Indian
Gluten freeKhajur pak
Date and nut fudge
ખજૂર પાક: soft Kutchi dates cooked in ghee with nuts, coconut and poppy seeds, rolled and sliced, no added sugar
Kutch grows some of India's best dates, and in Bhuj and Anjar homes khajur pak is the sweet made for Diwali boxes and for Ekadashi and other fast days, since it needs nothing but dates, ghee, nuts and coconut. The dates melt in warm ghee into a sticky paste, the nuts give crunch, and the log is rolled in poppy seeds and sliced into neat coins. The common mistake is cooking the dates too long, which dries them out so the log cracks when you slice it. Chef's tip: for a harder winter version, swap a third of the soft dates for chopped kharek (dry dates) soaked overnight in a little milk.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Serves
- 16
- Per serving
- 120 kcal
Ingredients
For the pak
- 10 ½ oz soft seedless dateschopped
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 1 ⅜ oz almondschopped
- 1 ⅜ oz cashewschopped
- ⅞ oz pistachioschopped
- 1 oz desiccated coconut
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- 2 tbsp white poppy seeds (khaskhas)
Tick what you have; the rest goes in the basket.
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat 1 tbsp of the 2 tbsp ghee in a pan over low heat and toast 1 ⅜ oz almonds, 1 ⅜ oz cashews and ⅞ oz pistachios for 3–4 minutes until lightly golden. Tip onto a plate.
4 minStep 2: Toast 1 oz desiccated coconut in the same dry pan for 1 minute until it smells sweet. Set aside with the nuts.
1 minStep 3: Add the remaining 2 tbsp ghee and 10 ½ oz soft seedless dates and cook on low, pressing and stirring with a spatula, for 5–6 minutes until they melt into a smooth, sticky paste that pulls away from the pan.
6 minStep 4: Off the heat, mix in the nuts, coconut and ½ tsp ground cardamom. Cool for 5 minutes until you can handle it.
5 minStep 5: With greased hands, shape into two 4 cm thick logs. Roll each in 2 tbsp white poppy seeds (khaskhas), wrap in baking paper and chill for 1 hour.
60 minStep 6: Slice into 1 cm coins with a sharp knife. Keep in an airtight box in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
5 min
KrazyBadal
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