Sugar in Hindi: What It's Called and How It's Used in Indian Cooking
When you hear sugar in Hindi, the most common word is "चीनी" (cheeni). Also known as white sugar, it’s the granulated kind you sprinkle on fruit or stir into chai. But in Indian homes, sugar isn’t just one thing—it’s a whole family of sweeteners, each with its own flavor, texture, and place in tradition.
Many people in India don’t reach for white sugar first. Instead, they use jaggery, a dark, unrefined sweet made from sugarcane or palm sap, called "गुड" (gur) in Hindi. This isn’t just a substitute—it’s a flavor booster. You’ll find gur in everything from spicy chutneys to sweet rice dishes, adding depth that white sugar can’t match. Then there’s khandsari, a coarser, less processed sugar used in rural kitchens and traditional sweets like ladoos. Each of these has a different melting point, sweetness level, and cultural meaning. White sugar? It’s common in cities and packaged snacks. But if you want to taste real Indian sweetness, you need to try gur.
Why does this matter for pizza? Because at Pizza Paradise India, we don’t just copy Italian recipes—we adapt them using local flavors. That means sometimes a hint of jaggery balances the acidity in tomato sauce. Or a touch of cheeni sweetens a spicy chutney topping. It’s not about replacing sugar—it’s about knowing which kind to use, and when. The posts below show you exactly how Indian kitchens handle sweetness in everyday food, from dosa batter to biryani, from chutneys to desserts. You’ll learn why some recipes call for gur instead of sugar, how to tell them apart, and how even a small change in sweetener can transform a dish. No fluff. Just clear, practical insights from real Indian cooking.
