Golpapdi

Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">A Gujarati dessert, Golpapdi is popularly known as Sukhdi or Gur Papdi (owing to the generous use of jaggery in the sweetmeat). Simple to cook and hassle-free, Golpapdi is made of three main ingredients—whole wheat flour, ghee and jaggery (gur). The dish is so popular among Gujaratis, that they named it after the word for ‘happiness’ i.e, ‘sukh’. A fudge of sorts, Golpapdi is very similar to the Dhodha (available across North India).

Sometimes, spices like cardamom or nutmeg powder is also used to add layers of flavour to the sweet delectable. In fact, the addition of ingredients dictates what the sweet is called. If you add almonds, it is simply called Almond Sukhdi, if instead one chooses to add Goond (edible gum), it is called Goond Sukhdi. Once the sweetmeat is prepared after churning it in a deep kadhai (pot) for a few hours, the semi-solid mixture is laid on flat trays to dry and harden up. Once they are less malleable, it is cut into square lattices or diamonds, giving the appearance of a brown Kaju Katli of sorts. 

The sweet is so nutritious, it is often fed to growing children in Gujarat and Rajasthan. The elements of jaggery, goond and almonds are considered crucial to brain and muscle development among children. The high calorie count of the sweet is also why it is prescribed to pregnant women. It is believed that the goond added to the sweet is essential for generation of red blood cells in the growing babies as well as the mother. In fact, Golpapdi is also said to enhance bone health in women who tend to suffer from osteoporosis after reaching menopause.

Golpapdi is traditionally made during the winter months, primarily due to its high calorific count, which is typically required by the body during the cold months.