Teej Special Ghewar Varities To Make At Home, Tips To Perfect It

For many, Ghewar is the king of Indian sweets. The traditional delicacy of Rajasthan is inextricably linked with the Teej festival, available only in its season, which occurs during the monsoons. The availability is for a very short time, making it a much-awaited indulgence. But now, in at least some parts of the country, Ghewar is available throughout the year, much to the delight of its fans. Ghewar is a deep-fried, lacey porous cake, made from maida (refined flour), soaked in sugar syrup, and often topped with nuts. The preparation is a craft, with the layers of thin batter and some affection poured into hot ghee starting to form volcano-like bubbles, which settle into a honey-comb structure. Repeated a couple of times, it becomes a finely textured, delicious mithai. With its different types, flavours and textures, Ghewar is a constant sweet indulgence, more so during the rainy season. 

Why Monsoon is the Best Time to Cook Ghewar 

The most traditional way to cook Ghewar is when the monsoons set in—because the moisture in the environment is perfect to get the right texture. When deep-fried, Ghewar comes out really crispy, but it needs a bit of moisture to become a bit soft and succulent. It is this moisture of the rainy season that makes the Ghewar soft without losing its crispiness. With increasing demand, Ghewar is now available throughout the year at some places, but the monsoon still remains the ideal time for its preparation and retains the essence of this delicious treat.  

Dry Fruit Ghewar 

Another favourite is Dry Fruit Ghewar, which has an overload of almonds, cashews, pistachios, and raisins. This variety is considered to be premium due to the pricey ingredients added to it. Crunchy dry fruits work perfectly with crispy Ghewar, making it a wonderful treat. A popular mix, malai and dry fruits, is used for an even more rich taste experience. 

Chocolate Ghewar 

Well, for chocolate lovers, the Chocolate Ghewar is a fusion delight. Addition of cocoa powder in the batter gives this Ghewar a brown colour and a chocolaty taste, topped with chocolate sauce for a more modern way of relishing this traditional sweet, an appeal for chocolate lovers.  

Bihari Ghewar 

Bihari Ghewar, also referred to as “Gheehar”, is another variation popular in the Bihari and Sindhi cuisine. Prepared from a batter of maida, ghee , curd, and food colouring, this Ghewar is made in the form of a big jalebi. After frying in ghee, it is soaked in sugar syrup and decorated with rose petals, saffron, and dry fruits—thus it looks nice as a sweet. 

Rabdi Ghewar  

It combines the richness and creaminess of rabdi with the crisp Ghewar. Rabdi is made from condensed milk-based dessert. Milk is boiled until thickened, then mixed with jaggery, saffron, and other ingredients. This off white rich textured rabdi is used as the topping for the Ghewar, which makes it an out of this world dessert. 

Hacks to Make Perfect Ghewar at Home 

Keep the Batter Chilled 

Keeping the batter cold will help it get the characteristic honeycomb texture for Ghewar.  

Correct Consistency of Batter with Ice-Cold Water 

Correct the consistency of the right batter by adding ice-cold water. This would give the desired texture on frying. 

Whisk Properly 

Whisk the batter well to avoid ghee or milk getting curdled so that the batter is smooth and even. 

Store in Airtight Containers 

Both varieties of ghevar keep themselves for a month, stored in an airtight container. Remember, ghevar has to be dipped in sugar syrup just before serving to retain its freshness and continue having that desired texture. 

Use the Hot Oil Trick for Better Texture 

You can add hot oil to the batter before frying, and this will yield better crispiness and texture for your Ghewar.