Recipe Name: Katlu Pak
Preparation Time:
Cooking Time:
Total Time: Roughly 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes
Course: Dessert/Sweet
Cuisine: Indian, specifically Gujarati
Origin: Gujarat, India
Katlu Pak is a traditional Gujarati sweet delicacy renowned for its rich taste, nutritional goodness, and cultural significance.
Full of healthy nutrients such as whole wheat flour, almonds, and edible gum resin.
This dessert offers a harmonious blend of flavours and essential nutrients.
Features:
Katlu Pak is a traditional sweet from Gujarati cuisine that is nutritious and flavorful. It is made with ingredients like edible gum resin, nuts, and whole wheat flour, providing a good number of proteins, healthy fats, and carbohydrates. The combination of cardamom, nutmeg, saffron, and roasted wheat flour gives it a rich and comforting aroma. This sweet holds cultural significance and is often prepared during festivals or special occasions as a symbol of celebration and sharing happiness. It has a long shelf life when stored properly, making it convenient for preparing ahead of time. Further, it can also be enjoyed as a snack to boost energy due to its nutritious ingredients.
Prep Work: Begin by finely chopping the almonds and keeping them aside.
Sieve the Wheat Flour: Immediately pass the whole wheat flour through a sieve to ensure it is lump-free and fine before use. After that, put it away for later use.
Crush the Acacia's Gum: Crush the edible gum resin into small pieces using a mortar and pestle. This process facilitates its easy dissolution while cooking.
Cooking Process:
1) Roasting the Ingredients:
Heat the ghee in a big, heavy-based pan or kadai over medium heat.
Add the crushed edible gum resin (Acacia's gum) to the heated ghee. Keep stirring until it puffs up. Remove and keep aside.
In the same pan, add the whole wheat flour. Roast it in ghee until it turns golden brown and emits a nutty aroma. Stir continuously to avoid burning. Once done, keep it aside.
2) Preparing Jaggery Syrup:
In another saucepan, put the jaggery with a bit of water and heat it over medium flame until it melts, stirring it occasionally. Cook until it forms a thick, sticky syrup consistency.
Once the jaggery syrup reaches the desired consistency, add the crushed Acacia's gum, roasted wheat flour, and Katlu powder. Mix well to combine.
3) Adding other ingredients: Next, Add the chopped almonds, desiccated coconut, powder of fenugreek, or Copra's cauldron to the mixture. Stir continuously on low heat.
4) Final Steps: Keep stirring the mixture until it thickens and starts leaving the sides of the pan. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool down for a few minutes.
Tips and Cautions:
Tips:
Stirring is the key: Continuous stirring during roasting and while cooking the mixture is crucial to prevent burning and ensure even cooking.
Consistency Matters: Achieving the right consistency of jaggery syrup is essential. It should be thick enough to bind all the ingredients together.
Storage: Store Katlu Pak in an airtight container once it cools down completely. It stays fresh for a few weeks if stored properly in a cool, dry place.
Cautions:
Pay attention while roasting the ingredients, especially the wheat flour, as it can quickly turn from golden brown to burnt if you leave it alone for too long.
Handle the hot jaggery syrup with caution to avoid accidental burns.
When pounding, gently crush the Acacia's gum to keep it from flying everywhere.
Acacia's Gum - 250 Grams
Ghee - 250 Grams
Jaggery - 250 Gram
Katlu powder - 25 grams
Almond - 100 Grams
Desiccated coconut - 100 grams
Powder of fenugreek or Copra's cauldron - 25 grams
Wheat flour - 100 grams