A Sweet Tale from This Side of the Map

خوشی کا سفر ۔۔۔ میاں چنوں سے لاہور تک

پاکستان کی سب سے لاجواب ، سب سے لذیز اور خالص کھوئے سے تیار شدہ خوشی سویٹ میاں چنوں کی برفی اور رسیلے گلا ب جامن اب آپ کے شہر لاہور میں۔

خوشی سویٹ کی برفی کیلئے صرف بھینسوں کے خالص ترین دودھ کا انتخاب کیا جاتا ہے اور اس دودھ کو لکڑیوں کی بھاپ میں پکاتے ہوئے اس میں موجود نمی کو ہوا میں تحلیل کر دیا جاتا ہے اور اس طرح اس کو مسلسل اس حد تک گاڑھا کیا جاتا ہے کہ یہ ایک لذیذ سے کھوئے کی شکل اختیار کرنے کے بعد ازاں ٹھنڈا ہونے پر مخصوص جسامت کی ٹکڑیوں میں کاٹ کر برفی کی شکل دے دی جاتی ہے اور یہ برفی کبھی بھی آپ کے معدے کو بوجھل نہیں کرتی کیونکہ اس میں اسٹارچ اور بناسپتی گھی جیسی کسی غیر معیاری شے کی ملاوٹ نہیں کی جاتی۔

اسی طرح اگر گلاب جامن کی بات کریں تو بھینسوں کے خالص ترین دودھ کو ایک مخصوص عمل کے ذریعے اس طرح منتشر کر دیا جاتا ہے کہ اس دودھ میں قدرتی طور پر ، پنیر میں ایک خاص تناسب کے ساتھ کریم اور دیگر غذائی اجزاء ایک سائیڈ پر ہو جائیں جنہیں بہت نفاست سے چھان کر ایک پنیر کی شکل دے دی جاتی ہے ایک جیسا ذائقہ پہنچ جائے۔ پھر اسے چھوٹی الائچی اور زعفران سمیت کچھ اور دانے دار اجزاء شامل کر کے اس حد تک یکجان کیا جاتا ہے چھوٹے سے گول گول پیڑوں کی صورت میں ڈھال کر دیسی گھی میں اس حد تک فرائی کیا جاتا ہے جب تک ان سفید پیڑوں کی رنگت چاکلیٹی براؤن نہ ہو جائے اور ان گرم گرم پیڑوں کو الائچی اور قند سفيد سے تیار شدہ تیرےمیں ڈبکیاں لگوائی جاتی ہیں۔

ان تمام مراحل سے گزرنے کے بعد جو رسیلے ترین گلاب جامن تیار ہوتے ہیں وہ آپ جیسے ہی منہ میں رکھیں گے تو آپ کو منہ ہلانا نہیں پڑے گا یہ رسیلے گلاب جامن نخود بخود منہ میں گھلتے چلے جائیں گے

اور اس سونے پر سہاگہ یہ کہ اس لذیذ ترین سی سوغات کو اگر سونے کے رنگ میں ہی ڈھلی ہوئی دیدہ زیب کی طشتریوں میں سجا کر آپ کے پیاروں کو پیش کیا جائے تو اس کی قدر و منزلت مزید بڑھ جائے گی۔

اب ہو گی ہر گھر میں خوشی۔۔۔

Pakistan’s most unmatched, most delicious, and purely khoya-based Khushi Sweet, along with the electric and juicy Gulab Jamun of Mian Channu, is now available in your city, Lahore.

For Khushi Sweet’s barfi, only the purest milk from buffaloes is selected. This milk is cooked using steam from wood, and the moisture in it is dissolved into the air. It is continuously thickened to such an extent that it takes the form of rich khoya. Once cooled, it is cut into pieces of a specific size and given the shape of barfi.
This barfi never feels heavy on the stomach, because no low-quality ingredients like starch or hydrogenated oil are added to it.

Similarly, if we talk about the Gulab Jamun, the purest buffalo milk is processed in a special way so that, naturally, the cream and other nutrients separate in a balanced ratio, just like in cheese-making. These are carefully strained and formed into a cheese-like base to ensure a consistent taste.
Then, crushed almonds, saffron, and a few other grainy ingredients are added, and the mixture is unified to the point where it can be shaped into small, round balls.
These are fried in desi ghee until their white color turns into a chocolate brown.
While still hot, these balls are dipped into cardamom- and sugar-orange syrup.

After passing through all these stages, the juiciest Gulab Jamun are ready — and the moment you place them in your mouth, you won’t need to make an effort to chew. These juicy Gulab Jamun will melt in your mouth on their own.

And to add a cherry on top — if this most delicious treat is presented to your loved ones in beautiful, gold-toned platters, its value and charm will increase even more.

Now, there will be joy in every home…

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Ufff…

It’s half past 2 AM, and I’m still up — typing out the writing printed on a not so simple box of mithai — in Urdu!

The story goes something like this: Khushi Sweets recently opened a branch in my hometown (visiting for holidays), and today, I finally had the chance to visit it for the first time.

The original shop is from a faraway, small town — Mian Channu — where some of our relatives used to live. That’s where I was first introduced to this sweet shop as a child. So today, walking into Khushi Sweets brought back a wave of childhood memories.

By the way, “Khushi” means happiness or joy in English, so one might think Khushi Sweets translates to Joy Sweets. But it’s not quite that literal. In fact, the shop is named after the halwai (sweet maker), Muhammad Khushi Bakhsh — and it still carries his name with pride.

Anyway, today I stepped into their Lahore branch... and in an instant, I was transported to the past. The same signature barfi, the same unforgettable taste — or so I hoped.

As I opened the box back home and read the note printed inside, something stirred within me.
I had to share it with you all.

It made me realize — this culture, these little regional specialties — how deeply they’re tied to love, warmth, and memories. These aren’t just sweets; they’re part of our identity. Small traditions, seemingly ordinary things, now feel like precious tokens of a simpler time.

Yes, it's a modern-day business affair now — a sleek, well-branded box with shiny green and gold packaging. (Green has traditionally been the color of sweet boxes.)
But back in the day, that barfi came in a flimsy cardboard box — nothing fancy, often falling apart.
And yet, the taste was unmatched.

Maybe I’m being overcritical.
But if I’m honest... it didn’t quite taste like the barfi of my childhood. Nevertheless, it's still number one for me, especially when compared to other brands in town/towns.

_{with Mr. Khushi, I guess}

The ambience of the shop was top-notch. In Mian Channu, it all began from a humble corner (tharra )at T Chowk, near the bus stand. From there, it went through various stages of evolution — eventually becoming a proper sweet shop. But here in Lahore? It's a completely different vibe altogether.it has such a cozy setup. The wall murals, especially the one showing the sweet maker (halwai) at work, added so much charm. I absolutely loved the overall atmosphere!

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Nothing deep — just sharing a small moment from everyday life here.

Barfi is one of our local sweets, and almost every town or city in Pakistan claims to have the best version of it. For me, it has always been — and probably always will be — Khushi Sweets, Mian Channu.