Decadence has a form and in Dalbir Kaur Beera’s case, it would be in her Punjabi sweets. The 56-year-old grandmother of 11 has been selling these treats for the past 15 years.
Her gulab jamun, fried plump orbs of milk powder and ghee, float in a syrup thick enough for crystals to form.
Sweet sensations: Dalbir has more than 20 varieties of sweetmeats at her stall. Her coconut candies, thickly cut rectangles in various mouth watering colours, are morsels of unparallel delight with rich hints of coconut milk in every bite.
And her palkova (milk candy) , those white pearly barfi with the fragrance of fresh cow’s milk, are like little dairy blocks that needed their time to melt in one’s mouth.
There is also plenty of richness in her cherry palkova which is loaded with chopped fruit and in the chocolate barfi, which has a thick slab of cocoa on top. Dalbir also sells halwa, which is corn flour enriched with ghee, cashew nuts and sugar; and giant laddu too, which are generous globes of lentils, ghee and spices.
But really, the proof is in the eating and the only way to immerse oneself in a sweet Punjabi journey is to try a little bit of everything.
Be careful though, hanging around at Dalbir’s sweet stall is a very dangerous thing.
When a sweet tooth comes face to face with more than 20 varieties of mouth-watering sweetmeats, “I’ll have only one” is a resolution that can hardly be kept.
Coconut candy, mysore phak (chick pea flour mixed with ghee and sugar) chocolate, orange and cherry palkova from Dalbir’s stall. What makes the Punjabi sweets irresistible is of course the richness. There is ghee, and lots of it, in almost every single confection. In Dalbir’s case, only the best grade of it is used and she reveals why.
“Notice how sturdy my sweetmeats are. This is due to the ghee and sugar which acts as binders to keep the structure intact,” she says.
In cases of where one comes across flaky and brittle confections in other eateries, Dalbir said that this may be due to the cook’s choice to omit the ghee in favour of cheap vegetable oil.
“Vegetable oil renders an easily breakable sweet. Another thing that may also lead to this is that the confectioner may have made use of leftover sweetmeats mixed with more ghee to try to pass it off as a new item,” says Dalbir.
So, good old ghee, insists Dalbir, is the only choice for her.
“My sweetmeats are able to last longer, at least 10 days, provided they are not kept in the fridge. This will cause the sugar to break down and become watery. Just store at room temperature and they will retain their freshness,” she advises.
Milk is also another constant and Dalbir is very generous with this ingredient too. She says palkova is the most time consuming to make.
As much as 25 litres of milk and at least five hours of gentle simmering will only produce a yield of four kilograms.
Dalbir, who had originally started off by selling chappati, reveals that her venture into sweets had somewhat of an ironic start.
Having built up a roaring trade with her chapattis, she was told midway that the location where she was operating had been designated for a new building.
Discouraged, she closed shop reluctantly.
Thinking that this may be a good time for a break, she travelled to India.
It was during this time that she chanced upon the sweet vendors there and mesmerised by their colours and flavours, she decided to embark on a similar venture back home.
“Once I decided that sweet making would be my new venture, I spared no effort in learning how to make them. I would seek out sweetmeat masters and book classes with them. I even took my camcorder along so I wouldn’t miss a thing.
“Then, it was my turn to improvise and come up with something that would appeal to me and my customers,” Dalbir says.
And so when asked if her business is now better than before, she flashes a smile.
“People always like sweets,” affirms Dalbir with conviction.
Sweets, reasons this grandmother, have always played a prominent role in society.
Be it during festivals, weddings, the announcement of births and even funerals, there is always the presence of sweets.
She surmised that perhaps it acted as a reminder for the partaker to say “sweet” things, that the words uttered should always be pleasant and not harsh.
Perhaps it also serves to remind parting guests of the “sweet moments” in their hosts’ homes and they should only remember the happy times and forgive transgressions. And of course, it is also a reminder for everyone to be “sweet” to each other.
“When you say ‘sweet’ things to people, you get a ‘sweet’ smile in return.
“When you are ‘sweet’ and polite, you are treated likewise in return and that is a nice thing, isn’t it?” reasons Dalbir.
And as for the niggling voice which can be heard to moan about the calories and health risks of such rich treats?
“The most important thing is to have balance in everything. This will ensure you a healthy life. Short of that, not only sweets, but everything else, will not be good for you,” says Dalbir with a sweet smile.
Dalbir’s stall is beside the Madura Accessory Shop in Jalan Tengku Kelana, Klang. Tel: 016-6520036
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