Shailja Tomar tells us how to make this traditional Rajasthani sweet.
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Although Ghevar has it humble origins in Rajasthan, it is quite popular across the northern states of Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Gujarat as well.
This Diwali, treat your loved ones to this honeycomb shaped dessert.
Here's the recipe of Ghevar:
Ingredients
For the Ghevar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup clarified butter or ghee
- 1/4 cup milk
- 4 cups water
- Slivers of almonds and pistachio for the garnish
- A drop or two yellow food colour (optional)
- Clarified butter/ghee or oil for frying (half ghee and half oil is a good option)
For sugar syrup
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup water
Method
For the sugar syrup
Combine sugar and water in a wide, shallow pan and simmer till it reaches a single-string consistency.
For the Ghevar:
- In a large bowl whip the ghee with a few ice cubes till the mixture turns white-ish.
- Add the milk, flour and one cup of the water to make a batter.
- Add food colour into the balance water and add as much of the coloured water to make a free-flowing batter.
- Fill a kadhai or wok more than half with ghee/oil and heat on high till the ghee is really hot.
- Check temperature by dropping a small portion of the batter into the ghee/oil. If it swiftly floats to the surface and doesn’t stick to the bottom it is hot enough.
- Take a spoonful of batter -- use a big ladle-- and pour it in the middle of the wok in a thin stream from as high as a foot. The greater the height, the better the texture.
- As soon as the batter touches the hot ghee, bubbles start to appear. If the bubbles are vigorous enough, stop pouring for a while and continue later.
- After the first spoon, wait for a few seconds till the bubbles settle, and then pour the second spoonful.
- Repeat this for 3 to 4 times or as needed depending up on the size of the wok and how much batter it will accommodate -- the bigger the wok, the more number of spoons required.
- If the ghee is not hot enough, the batter will start sticking to the bottom so keep the heat going.
- As you pour in the batter, it will start scattering and collect near the sides of the wok in a circular fashion.
- As you keep adding more batter, the disc starts taking its correct shape.
- If the batter tends to stay in the middle of the oil/ghee, after pouring, use the back of a wooden spoon to gently move it to the sides.
- Keep on increasing the centre space with the back of the wooden spoon.
- After 3 or 4 rounds of pouring, a complete disc will be formed.
- Let this disc turn golden brown on medium heat. The sides will be slightly more golden.
- Take the disc out of the oil/ghee carefully by inserting the back of the wooden spoon in the middle and lifting the whole Ghevar out.
- Now immerse the Ghevar in the hot syrup with the help of the back of the wooden spoon and take it out after 5 to 10 seconds.
- Do not keep the Ghevar in the syrup extra or it will become soggy and wet.
- Garnish with almonds and pistachios.
- Let the sugar-coated Ghevar dry open for about an hour.
- Store in closed containers and refrigerate.
- Dry Ghevar without syrup can easily be stored for 15 days.
- Dip in syrup and serve hot.
Image courtesy: Shailja Tomar
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