Ganne Wale Chawal-Forgotten Delicacy Of Punjab
Image Credit: Gaane wale chawal

Sugarcane is something that was used in abundance in India but eventually, this ingredient has been losing its charm with every passing day. It has definitely lost its significance in cooking and has been confined only to sugarcane juice. 

It has always been told that unprocessed sugarcane juice is a healthier form of sugar in comparison to the processed form of sugar. Undoubtedly, sugarcane has been a great source of sweetness and was often used in so many traditional dishes. But it is also true that many of these traditional dishes have been forgotten. One of these dishes is ganne wale chawal. This dish was known as raawh wale chaawal in Punjab and rasawal in old Lucknow. Basically, a kheer but made with sugarcane juice, this dish was much loved during Lohri and Holi celebrations. This is actually a slow-cooked dish in which rice is cooked on low flame with sugarcane juice and later garnished with nuts. 

Despite being utterly delicious, this dish has lost its importance. Though some households do make this dish occasionally, many don’t even know any such dish exists. This might be because we are moving more toward modern living and letting go of the roots we are associated with. Earlier, cooking was an opportunity for women to get together and chit-chat, unlike today. An interesting fact about this dish is that whenever this rice dish used to get cooked, it was made in large utensils so that it could be served to the entire village. This is not possible today, right? But we can definitely do something to revive these dishes and brought them back to the world so that people can know their rich heritage, culture, and traditions. As one step ahead, we have shared the recipe of gaane wale chawal with you so that if you have had it years ago, you can have that nostalgic feel and if you have not had it even once, there is a chance to know what were you missing. 

This dish might take some time but believe me, you will not regret it!! Have a look at the recipe.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup rice (soaked) 
  • 3 lt sugarcane juice
  • ½ cup coconut
  • ½ cup milk
  • 3 tsp ghee
  • 1 clove

Method

  • Boil sugarcane juice in a wok and keep adding milk gradually
  • Let it boil until you see impurities floating above
  • Take out all the impurities using a spatula
  • Keep adding the milk and keep removing the impurities every five minutes
  • Repeat the process for the next 60 minutes until you get a golden colour of the juice.
  • Once the juice is reduced to half after all impurities are removed, add soaked rice into it
  • Cover the lid and let it cook on low flame for 45 to 50 minutes or until you get a thick consistency 
  • Take a pan and add ghee
  • Add cloves and add the sugarcane rice
  • Also, add chopped coconut 
  • Mix it well and let it cool for sometime

You can serve this dish as a dessert to your family, serve it to your guests or even have this dish on the menu at the next wedding at your home. It is always a good idea to try these traditional recipes and know about your roots.

Enjoy!