Bharuchi Gundar Pak

Bharuchi Gundar Pak

A rich, traditional Gujarati winter delicacy from Bharuch, this energy-dense sweet combines edible gum (gond), dates, and wheat starch with a bounty of aromatic spices and nuts. The texture offers a delightful contrast between the chewy dates, crunchy fried gum, and crisp nuts, all bound together in a sweet, ghee-laden block. Renowned for its warming properties, it is typically prepared in large batches to be enjoyed throughout the cold months.

Ingredients

  • 7 pounds Sugar (Originally 7 Sher. This is a bulk recipe.)
  • 6 pounds Ghee (Clarified butter. Originally 6 Sher.)
  • 5 pounds Dates (Khajur) (Pitted. Originally 5 Sher.)
  • 2 pounds Edible Gum (Gond) (Acacia gum. Originally 2 Sher.)
  • 2 pounds Wheat Starch (Nishasta) or Dried Wheat Milk Solids (Originally 'Ghau nu dudh' (wheat milk). Can use wheat starch or Nishasta.)
  • 1 pound Dried Water Chestnuts (Singoda) (Originally 1 Sher.)
  • 1/4 pound Almonds (Originally 1/4 Sher.)
  • 1/4 pound Pistachios (Originally 1/4 Sher.)
  • 1/4 pound Raisins (Originally 1/4 Sher.)
  • 1/4 pound All-purpose flour (Maida) (Originally 1/4 Sher.)
  • 1/4 pound Dry Ginger Powder (Sunth) (Originally 1/4 Sher.)
  • 1/4 pound Charoli (Chironji) (Originally 1/4 Sher.)
  • 2 ounces Poppy Seeds (Khus Khus) (Originally 1 Navtank (~2 oz).)
  • 1.5 ounces Cardamom (Originally 4 Tolas.)
  • 2 whole Nutmeg
  • 0.4 ounce Mace (Javantri) (Originally 1 Tola.)
  • 1/2 pound Dry Coconut (Copra) (Quantity estimated based on context.)
  • 2 pounds Water (For syrup. Approx 4 cups.)

Instructions

  1. 1Finely slice the dry coconut (copra). Pound the edible gum, wheat starch, dry ginger, and dried water chestnuts separately into fine powders and sieve them; re-pound any coarse leftovers until fine. Pound the cardamom, nutmeg, and mace. Clean the poppy seeds. Peel and finely slice the almonds, pistachios, and charoli. Remove seeds from the dates.
  2. 2Heat the ghee in a large pan until it smokes slightly. Fry the nuts and raisins separately until golden, then remove. In a clean pan with a little ghee, fry the other dry ingredients separately. Add more ghee as needed to fry the wheat starch until it turns red/brown. Fry the edible gum in ghee until it puffs up, then crush it with a spoon in a tin-lined tray. Fry the sliced copra in a little ghee.
  3. 3Clean the pan and heat the remaining ghee. Add the dates and fry them slightly. Do not let them become tough or chewy; keep them soft. Mash them thoroughly while cooking until they form a soft pulp.
  4. 4In a separate pot, combine the sugar and water. Heat until the sugar dissolves, then strain through a damp cloth. Return the syrup to the heat and cook until it reaches a 'tight' consistency (hard ball stage). Pour the hot syrup over the mashed dates gradually, mixing well. Add the fried gum, cardamom, nutmeg, and mace (keeping some aside if desired), then add all the other fried ingredients. Mix thoroughly with a spoon over low heat until the mixture becomes uniform.
  5. 5Continue stirring over low heat until the mixture is firm enough to be patted into shape. Remove from heat. If any excess ghee floats on top and is not desired, remove it. Transfer the mixture to a tin-lined tray or platter and pat it down to a thickness of about 2 inches. Allow it to cool and set. Once firm, cut into 4-inch square pieces and remove carefully.
Loading interactive app...