Bhavna
Ghari or Surati Ghari is a sweet dish from Gujarati cuisine, from the region of Surat. Ghari are made of puri dough, milk ‘mawa’, ghee and sugar – made into round shapes with sweet filling, to be consumed on Chandani Padva festival. It is also available in many varieties and flavours such as kesar (saffron) pistachio, almond-elachi and mawa(Milk solid).
Ghari was prepared by the cooks of Tatya Tope to provide extra strength to the freedom fighter’s soldiers. However, it began to be consumed during inauspicious occasions too, particularly by people of some castes in the crematorium for peace to the soul of the dead.
Surti Ghari Sweet
Servings: 12 Gharis
Ingredients
FOR THE LAYER:
- Maida- 1 cup , Plain Flour
- Melted ghee- 2 tbsp
- About 1/4 cup Milk or as per req.
FOR THE FILLING:
- Crushed pistachio- 1 cup ,
- Crushed badam- 1 cup ,
- Mava or khoya- 2 cups (I used 2 cups Milk Powder with 1 cup Heavy cream),
- Rava- 1 tbsp , Soji or Semolina
- Besan- 2 tbsp , Chickpea Flour
- Cardamom powder- 1 t sp , Elaichi
- Saffron- a pinch soaked in 1 t sp milk , Sugar – 3/4 cup or as req. (Kesar + 1 tbsp dudh)
To Fry:
- 11/2 cup Oil + 1/4 cup Ghee (Only oil or ghee can be used)
FOR Glaze:
- Ghee- 1/3 cup (about 6 tbsp),
- Powder sugar- 3/4 cup
Instructions
Preparing the Dough:
- Make a soft dough with maida, ghee and milk. Leave it for 20 mins.
Preparing the Stuffing:
- Fry besan and rava in ghee for 3 mins . Add mava or khoya (Or Cream and milk powder) and cook for 4-5 mins. Take out the mixture into the plate to cool faster. When cooled completely, add cardamom powder, sugar and mix everything. Divide it into 2 portions. Add crushed almond, saffron and to one portion and add crushed pista and to other portion. Use little milk at a time to bind the both mixture. Make small balls of each. Flatten the almond ball in between your palm. Keep pista ball in the centre and cover it nicely.
- Preparing Ghari:
- Roll out to thin puris of 4” diameter. Place 1 ball in each puri and cover it nicely . cut off the extra dough portion and deep fry in ghee on low flame. Let it cool down for 4 hours.
For garnishing:
- Melt ghee slightly and add sugar and whip it lightly. Dip each ghari in the ghee and set aside for 12 hours to become firm. Garnish it with pisti. Cut each ghari into 4 pieces and serve.
