Iranian Sweets Palace- Serving Authentic Baklava & Iranian Sweets In Mumbai Since 110 Years

It's difficult to reach Iranian Sweets Palace that completed a century in the humble Bhendi Bazaar lanes of Mumbai. Of course, when you reach this dessert lovers heaven, you shall be tempted with irresistible goodies. BAKLAVA the diamond-shaped traditional sweet from Iran to begin with!

Navigating through the heavily crowded lanes of Bhendi Bazaar, we reached the family establishment owned by Hassan Irani. Not only has he been managing it for more than 30 years, but Iranian Sweets Palace has seen tremendous growth under him. Chatting about the humble origins of this Halviyat (sweet shop), we sampled some delicious Baklava that we had gotten so used to while living in Dubai

Asa matter of fact, every year, Iranian Sweets Palace is in high demand during Navroz. Iranis and Parsis of Mumbai celebrate their New Year with much fanfare. People order kilos of Baklava, made by using the best Iranian dry fruits and honey. Not to mention, people queue up from early in the morning to ensure their share. In fact, the shop gets orders from as far as US, Canada and New Zealand too.

We had called Hassan prior to our visit and he welcomed us with a warm smile, his zest quickly rubbing off on a balmy morning. The humble shop is lined by rows and rows of imported Gaz, a famous Iranian sweet & your answer to where to find gaz candy in India .Sohan (traditional Persian saffron brittle toffee), Baklava, Iranian Dry Fruits & Honey vie for attention. In the same fashion, Dried Anjir (figs), Zeresh, RedBerry (used in desserts) make for delicious buys. Pomogranate Molasis (traditional ingredient in Middle Eastern cooking), gulab water (rose water) and sharbat tempted us with possibilities & we bought them.

How Did It All Start?

In 1909, Haji Ghulam Ali (Hassan's grandfather) left Iran and arrived in India to start Iranian Sweets Palace along with his partner. Furthermore, bought for INR 30 in Imamwada, the shop was considered an expensive investment. It quickly became popular and survived competition. Additionally, Imamwada in those days had a large Iranian population and the shop carved a name for itself.

Hassan took over the shop and has been managing the shop for more than 30 years.

How Is Baklava Made?

Sourced from Iran, the dry fruits like pistachio, almonds, walnuts, are ground to the required consistency in a hand-grinder. Than, they are filled between sheets of dough rolled using a huge rolling pin. Copper vessels are used to bake the Baklava in a wood-fire oven. The cooled sweet is than cut into diamond-cut shapes for display. To sweeten the baklava, honey and rose water are used.

One can also place special orders with Hassan Irani for a minimum quantity of 30 kg and above, by informing a week in advance. Additionally, if you are looking for Persian sweets online, check their website

Where:

143, Imamwada Road, Haroon Manzil, B Block, Bhendi Bazar, Mumbai400009, Near Metro Optician

How Do I Reach Here:

The nearest railway stations are Masjid Bunder, Sandhurst Road and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. Take a cab from these stations to reach Iranian Sweets Palace.

What More Can I Do:

Visit Bhuleshwar market to shop ethnic jewellery or home decor products. One can also explore Colaba Causeway market a major tourist attraction.