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Rewri
ریوڑی (rewri): small, hard pulled-sugar sweets scented with kewra and coated in sesame
Children in Lahore grow up buying rewri by the paper cone from the old shops in Rang Mahal and from the carts at the Basant and Mela Chiraghan fairs, little white coins of hard candy crusted with toasted sesame that crack between the teeth and then melt slowly. The sugar is boiled to hard crack, pulled on a greased hook or with oiled hands until it turns opaque and white, flavoured with kewra, then cut into tiny pieces and rolled in sesame. It is a winter sweet, eaten with peanuts and gajak around the fire and handed out at shrines. The step that trips people up is pulling the sugar when it is either too hot to handle or already cooling into glass, so time it carefully and work fast. Chef's tip: wear clean, thick rubber gloves rubbed with ghee for pulling, and keep the candy near a warm oven door so it stays pliable while you cut. Take care: boiled sugar causes serious burns, so keep children away while it is hot.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the candy
- 9 oz sugar
- ½ cup water
- 1 /2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 /2 tsp kewra water
- 1 tbsp gheefor greasing
For the coating
- 3 ½ oz white sesame seeds
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Toast 3 ½ oz white sesame seeds in a dry pan over a medium-low heat for 5–6 minutes until pale golden, then spread on a tray.
6 minStep 2: Grease a marble slab or heavy baking tray, a pair of scissors and your gloves with 1 tbsp ghee.
Step 3: Put 9 oz sugar, ½ cup water and 1 /2 tsp lemon juice in a small heavy pan, stir over a medium heat until the sugar dissolves, then boil without stirring for 10–12 minutes until it reaches 300°F, or a drop in cold water sets hard and snaps cleanly.
12 minStep 4: Pour the syrup onto the greased slab, sprinkle over 1 /2 tsp kewra water and leave for 2–3 minutes until the edges firm enough to lift.
Step 5: Fold the edges into the middle with a greased spatula a few times, until the mass is cool enough to handle with gloved hands.
Step 6: Pull the candy into a rope, fold it back on itself and pull again, for 4–5 minutes, until it turns opaque, white and silky.
5 minStep 7: Quickly roll the candy into a rope about 1 cm thick and snip it into 1 cm pieces with the greased scissors.
Step 8: While the pieces are still warm and slightly tacky, press each lightly into a round and toss in the toasted sesame until coated.
Step 9: Leave to cool and harden completely, then store in an airtight jar for up to a month.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 130 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 22 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does rewri take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 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 sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of lemon juice?
- Lime juice, same amount.
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