Adani Sunth (Fresh Ginger Sweet)

This traditional Parsi winter restorative transforms fresh ginger into a rich, fudge-like confection known as Adani Sunth. The recipe combines the warming heat of ginger with nutrient-dense ingredients like ghee, wheat starch, edible gum, and dried fruits, creating a texture similar to a dense halwa or pak. Sweetened with a blend of jaggery and sugar and spiced with cardamom and nutmeg, it is historically enjoyed as a strengthening tonic during cold months or postpartum recovery.

Ingredients

1.1 pounds Fresh ginger root (Approx. 500g. Use tender, fiberless ginger if possible. Weighed after peeling.)
2 cups Ghee (Approx. 450g. Used for frying and mixing.)
1 3/4 cups Granulated sugar (Approx. 350g.)
2 cups Wheat starch (Approx. 300g. Originally 'Ghau nu dudh' (dried wheat milk/starch). Can substitute with cornstarch if unavailable.)
1 cup Jaggery (soft) (Approx. 200g. Packed.)
3.5 ounces Edible gum (Gundar/Goond) (Approx. 100g. Acacia gum.)
1/2 cup Almonds (Blanched, peeled, and sliced.)
2 tablespoons Pistachios (Blanched, peeled, and sliced.)
2 tablespoons Charoli (Chironji) (Cleaned.)
2 tablespoons Poppy seeds (Khuskhus) (Cleaned.)
1 tablespoon Cardamom powder (Freshly ground.)
1/2 tablespoon Nutmeg powder (Freshly grated.)
1 cup Water (For making syrup.)

Instructions

1Sieve the wheat starch and edible gum separately. Peel the ginger, scrape it thoroughly to remove all skin, and mince it very finely or pound it into a coarse paste in a mortar. Blanch, peel, and slice the almonds and pistachios. Clean the poppy seeds.
2In a large heavy-bottomed pan, heat the ghee over medium heat. Fry the almonds, pistachios, and charoli separately until crisp, then remove with a slotted spoon. In the same ghee, fry the edible gum until it puffs up and turns reddish. Remove the gum, drain, and crush it into a powder using a bowl or ladle. Fry the wheat starch in the ghee until it turns pale red/golden, remove it, and mix it with the crushed gum. Briefly fry the poppy seeds in a little ghee and set aside.
3Divide the ginger paste into 3-4 batches. In a deep pan, heat a portion of ghee. Add one batch of ginger. When it starts to turn red and clump together, spread it out thinly across the bottom of the pan (like a pancake) and let it fry undisturbed until the bottom layer is dark red. Carefully flip it over to fry the other side until crisp. Remove, drain, and repeat with remaining ginger. Once all ginger is fried, pound it again in a mortar to ensure it is fine and uniform.
4Crush the jaggery and mix it with the sugar and water in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Skim off any scum that rises to the top to clarify the syrup (the original recipe used crushed egg shells for this, but skimming or straining through cheesecloth is sufficient). Strain the syrup into a clean pot and cook until it reaches a 'tight' thread consistency (thick and sticky).
5Add any remaining ghee to the thickened syrup. Stir in the fried ginger, crushed gum, wheat starch, and poppy seeds. Mix thoroughly until homogenous. Place the pot over low heat (or coals) and stir constantly to prevent sticking. Cook until the mixture becomes very thick, tight, and leaves the sides of the pan. Remove from heat. Stir in the cardamom and nutmeg powder, followed by the fried nuts. Allow to cool before serving.