Gur Papdi / Sukhdi / Indian Whole Wheat Fudge

Sukhdi is a traditional dessert popular in the Indian states of Gujarat and Maharashtra. It is referred to as Gur Papdi in Marathi. Basically, it is a delicious and healthy fudge made with just 3 ingredients-whole wheat flour, jaggery, and ghee. You may add nuts to give it a festive touch. Sukhdi can also be mildly flavored with cardamom powder. This fudge is soft and has a melt in the mouth texture. The best part is that the recipe is very simple and fuss-free as you do not have to look for the correct jaggery syrup consistency. Sukhdi or gur papdi is usually made during winter months but you really do not require any special occasion or time to make this utterly delicious and super addictive fudge. With a good shelf life, you can make this fudge for the upcoming Raksha Bandhan festival.

I love the sweets that use jaggery as a sweetener, not just because they are healthier compared to the sweets made with refined sugar but also for their earthy taste and aroma. I learned to make gur papdi from my Aai (mother-in-law) a few years back and since then make it regularly as it is very quick and a perfect treat to satisfy your sweet cravings. I have even tried making gur papdi using the sathumaavu flour. So you can use any multigrain ata to make this delicious sweet treat as a variation. You only need to have a little patience to roast the whole wheat flour in ghee until you get a good nutty aroma. After that, you put off the flame and add grated or powdered jaggery to that ghee roasted flour and stir it well until all the jaggery melts. Transfer the mix immediately to a greased tray and allow the fudge to set. That's it. Doesn't the recipe sound like a breeze? This fudge is a bit heavy on calories as you cannot reduce the amount of ghee going in to get that perfect melt in mouth types of the texture of the sukhdi. You can choose to make a big batch of this fudge and store it in an airtight container as it stays good for about 2 weeks at room temperature or make small batches the way I do.

Another important point to note while making this sukhdi is not to stir the jaggery flour mix for a long time as that will make the texture crumbly and then the fudge might not set properly. Also, you need to grate the jaggery finely so that it melts quickly in the heat of the roasted flour. Still, in a case for some reasons your sukhdi mix dries up and fails to set as a fudge, there is one more tip you can follow. This i have learned from my own experience. If you feel the fudge does not set and is very dry or crumbly, transfer the mix to a grinder jar and pulse it 2-3 times. You may add a few drops of ghee while grinding. The mixture will become oily due to the heat, ghee, and jaggery and now you can again add it to a greased tray and allow to set.

The #208th theme for #FoodieMondayBlogHop is #MeetheBandhan. Meethe in Hindi means sweet and Bandhan means the bonds. This lovely theme refers to the Hindu festival, Raksha Bhandhan which depicts the sweet bond between brother and sister. This theme was suggested by Archana di who blogs at The Mad Scientists Kitchen. Archana di is a versatile cook and has been blogging for years now. She dedicates her blog to her late mom and mother-in-law. I head towards her blog for the traditional recipes from Goan Cuisine. All her recipes are easily doable and approved by her teen aged daughters. Do hop to her space for some delicious treats. For this week, we had to cook any sweet or savory dish that we can make for Raksha Bandhan Festival. I chose to make this delicious Gur Papdi thinking of my younger brother who has a sweet tooth. He works for Google and stays in the U.S. I really miss him during every festival. This one is for you Bhayyu !

                                                                  

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10-12 minutes
Serves: 1 dozen sukhdi pieces

Ingredients: Measurements used 1 cup = 250 ml

• 1 cup whole wheat flour/ata
• 1/4 cup+2 tablespoon ghee
• 3/4 cup grated or finely powdered jaggery
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder (optional)
• 2 tablespoon slivered nuts of your choice (optional). I have used halved cashews instead.

Method:

1. In a non-stick pan or heavy bottom wok, heat 1/4 cup ghee on medium flame. To this add the whole wheat flour and roast the flour while stirring continuously for about 8-10 minutes on low to medium flame.

2. Once you get a nice aroma from the roasted flour, add the remaining 2 tablespoon ghee and roast again for 2-3 minutes.

3. Now the flour will turn light pink in color and light to stir. Put off the flame and add the grated or finely powdered jaggery to it and stir well. The jaggery will melt by the heat of the roasted flour. Flavor with cardamom powder if using, give a quick mix and transfer the contents to a greased tray. Be quick in this step.

4. Level the fudge mixture using a butter paper. Add slivered nuts if using and lightly press the fudge mix with the butter paper. Cut the fudge as per the desired shape using a knife and allow it to set completely before separating the pieces. Keep the sukhdi in an airtight container at room temperature and serve as required.

 5. Enjoy the delicious and healthy sukhdi / gur papdi with your loved ones !

Recipe Notes:

• Be patient while roasting the whole wheat flour in ghee and keep stirring to prevent the flour for catching the bottom of the pan.
• Do not reduce the amount of ghee in this recipe, if you are looking for the melt-in-mouth texture of the sukhdi.
• Adding nuts makes the fudge festive and adds bite and crunch to the fudge.
• Use finely grated or powdered jaggery as it has to melt in the heat of the roasted flour.
• Do not stir the flour and jaggery mix for a long time as that may make it crumbly and difficult to set.
• I have used a butter paper to level the fudge. You may use a greased bowl base or spatula instead.
•  In case for unknown reasons, your fudge fails to set, transfer the mixture to a grinder jar with few drops of ghee and pulse multiple times. Now the mix will be uniform and greasy and you can set it easily.

 This recipe is also featured in the Facebook Group, Food For Feast, of which I am a part of. Members of this group post once every month on a pre-decided theme. The theme for August month is Sweets made with Jaggery and my contribution towards it is this healthy and delectable Gur Papdi recipe which perfectly fits into it.
                                                  

If you ever try this recipe, do share your feedback with us in the comment section below. 

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For more desserts with Jaggery as sweetener, checkout the following from this blog

• Chocolate Halwa

                               

• Kadala Parippu Pradhaman

                               

• Chocolate Nankhatai

                              

• 7 Cup Burfi with Jaggery

                             

• Aliv-che-laadu / Halim Ladoo / Garden Cress Seeds Ladoo

                             

• Rajgira Ladoo

                            

• Ragi Banana Chocolate Bundt Cake