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Karadantu
Edible gum and jaggery slab
ಕರದಂಟು: Gokak's rich slab of fried edible gum, jaggery, dry coconut and dry fruit
Karadantu is the famous sweet of Gokak in Belagavi district, sold in sweet shops near the Gokak falls and carried home as a gift, and also made in north Karnataka homes for new mothers and in winter. Edible gum is fried in ghee until it puffs like popcorn, then bound with jaggery syrup, dry coconut, poppy seeds and plenty of dry fruit and pressed into slabs. It's dense, chewy-crisp and deeply caramel-tasting. A common mistake is frying the gum on high heat; it browns outside and stays hard and glassy inside. Chef's tip: fry the gum a few pieces at a time in warm ghee and wait for each to swell to three times its size before lifting.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
- 3 ½ oz ghee
For the mix
- 1 ¾ oz edible gum (gond)
- 3 ½ oz dry coconut (copra)grated
- 1 tbsp white poppy seeds
- 2 ⅛ oz almondschopped
- 2 ⅛ oz cashewschopped
- 2 ⅞ oz dried dates or soft dateschopped
- 1 ¾ oz dried figschopped
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- ¼ tsp grated nutmeg
For the syrup
- 9 oz jaggerygrated
- ¼ cup water
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Grease a 20 cm square tin with a little of the 3 ½ oz ghee.
1 minStep 2: Warm the rest of 3 ½ oz ghee in a small heavy pan over medium-low heat. Fry 1 ¾ oz edible gum (gond) a few pieces at a time until each puffs, turns white and crisp, about 30 seconds; lift out. Crush lightly when cool.
10 minStep 3: In the same ghee fry 2 ⅛ oz almonds and 2 ⅛ oz cashews until golden; lift out. Toast 3 ½ oz dry coconut (copra) in the ghee until light brown, then 1 tbsp white poppy seeds for 30 seconds.
6 minStep 4: Melt 9 oz jaggery with ¼ cup water in a wide pan, strain and boil until it reaches soft-ball stage: a drop in cold water forms a soft ball you can roll, 8–10 minutes.
10 minStep 5: Off the heat, stir in the gum, nuts, coconut, poppy seeds, 2 ⅞ oz dried dates or soft dates, 1 ¾ oz dried figs, 1 tsp ground cardamom, ¼ tsp grated nutmeg and any ghee left in the pan until evenly combined.
3 minStep 6: Press firmly into the tin with a greased spatula, level, and cut into squares while warm. Cool completely before lifting out. Keeps 3 weeks airtight.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 240 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does karadantu take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- 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 jaggery?
- Dark brown or muscovado sugar, same amount.
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