Sukhdi is a traditional Indian sweet that hails from the state of Gujarat. It is a simple yet delicious dessert made primarily from just three ingredients: wheat flour, ghee (clarified butter), and jaggery (unrefined sugar made from sugarcane juice). Sukhdi is popular during festivals as well as served as a snack or treat on various occasions.
The wheat flour is the primary base of sukhdi and gives it a slightly nutty flavor. Ghee is used to bind the ingredients together and add richness to the dish and jaggery provides sweetness to the sukhdi and a distinct caramel-like flavor. The key to getting the texture right is the to mix in the jaggery at the very end with the heat off (or in my case removing from the heat as my burner remains hot after turning off). If the jaggery starts to cook, the texture will be very chewy.
Happy Cooking!
Sukhdi
Ingredients
- 1/2 c + 1 tsp ghee not melted, with soilds
- 1 c whole wheat flour
- 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
- 1/8 tsp fresh grounded nutmeg
- 1/2 c jaggery powered or chopped into small pieces
- roasted chopped nuts for garnish
Instructions
- Grease a 8x8 square pan (or a steel plate) with 1 tsp of ghee and set aside.
- In a flat bottom non stick pan heat the ghee on a medium-low heat.
- Once the ghee is hot, stir in the wheat flour and continuously stir until the flour is roasted, around 5 minutes. You should start smelling the fragrance of roasted flour.
- Turn of the heat (my stove is electric so I moved my pan to the counter) and add cardamom powder, nutmeg and jaggery. Mix everything throughly until the jaggery is completely melted.
- Transfer the mix to the prepared pan and spread it uniformly using a flat spatula. Sprinkle the chopped nuts if desired.
- While the mix is still warm make the cuts of desired shape.
- Let the mix rest for 10 minutes, until completed cooled down. Carefully remove the pieces, serve immediately or stored in an airtight container for up-to 3 days.
