MEETHA PAAN (मीठा पान) -SWEET BETEL recipe

Meetha Paan – Paan aka betel leaf is mouth freshener from India and neighbouring countries. Its history dates back to at least Ibn Batutah. Paan known with various other names across the continent. It is known as beeda in Hindi and vetrrilai or thambulum in Tamil, thambula in Kannada. It is also called killi or tambulam in Telugu, sireh (in Malay), sirih (in Indonasian, suruh (in Javanese, mark (ໝາກ) in Lao, bulath in Sinhalese, buai in Tok Pisin, and foah (in Dhiveli), etc. Sharing here the sweet paan recipe to make at home.

What is Meetha Paan

Paan = Betel Leaf and Meetha = Sweet. A Paan made with ingredients to get sweet taste is called meetha paan or sweet paan.

You can have paan in numerous flavours. Some prefer simple (sada) paan, some like sweet, some add tobacco, some like choclate, some make rasmalai paan, you name it and you have it. Anyone hailing from subcontinent will immediately relate to paan from their own region. Paan is unique in its own way. Owing to its historical and traditional value, it has been referred in numerous songs in Bollywood movies. One of my favourite song is “Khaike paan banaras waala” from Don movie.

I used to eat paan so often when I was growing up in India. There is a paan shop in almost all corners in India. This meant, there was never the need to make paan at home. Now that I have relocated to UK, it is a rarity to find paan. Hence, thought of making it myself and treat my guests, and yes it is an absolute great mouth freshener.

Some may argue that eating paan is not good for health. They are correct, however the problem is not with paan but with the supari / betel nuts. Sweet paan or simple plain paan is probably safe to be consumed.

Ingredients for sweet paan

Some of the most common ingredients required for paan are,

• Paan leaves, as there can’t be paan with out paan leaf.
• Katha, Chuna, paan chutney (sweet chutney), fennel seeds, gulkand, cardamon, tooti frooti.
• There a few optional ingredients too, such as betel nuts, these can be sweet ones or little bitter, as well as these come as either dry or little soaked (easy to chew), choose as per taste. Other optional ingredient is “thandak” or mint / menthol, which adds to refreshing flavour. In normal paan, you will find thandak more often, but in sweet pan, its less used, but all depends on personal choice.

Method to make meetha paan – Paan Recipe

• Wash the betel leaves and wipe them carefully not to tear them. Cut the stem from leaf.
• Keep paan leaf on clean plate or cloth and apply chuna on the back side of paan.
• Now sprinkle Kattha on top of this, just sprinkle enough to cover the surface. You can dilute kattha with water and apply a layer of kattha on paan. I have used only a little of it, as it could make sweet paan little bitter.
• Now apply Paan Chutney on top of this as another layer.
• Add one teaspoon gulkand on top of it.
• Now add betel nuts, tooti frooti, fennel seeds, desiccated coconut, cardamom on the leaf.
• Top it up with Cherry and wrap the paan and close it using a toothpick.

Pro Tips

• Always use fresh betel / paan leaf.
• Add only a little of Kattha and Chuna, or you may find paan does not taste as you wanted it.
• Remember you have to add ingredients on back side of Paan leaf.
• You can vary ingredients of paan as per personal choice.
• Be careful with the kattha as it can soil hands.

How to wrap Paan

There are few ways to wrap paan. The key thing to note is that the paan should be wrapped so that the contents inside paan does not pop out. Make sure the contents in the paan are not too much. Contents volume can vary depending on the size of paan leaf. Use tooth pick the retain the folded shape of the paan.

Serving suggestion

Serve freshly paan cold after a lavish meal, such as after a mouthwatering biryani. For the best taste, eat a freshly made paan. In case you keep the paan in its wrapping for long, the leaf will get soggy and the liquid from inside of paan may even soil hands and clothes.

Recipe card

Sweet Paan Recipe – Meetha Paan Recipe

Meenu Gupta

Paan as essential part of East and North Indian, acting as mouth freshener where betel leaves are filled with various ingredients and consumed generally after a lavish meal.

4.60 from 5 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 10 minutes mins

Course Condiment

Cuisine Indian

Servings 4 Paan

Calories 70 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 4 Leaves Paan / Betel Leaves Make sure leaves are fresh
• ▢ 2 tsp Gulkand
• ▢ 1 tsp Katha / Catechu
• ▢ 1 tsp Edible Chuna/ Lime / Calcium Carbonate
• ▢ 2 tsp Paan Chutney / Sweet Chutney
• ▢ 10 Grams Fennel Seeds Can use sugar coated seeds for added flavour
• ▢ 4 Green Cardamom
• ▢ 2 tsp Tutti Frooti
• ▢ 2 tsp Desiccated coconut
• ▢ 4 Pieces Dry Cherry
• ▢ 1 tsp Betel Nuts Finely Chopped (Optional)
• ▢ 4 Toothpicks To hold the wrapping of paan

Instructions

 

• ▢
  Wash the betel leaves and wipe them carefully not to tear them. Cut the stem from leaf (as depicted in picture).
  
• ▢
  Keep paan leaf on clean plate or cloth and apply chuna on the back side of paan.
  
• ▢
  Now sprinkle Kattha on top of this, just sprinkle enough to cover the surface. You can dilute kattha with water and apply a layer of kattha on paan. I have used only a little of it, as it could make sweet paan little bitter.
  
• ▢
  Now apply Paan Chutney on top of this as another layer.
  
• ▢
  Add one tea spoon gulkand on top of it.
  
• ▢
  Now add betel nuts, tooti frooti, fennel seeds, desiccated coconut, cardamom on the leaf.
  
• ▢
  Top it up with Cherry and wrap the paan and close it using a toothpick.
  

Notes

• You do not need to add all the suggested ingredients, you can customise as per your own taste.
• Add only a little of Kattha and Chuna, or you may find paan does not taste as you wanted it.
• Remember you have to add ingredients on back side of Paan leaf.
• While wrapping paan, first bring back the left bottom half (where you had cut stem) and bring to centre, then do on right side, now bring down the tip of paan and you will see its all wrapped.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Sweet Paan Recipe – Meetha Paan Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 70 Calories from Fat 18

% Daily Value*

Fat 2g3%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Sodium 3mg0%

Potassium 65mg2%

Carbohydrates 7g2%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 1g2%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 38mg4%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Tried this recipe?Click photo & send it @yourfoodfantasy or tag #yourfoodfantasy on Instagram or Facebook to get featured!