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Gol dhana
Jaggery and coriander seed sweet
ગોળ ધાણા: crushed jaggery with split roasted coriander seeds, the first sweet of a Gujarati engagement
In Gujarat, when two families agree on a match, a plate of gol dhana is passed around before anything else, and the engagement itself is often simply called 'gol dhana'. The same mix appears on auspicious days, at a griha pravesh and at the start of a new venture: soft jaggery rubbed together with dhana dal, the split, lightly roasted coriander seeds sold in every Gujarati grocery. It takes five minutes and needs no cooking. The common mistake is using whole coriander seeds, which are hard and bitter; buy dhana dal, or split and toast the seeds yourself. Chef's tip: choose a soft, golden Kolhapuri-style jaggery that crumbles between your fingers, so it coats the seeds instead of staying in lumps.
- Total time
- 5 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the gol dhana
- 5 ½ oz soft jaggery
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds (optional)lightly toasted
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Method
0/3 doneStep 1: Grate or crumble 5 ½ oz soft jaggery finely into a bowl, breaking up any hard lumps with your fingertips.
3 minStep 2: Add 1 ¾ oz dhana dal (split roasted coriander seeds) and 1 tbsp fennel seeds and rub everything together between your palms until the seeds are coated and the mix clumps lightly when pressed.
2 minStep 3: Pile into a small bowl or a silver plate and offer a pinch to each guest. Store any extra airtight for up to a month.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 90 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 20 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does gol dhana take?
- About 5 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of soft jaggery?
- Dark brown or muscovado sugar, same amount.
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