Roasted coarse wheat flour bound with generous ghee and jaggery into dense, fragrant sweet balls — the traditional Haryanvi celebration sweet and energy food.
Ingredients
2 cups coarse whole wheat flour (atta — use coarser atta or grind regular atta slightly coarser)
4 tbsp ghee for roasting the flour + 3 tbsp ghee for binding
3/4 cup jaggery — finely grated or powdered
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
2 tbsp cashews — roughly broken
2 tbsp raisins
2 tbsp desiccated coconut
Method
Heat 4 tbsp ghee in a heavy kadai on medium-low.
Add the wheat flour. Roast on low heat, stirring continuously, for 18 to 20 minutes. The flour will go through stages — first raw smelling, then it will start smelling toasted, then turn golden and develop a deep nutty roasted aroma. The correct stage is when the flour is deep golden and smells intensely nutty — not burnt.
Remove from heat. Cool 10 minutes until warm but handleable.
Add grated or powdered jaggery to the warm roasted flour.
Mix well — the heat helps melt the jaggery partially and it integrates into the flour.
Add cardamom powder, cashews, raisins and desiccated coconut. Mix.
Add 3 tbsp liquid ghee. Mix well until the mixture comes together and holds shape when pressed.
Take 2 heaped tbsp of the mixture. Press firmly in your palm and shape into a ball.
Press repeatedly — the ball holds together when the ghee binds the flour. Refrigerate 20 minutes to firm.