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Ghughute
Fried jaggery dough shapes
घुघुते: jaggery wheat-dough drums and knots fried and strung into garlands for Ghughutiya
In Kumaon, Makar Sankranti is Ghughutiya, and the evening before, families knead wheat flour with jaggery and shape it into little drums (damru), swords, knots and flowers, fry them and thread them into necklaces with an orange in the middle. The next morning children wear the garlands and call the crows: 'kale kale, ghughuti mala khale', offering them the first bites before eating the rest themselves. The ghughute are crisp outside and slightly chewy within, gently sweet with fennel. Common mistake: oil that is too hot; they darken in seconds but stay doughy inside, so fry on a medium heat until they are an even deep gold and sound hollow when tapped. Chef's tip: keep the dough quite stiff, like for mathri; soft dough loses its shapes in the oil.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 4 oz jaggerygrated
- ½ cup waterwarm
- 10 ½ oz whole-wheat flour (atta)
- 3 tbsp gheemelted
- 1 tsp fennel seedslightly crushed
- ¼ tsp ground green cardamom
- 2 ½ cups oil for deep-frying
- 2 small oranges or tangerines (optional)for the garlands
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Dissolve 4 oz jaggery in ½ cup water, stirring, and strain out any grit. Leave to cool until lukewarm.
5 minStep 2: Rub 3 tbsp ghee into 10 ½ oz whole-wheat flour (atta) with 1 tsp fennel seeds and ¼ tsp ground green cardamom until it looks like breadcrumbs and holds together when squeezed.
3 minStep 3: Add the jaggery water a little at a time and knead to a stiff, smooth dough. Cover and rest for 15 minutes.
15 minStep 4: Pinch off grape-sized pieces. Roll some into 8 cm ropes and twist into figure-of-eight drums or knots, and flatten others into small swords and flowers. Keep them no thicker than your little finger.
15 minStep 5: Heat 2 ½ cups oil for deep-frying in a kadhai to a medium heat (about 325°F); a piece of dough should rise slowly with steady small bubbles.
5 minStep 6: Fry the ghughute in batches for 4–5 minutes, turning, until an even deep golden brown and crisp. Drain on paper.
18 minStep 7: Cool completely, then thread onto strong thread with 2 small oranges or tangerines in the middle to make garlands, or keep in an airtight tin for 2 weeks.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 55 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ghughute take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 35 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 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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