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Ghevar
Jaipur's honeycomb-like Teej sweet (घेवर): a lacy fried batter disc in syrup, topped with rabri and pistachios
During the monsoon festival of Teej and through Raksha Bandhan, Jaipur's sweet shops stack golden, honeycomb discs of ghevar in their windows. The batter is little more than flour, chilled ghee and ice-cold water, poured into hot ghee in thin streams so it foams into a lacy round. It is then soaked in syrup and finished with rabri, sliced pistachios and a pinch of saffron. Married daughters traditionally receive it from their mothers' homes during Teej. The most common mistake is batter that is too warm or too thick; it fries into a heavy pancake instead of a web. Chef's tip: whisk the ghee with ice cubes until it is white and fluffy before adding flour, and keep the batter bowl in a tray of ice water while frying. A narrow, deep pan, or a metal ring set in a saucepan, gives the sides that help the batter build up.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the batter
For the syrup
To finish
Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Make the syrup: boil the 9 oz sugar and ¾ cup water over medium heat for 6–8 minutes until it reaches one-string consistency (a drop pressed between finger and thumb pulls into one thread). Stir in the ¼ tsp ground green cardamom and keep warm.
8 minStep 2: Put the 2 ⅛ oz ghee and 4 ice cubes in a large bowl and rub them together with your palm for 4–5 minutes until the ghee turns white, soft and creamy, like whipped butter. Remove any ice left.
5 minStep 3: Beat in the ¼ cup cold milk, then the 7 oz plain flour (maida), a little at a time, to make a thick paste. Gradually whisk in the 2 cups ice-cold water until the batter is as thin as single cream and runs freely off a spoon. Set the bowl in a tray of ice water.
5 minStep 4: Heat the 3 cups ghee or vegetable oil to a depth of at least 8 cm in a deep pan about 15 cm across, or place a 15 cm metal ring in a saucepan. Heat on medium-high to 350°F; a drop of batter should sizzle and rise at once.
8 minStep 5: Stir the batter, take a small ladle (about 2 tbsp) and pour it from 30 cm above the pan in a thin stream into the centre. It will foam vigorously. Wait 15–20 seconds for the froth to settle.
1 minStep 6: Pour another ladle into the centre, letting it push the first layer outward. Repeat 6–8 times, waiting for the froth to subside each time. Keep a hole open in the middle with a wooden skewer; this lets the heat reach the centre.
8 minStep 7: Lower the heat to medium and fry, ladling hot ghee into the centre, for 4–5 minutes until the disc is light golden and crisp, and the bubbling slows down. Lift it out with the skewer through the hole and stand it upright to drain.
5 minStep 8: Repeat with the rest of the batter to make 4 ghevars, whisking the batter each time and adding a splash of ice water if it thickens.
30 minStep 9: When they are cool and crisp, place each one on a plate and spoon over 3–4 tbsp warm syrup so it soaks into the honeycomb. Spread the 5 ½ oz rabri (or thick sweetened reduced milk) over the top and scatter with 2 tbsp pistachios, 1 tbsp almonds, 1 pinch saffron threads and the edible silver leaf (vark), vegetarian leaf, if using. Serve within a few hours.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 780 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 98 g
- Fat
- 40 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ghevar take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of ghee?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
- What can I use instead of cold milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
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