When it comes to South Indian sweets, Dharwad pedas are something that one craves for. The sweet has become a brand in itself.

And for nearly 14 years, ‘Mishra Sweets’, located opposite Kanteerava Indoor Stadium, has been sourcing authentic Dharwad pedas from Dharwad for its customers. But that’s not all, this old sweet shop has a lot more to offer.

It has traditional sweets like kaju katli, boondi ladoo, gulab jamun, Mysore pak, sohan papdi and modern ones like Horlicks barfi, Cadbury burfi and Mango barfi.

Anyone who comes here for the first item, goes for the Dharwad mishra peda.
Ajay Hari Dubey, who runs the shop, says that in all these years, he has never compromised on the quality of ingredients or the taste.

“Honesty is important for us,” says Ajay, while adding, “And it is that honesty that reflects in the sweets as well.”

Apart from the pedas, customers also prefer other traditional sweets like kardant, which is made of pure ghee, jaggery, coconut and dry fruits.

“Even the kunda is very popular here. This is a popular Belgaum sweet, which is prepared from milk and khowa,” explains Ajay. The crowd pours in as early as nine in the morning and during festivals, the place is filled with  regulars who come for pedas and other traditional items.

“Since we don’t make Dharwad pedas here, we generally take orders a day or two in advance and source it to our customers,” says Ajay.

Though the sweet shop is located on the main road and parking could be a bit of a hassle, Ajay says that majority of his customers are people who live in and around the neighbourhood.

“When we first moved in here, we were the only sweet shop in the locality. But now the City has changed and so has the area. The floating crowd is very rare. Most of our customers are regulars, who have been coming here for a long time,” he adds.
Within a year of the opening of the store, namkeens and chaats too were included in the menu.

Chakalis, mixtures and samosas and kachoris are made here itself and sold fresh. “We also have the regular chaats like masala puri, paani puri, dahi puri and sev puri,” says Ajay.

Soon the eatery is planning to expand by offering its customers bakery items as well. “There is always scope for improvement but for us at ‘Mishra Sweets’, the mantra has always been to be honest in whatever we do or serve,” wraps up Ajay.
‘Mishra Sweets’ is located at No 28, Raja Ram Mohan Roy Road, Opposite the Kanteerava Indoor Stadium. For details, call 22124988

source: http://www.DeccanHerald.com / Home> Supplements> Metrolife / by Megha Shenoy / September 08th, 2012