Bulgar wheat lapsi
Cracked wheat with jaggery
Cracked wheat cooked soft in ghee with jaggery, fennel and saffron
Lapsi is a festive Gujarati sweet of coarse cracked wheat (bhaidku) roasted in ghee, then cooked soft with jaggery water, fennel and saffron until the ghee shines through. It's grainy, buttery and gently sweet, finished with nuts, sultanas, nutmeg and cardamom. Serve it hot, on its own or as part of a festive thali.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the lapsi
- 9 ½ oz jaggery
- 2 cups water, for the jaggery2 cups
- 5 ¼ cups boiling water5 cups
- 3 ⅞ oz ghee½ cup
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds
- ½ tsp saffron
For the topping
- 1 tbsp flaked almonds
- 1 tbsp flaked pistachios
- 1 tbsp sultanas
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Put 9 ½ oz jaggery in a pan with 2 cups water, for the jaggery and heat gently, stirring, until the jaggery dissolves. Bring to the boil, then strain to remove any grit and keep the jaggery water warm.
8 minStep 2: Bring 5 ¼ cups boiling water to the boil in a kettle or pan.
Step 3: Heat 3 ⅞ oz ghee and 2 tbsp oil in a large heavy pan over a low heat. Add 9 ½ oz coarse bulgur wheat (bhaidku) and roast, stirring often, until golden brown and nutty-smelling.
12 minStep 4: Carefully pour the boiling water onto the wheat (it will splutter) and add 1 tbsp fennel seeds and ½ tsp saffron. Cook on a low-medium heat, stirring now and then, until the wheat is tender.
15 minStep 5: Once the wheat has softened, stir in the warm jaggery water.
Step 6: Cover and cook on a low heat, stirring now and then, until the liquid is absorbed and the ghee starts to separate at the edges.
12 minStep 7: Stir in 1 tbsp flaked almonds, 1 tbsp flaked pistachios, 1 tbsp sultanas, 1 tsp ground nutmeg and 1 tsp ground cardamom and serve hot.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 390 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bulgar wheat lapsi take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of jaggery?
- Dark brown or muscovado sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of ghee?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
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