Kitchen Recipe Collection
Indian Ghevar
A spectacular Rajasthani dessert. A disc-shaped, porous, honeycomb-like fried pastry soaked in sugar syrup and topped with creamy Rabdi.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 60 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- hard
- Cuisine
- indian
Ingredients
Scaled for 4 servings
- all-purpose flour (maida)
- ghee (solidified)
- ice cubes
- cold water or cold milk
- lemon juice
- sugar
- ghee (for deep frying)
- rabdi (sweet thickened milk)
- nuts for garnish
Equipment
- Deep cylindrical pot (Bhagona)
- Squeeze bottle
Instructions
- 1
The Emulsion (Crucial Step)
In a large bowl, take 4 tablespoons of solidified ghee. Add 3-4 ice cubes. Rub the ghee vigorously with the ice using your palm.
- 2
Whip to Cream
Continue rubbing for 5 minutes until the ghee becomes stark white, fluffy, and looks like buttercream. Remove the unmelted ice cubes.
- 3
Add Flour
Gradually add the all-purpose flour to the whipped ghee in small batches, mixing gently.
- 4
Add Cold Liquid
Gradually add ICE COLD water (or cold milk) and whisk continuously to avoid lumps.
- 5
The Perfect Batter
The batter must be extremely thin, almost watery. Add a squeeze of lemon juice (keeps it crisp). Keep the bowl of batter sitting in a larger bowl of ice to keep it freezing cold.
- 6
Heat the Frying Ghee
Fill a deep, narrow, cylindrical pot (crucial for the shape) halfway with ghee. Heat it until it is smoking hot.
- 7
The Pouring Technique
Fill a squeeze bottle with the cold batter. Hold it a foot above the pot. Pour a thin stream of batter directly into the center of the boiling hot ghee.
- 8
Build the Honeycomb
The batter will violently splutter, spread to the edges, and form a porous lattice. Wait for the bubbles to subside, then pour another stream in the center. Repeat 10-15 times to build thickness.
- 9
Make a Center Hole
Use a wooden skewer to occasionally push the batter outward, maintaining a clear hole in the center.
- 10
Fry to Golden
Once thick enough, let it fry until the edges turn golden brown and crisp. Use the skewer through the center hole to carefully lift the entire delicate disc out.
- 11
Syrup Soak
Drain excess ghee thoroughly on a wire rack. Pour warm sugar syrup (1-string consistency) evenly over the porous disc.
- 12
Garnish and Serve
Spread a thick layer of Rabdi over the top. Garnish with silver leaf (vark) and chopped nuts. Serve immediately.
Cooking Tips
- The physics of Ghevar rely on temperature shock. The batter MUST be freezing cold, and the ghee MUST be smoking hot. This extreme difference creates the honeycomb bubbles.
- Do not pour too much batter at once; it will clump into a solid dough ball.
Variations
- Plain Ghevar: Served only with sugar syrup and nuts, omitting the rich rabdi.
Chef's Notes & Storage
- A culinary marvel closely associated with the Teej and Raksha Bandhan festivals.
Nutrition Estimate
450 calories · 4g protein · 48g carbs · 28g fat · 1g fiber per serving
