Gundar Pak (Spiced Edible Gum Confection)

This traditional Parsi winter confection, known as Gundar Pak, is a rich and restorative sweet designed to provide warmth and energy during colder months. The recipe combines the unique, jelly-like texture of edible gum (gond) with a luxurious blend of dried fruits, wheat starch, and aromatic spices like nutmeg, cardamom, and white pepper. Cooked in a generous amount of ghee and sweetened with sugar, this dense, fudge-like treat offers a complex interplay of crunchy nuts and earthy herbal notes, making it a cherished seasonal staple.

Ingredients

10 pounds Sugar (Originally 10 Sher. This is a large batch recipe.)
9 pounds Ghee (Originally 9 Sher. Use pure ghee intended for sweets.)
5 pounds Whole milk (Originally 5 Sher (approx 2.5 quarts).)
2 pounds Wheat starch (Nishasta) (Originally 'dried wheat milk' (ghau nu dudh).)
2 pounds Almonds (Originally 2 Sher. Cleaned.)
1 pound Edible gum (Acacia/Gond) (Originally 1 Sher. Use Babool/Acacia gum.)
1 pound Lotus seeds or stem (Kamar Kakdi) (Originally 1 Sher 'Kamar Kakdi'. Can substitute with Makhana (Fox nuts) if unavailable.)
1 pound Dried water chestnuts (Singhara) (Originally 1 Sher.)
1 pound Charoli (Chironji) (Originally 1 Sher. Fresh.)
1 pound Pistachios (Originally 1 Sher.)
1 pound Dried Gokhru (Tribulus terrestris) (Originally 1 Sher. A traditional herbal ingredient.)
4 ounces Dry ginger powder (Sunth) (Originally 1/4 Sher (Vya). Sieved fine.)
4 ounces Poppy seeds (Khaskhas) (Originally 1/4 Sher (Vya).)
8 ounces Pipramul (Ganthoda) (Originally 1/2 Sher.)
8 ounces White pepper (Originally 1/2 Sher.)
2 ounces Salampanja (Orchid root) (Originally 5 Tolas. A traditional restorative ingredient.)
0.8 ounces Cardamom (Originally 2 Tolas.)
0.4 ounces Nutmeg (Originally 1 Tola.)
5 pounds Water (Approx 10 cups. For soaking the gum.)

Instructions

1Crush the cardamom and nutmeg. In a clean vessel, soak the edible gum (gond) in 5 pounds (approx 10 cups) of cold water for 15 hours until fully dissolved and hydrated.
2Peel the nuts. Slice the almonds and pistachios. Crush and sieve all other dry ingredients (ginger, poppy seeds, pipramul, white pepper, etc.) separately to ensure they are fine.
3In a tinned flat pan, heat a portion of the ghee. Fry the almonds, pistachios, and charoli separately until crisp, then set aside. In a separate clay pot or deep pan, use a small amount of ghee to fry the gokhru, singhara (water chestnuts), and kamar kakdi one by one. Finally, add a bit more ghee and fry the wheat starch (nishasta) until it turns red/golden brown.
4In a clean large pot, add the salampanja and mix it well with the fresh milk. Place on the stove and bring to a boil, stirring constantly until the liquid reduces and thickens. Once thickened, add approximately 1 pound of heated ghee to the mixture and fry until the milk solids (mava) turn red/golden brown.
5Take about 1 pound of ghee separately. Place the vessel containing the soaked (now liquefied) gum on medium heat. Gradually add the ghee while stirring constantly. Cook until the water evaporates completely and the ghee separates from the gum mixture.
6Prepare a sugar syrup with the sugar and a little water until it reaches a tight/thick consistency. Allow it to cool slightly. Add the syrup to the pot containing the milk mava and mix well. Then, add the cooked gum and all the other fried and powdered ingredients (except the sliced nuts).
7Place the combined mixture over low heat (embers) and stir continuously with a spoon. When the ghee begins to separate from the mass, mix in the crushed cardamom and nutmeg. Remove from heat. As it begins to cool, mix in the fried sliced nuts (almonds, pistachios, charoli) last.