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Dhodha
Milk, wheat and ghee fudge
ڈھوڈا (dhodha): Khushab's nutty milk, wheat and ghee fudge sold in thick slabs
Every bus that stops in Khushab, on the road between Sargodha and the Salt Range, is met by boys carrying boxes of dhodha, the town's famous sweet and a standard gift for anyone visiting family in Punjab. It is lighter in colour and softer than habshi halwa, a moist, crumbly fudge of slowly reduced milk, a little wheat flour, ghee and sugar, packed with almonds, pistachios and walnuts and pressed into slabs about two fingers thick. The flavour is milky and nutty with a gentle caramel note, and it is sliced and eaten with tea, especially in the cold months. Where people slip up is under-reducing the milk, so the dhodha never firms and stays soft like a halwa. Chef's tip: keep stirring after you add the sugar until the mass leaves the sides of the pan cleanly and holds a ridge when you draw the spoon through it, then press it into the tin while still warm.
- Total time
- 180 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
For the dhodha
- 8 ¼ cups full-fat milk
- 2 tbsp plain yogurt
- 5 ½ oz ghee
- 9 oz sugar
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
Nuts
- 2 ⅞ oz almondschopped
- 1 ¾ oz pistachioschopped, plus extra for the top
- 1 ¾ oz walnutschopped
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Bring 8 ¼ cups full-fat milk to the boil in a wide, heavy karahi over a medium heat, stirring often.
20 minStep 2: Stir in 2 tbsp plain yogurt; the milk will curdle very slightly into soft grains.
2 minStep 3: Simmer briskly over a medium-low heat, stirring and scraping the base and sides every few minutes, for about 1 1/4 hours until the milk has reduced to a thick, grainy paste, a little looser than khoya.
80 minStep 4: In a separate pan, warm half of 2 ⅝ oz ghee over a low heat and fry 2 ⅛ oz wholewheat flour (or sprouted wheat flour) for 6–8 minutes, stirring, until it smells nutty and turns light brown.
8 minStep 5: Add the roasted flour to the reduced milk and stir for 5 minutes until evenly mixed.
5 minStep 7: Stir in 1 tsp ground cardamom, 2 ⅞ oz almonds, 1 ¾ oz pistachios and 1 ¾ oz walnuts and cook for 2–3 minutes more until the mass holds a ridge when you draw the spoon through.
3 minStep 8: Press firmly into a greased 20 cm square tin about 3 cm deep, smooth the top and press in a few more pistachios.
Step 9: Cool completely, at least 3 hours, then cut into slabs. Keep in an airtight tin in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 21 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does dhodha take?
- About 180 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 160 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 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 full-fat milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
- What can I use instead of plain yogurt?
- Sour cream or buttermilk, same amount.
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