If you thought only curries were the highlight of Indian cuisine, you definitely haven’t hopped on to a dessert section yet. The sweet meat fare of the country is surely a deal-maker, from laddoos to barfis, pedas and more. One such dessert intrinsic to North Indian cuisine is ghevar. The rich and sweet dessert is made with milk, ghee and sugar and commonly eaten during the rainy season.
Originating from Rajasthan, the sweet is considered ideal for monsoon due to the damp air. Since ghevar requires a lot of moisture, the rainy season acts as a boon during this time. Moreover, the dessert is also made during festivals like Teej and Rakhi. Teej is a celebratory occasion in several parts of North India and ghevar is an essential sweet made during this time. Apart from being a holy treat for the Lord, it is the first food that married women consume to break their fast.
While ghevar tastes amazing, the richness of the dish and apt texture isn’t an easy task. It takes a lot of precision and care to make this sugar-loaded dessert. Here are a few tips and tricks that you can try at home while making ghevar.
1. Batter
The batter makes use of minimum ingredients yet requires a lot of time to excel. For instance, ghee that goes into batter has to be fluffy for which you should always add chilled water and ice cubes. This smooth and fluffy batter should be lump-free, which is possible through constant pressing. The crispy texture is also ensured through this.
2. Consistency
While all the magic happens with the perfect consistency, you need a thin batter that can be easily poured on a pan. To maintain the same, the batter should be chilled in the refrigerator till it has to be used and should also be poured in small batches. If it is thick, the honeycomb texture will not be attained and there are chances of the batter settling at the bottom of the pan.
Ghewar
Did you think that you could simply fry it like a pakora? Not really. Firstly, the oil needs to be hot when the batter is poured. Along with this, the pan should be a heavy-bottomed one with a thick base. The trick to achieving the ideal thickness as well as the desired crunch is by pouring the batter from a height and dropping it in the centre of the vessel.
4. Cooking Procedure
Pouring the batter into the vessel is not the whole job. To make the ghevar, you need to add the batter in batches. Stirring the ghevar continuously is important as it is the trick to making the thick and crunchy texture of the dessert. It also gives it a porous texture. Use medium heat to cook it until it becomes golden and crispy.
