Malai Makhan: A Dessert Made for Winter
Winter changes how food is eaten in and around Lucknow. Mornings slow down, evenings stretch longer, and there’s a natural shift toward things that feel warming without being heavy. It’s during this season that a very specific dessert appears—one I’ve known all my life, though it goes by many names: malai makhan , daulat ki chaat , nimish , or malaiyo , depending on where you are. While malai makhan is often linked to Lucknow, it isn’t limited to the city. You find it in nearby towns as well, and further east in Uttar Pradesh—especially around Varanasi—where it’s commonly called malaiyo . In Old Delhi, people know it as daulat ki chaat . The names change with geography, but the dessert remains essentially the same. Vendors sell it only during winter, usually in the early mornings or evenings. I still remember them arriving with large metal vessels placed on wooden carts, the containers filled completely with malai makhan. It wasn’t something you planned for. You saw it, you bought it...
