How to keep farsan fresh after you take it home

Most of what we sell at the counter is made to be eaten the same day, but a little care will keep it good for longer.

Khaman is best within six hours. Keep it covered at room temperature, not in the fridge, because cold makes it dry and crumbly. If you must keep it overnight, put it in the fridge in a closed box and steam it for two minutes before eating. Do not microwave it without a splash of water on top.

Khandvi should go into the fridge as soon as you get home. It keeps for a day. Eat it cold or at room temperature; it does not reheat well and the rolls will open up. Patra keeps better than either. It is fine in the fridge for a day, and many people prefer it the next morning, sliced thinner and crisped in a little oil on a tawa with a fresh tempering of mustard seed.

Fried farsan such as gota and fafda should be eaten hot. If you take them home, spread them out on a plate rather than leaving them in a closed box, which makes them soggy, and warm them in a dry pan. Sweets last longest. Mohanthal and churma ladoo keep for a week or more in a dry tin. Jalebi is best eaten within two hours.