. Add the saffron-infused water and mix well.

2. Prepare the sugar syrup: In a pan, combine the sugar, water, and cardamom. Bring to a boil and simmer until the syrup becomes lightly sticky. Keep it warm.

3. Fry the tiny droplets: Heat Shalimar's Soyabean Oil in a kadai. Hold a special fine-holed Mihidana ladle or perforated strainer over the hot oil. Pour a little batter over it and gently tap to allow tiny droplets to fall into the oil.

4. Fry gently: Fry the droplets briefly until cooked, without allowing them to become crisp. Remove them from the oil and drain the excess oil.

5. Soak in syrup: Transfer the warm Mihidana into the warm sugar syrup and let it soak for 10–15 minutes.

6. Finish and serve: Drain off the excess syrup and serve the delicate, golden Mihidana as part of your festive sweets platter.