Liquid Gold

Jaggery or Gur is the perfect winter ingredient that enhances the flavour and texture of any dish. Chefs love it for its versatility and use it in preparing a wide range of sauces, glazes, jams, cakes, muffins and kheer. In fact, the traditional dishes of almost all the regions — from the mountain food of the North to Maharashtra, Gujarat and South India, use jaggery as a quintessential ingredient which renders a flavour so distinct that makes it irreplaceable in recipes.

Lately, the same humble Gur has also been enjoying quite a significant status in modern desserts as chefs are using it in their innovative creations.

A healthy alternative to white sugar, jaggery is known for its remarkable health benefits. It is not only rich in iron but also helps in the cleansing of your complete system, boosts digestion, aids in combating allergies as well as the woes of increased pollution. A few recipies.

Palm Jaggery Whole Wheat Cake

Method:

• Preheat oven to 180 degree C. Line a baking pan with parchment paper, grease with oil and set aside.
• Take palm jaggery in a sauce pan, add in water and heat till jaggery melts. Set aside to cool down.
• Take wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl and whisk well.
• Take eggs, oil, melted palm jaggery and mix well.
• Add this to the wet ingredients and mix well.
• Spoon this into the pan and bake for 30 minutes.
• Remove it and cool down for 10 minutes.
• Slice and serve.

By chef Mohammed Anas Qureshi

Karupatti Halwa

A melt-in-the-mouth, gelatinous sweet made with reduced palm sugar syrup, cooked with a mixture of rice flour, clarified butter and fried cashewnuts.

Ingredients:

• Palm jaggery: 500 gms
• Rice flour: 100 gms
• Corn flour: 50 gms
• Ghee: 300 ml
• Sliced almonds: 50 gms
• Sliced pistachios: 50 gms

Preparation

• Soak the jaggery in a litre of water and make a syrup by boiling the water and then straining it.
• Mix the corn flour and rice flour in 300 ml of water and strain it.

Method:

• In a thick pan or a vessel, heat the jaggery syrup and allow it to reach the boiling point.
• Add the rice flour and corn flour mixture to the boiling syrup and stir constantly till the mixture gets thickened.
• Add ghee in regular intervals and stir it constantly till the mixture does not stick to the pan.
• Grease the tray or bowl with ghee and transfer the cooked mixture into another utensil.
• Top it up with sliced almonds and pistachios and allow it to set.
• Cut into desired shapes and dive into this delicious winter dessert!

By chef Sheik Mohideen