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5 min
03/03/2026
Chhattisgarh's Dehrori is a classic Holi sweet, and it takes two days to prepare. You need to ferment a rice and yoghurt batter overnight, make small round shapes (dumplings), fry them, and soak them in sugar syrup (the two-day process). They are also associated with festive occasions, which explains the name of 'rice gulab jamun' because they are very sweet and have a syrup-like sweetness.
Most Indians will think of gujiya or malpua (or both) when considering festive treats for Holi, but in Chhattisgarh, there is an underappreciated festive treat called dehrori that holds a prominent place on the table during Holi and other family celebrations. Dehrori represents the depth and richness of Chhattisgarh's culinary heritage. The mode of making dehrori and its texture are unlike most other Indian desserts. This article will tell the story of dehrori, how it is made, and what makes it popular in the Chhattisgarhi region, including its relationship to Chhattisgarh's broader food heritage.
One dessert that is not only an example of Chhattisgarhi cuisine but also part of Chhattisgarhi culture is dehrori. While it is typically made at home for many festivals, such as Holi and Diwali, its roots can be traced back to an agrarian and rice-based food culture. Throughout the festive season, it is served at celebrations as a way to connect family and the community.
What sets dehrori apart from other sweets made during Holi is how it is prepared. Rice is soaked in water, blended into a coarse paste, and mixed with curd to form a batter that is left to ferment overnight. Fermentation provides a very light and slightly sour flavour, which is different from the more common gulab jamun, and is shaped into small round balls (or dumplings) before they are fried in oil.
Once the dumplings have been fried to a golden colour, they are placed in a simple syrup that is warm/hot. The syrup infusion is what gives dehrori its defining characteristics of sweetness and a tender texture; while there are many other Indian syrup-soaked sweets, the flavour and texture are unique because of the process used during fermentation.
Dehrori, while being a fried sweet that thus closely resembles gulab jamun and also soaked in a sugar syrup, can only be compared to it regarding this process of preparation. The dehrori, though, is made 100% with rice and has undergone some level of fermentation; therefore, dehroris have a strong, earthy taste and a rather coarse texture that does not exist in the milk-based gulab jamun. The name ‘rice gulab jamun’ helps people who are outside of Chhattisgarh to relate to the appearance and the sweetness of the dehrori to gulab jamun due to the sheer popularity of the latter, even though they otherwise have different tastes and techniques.
In addition to it being associated with Holi, dehrori has come to symbolise the shared experiences of people from Chhattisgarh throughout other festivals (e.g. Diwali), which illustrates the value that is placed on shared experiences in Chhattisgarhi culture through food. The preparation of dehrori can also often be a family act, as it incorporates various activities that are usually done together by family members as part of the collective preparation of Holi sweets.
Dehrori is not only a dessert, but it is also a festive ritual and a reflection of the creativity of Chhattisgarhi cuisine. Dehrori represents everything about the festive desserts associated with Holi (joyful, communal, and rooted in tradition), from the slow fermentation period to the batter dumplings deep-fried in oil then dipped in sugar syrup. It is a representation of the experiences of the Chhattisgarhi people. Although it is not as well-known as gujiya, the flavour combinations and the spirit of dehrori will help place it firmly among the plethora of Indian desserts associated with Holi and other festivals.
