Indian
Gluten freeKachariyu
Black sesame and date sweet
કચરિયું: crushed black sesame with dates, jaggery, dry ginger and ghee, a Saurashtra winter sweet
In Saurashtra the oil mills (ghani) run day and night through the Uttarayan season, and the first sesame pressed is mixed with dates and jaggery and sold as kachariyu, a dark, sticky, crumbly sweet that tastes of toasted seeds and spice. Families make it at home too and eat a spoonful every winter morning, and a bowl is always out on kite-flying day. The sesame is crushed until it releases its own oil, so it is rich but not greasy. Common mistake: grinding the sesame to a smooth paste; pulse it only until it turns damp and clumps, which keeps the texture grainy. The seeds are toasted enough when they crackle and a few start to jump out of the pan. Chef's tip: add a little ganthoda (pipli root) powder if you can find it, the traditional warming spice in Kathiawadi kachariyu.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Serves
- 8
- Per serving
- 260 kcal
Ingredients
- 9 oz black sesame seeds
- 4 oz soft seedless dateschopped
- 3 ½ oz jaggerygrated
- ½ tsp ground green cardamom
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 3 tbsp gheemelted
- ⅔ oz dried coconut (kopra) (optional)grated
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Toast 9 oz black sesame seeds in a dry heavy pan over a medium-low heat for 5–6 minutes, stirring, until the seeds crackle, smell nutty and a few begin to jump. Spread on a plate to cool.
6 minStep 2: Pulse the cooled sesame in a grinder in short bursts until it is coarsely crushed and starts to look damp and oily. Stop before it becomes a paste.
2 minStep 3: Add 4 oz soft seedless dates and 3 ½ oz jaggery and pulse a few more times until they are broken up and the mixture clumps when pressed.
2 minStep 4: Tip into a bowl and mix in 1 tsp dry ginger powder (sonth), ½ tsp ground green cardamom, ¼ tsp ground nutmeg, ⅔ oz dried coconut (kopra) and 3 tbsp ghee with your hands until evenly dark and crumbly-moist.
3 minStep 5: Serve by the spoonful, or press into small balls. It keeps in an airtight jar for 2 weeks.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 24 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kachariyu take?
- About 20 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- 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 black sesame seeds?
- Poppy seeds or finely chopped pumpkin seeds, same amount.
- What can I use instead of jaggery?
- Dark brown or muscovado sugar, same amount.
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Perfect for:Winter warmers