Ghevar
An authentic dessert recipe from Rajasthan, India
Cook Time
60 mins
Servings
4 servings
Difficulty
HardCategory
DessertIngredients
For 4 servings
200g All-purpose flour (maida)
60g Ghee (chilled)
400ml Ice-cold water
600ml Ghee (for deep frying)
300g Sugar (for syrup)
200ml Water (for syrup)
3g Cardamom powder
0.5g Saffron strands
100g Khoya (mawa)
20g Pistachios (sliced)
20g Almonds (sliced)
5ml Rose water
2piece Silver leaf (varak)
13 ingredients needed
💡 Pro Tip: Gather all ingredients before you start cooking for a smooth preparation process.
Cooking Instructions
Follow these step-by-step instructions to prepare this authentic dish
**Make the batter:** Rub chilled ghee into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Gradually add ice-cold water, whisking vigorously to make a very thin, smooth, lump-free batter. The batter should be thinner than dosa batter. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
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**Prepare the mould:** Use a deep, straight-sided cylindrical tin (ghevar mould) about 15 cm in diameter. Heat ghee in the mould to 180°C.
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**Pour the batter:** Pour a thin stream of batter from a height into the centre of the hot ghee. The batter will sizzle and form a lacy, honeycomb pattern. Pour slowly and steadily.
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**Build the layers:** As the first layer sets, pour more batter in the centre to build up layers. The ghevar should be about 3–4 cm thick with a characteristic porous, honeycomb structure.
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**Fry until golden:** Fry for 8–10 minutes until the ghevar is golden and crisp. Carefully remove using a skewer or rod inserted through the centre hole.
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**Drain:** Place the ghevar upright on a wire rack to drain excess ghee.
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**Make the sugar syrup:** Combine sugar and water in a pan. Bring to a boil and cook until it reaches one-string consistency. Add cardamom powder and rose water. Keep warm.
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**Soak in syrup:** Dip the ghevar in the warm sugar syrup for 30 seconds, ensuring it is well coated. Remove and place on a rack to drain.
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**Prepare the topping:** Crumble khoya and mix with a pinch of cardamom. Soak saffron in 1 tsp warm milk.
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**Garnish:** Spread crumbled khoya over the top of the ghevar. Drizzle saffron milk, arrange sliced pistachios and almonds, and apply silver leaf (varak) for the traditional festive finish.
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Chef's Tips
The batter must be ice-cold and very thin — this is what creates the characteristic lacy, porous texture; warm batter produces a dense, doughy ghevar.
Pour the batter from a height in a thin, steady stream into the centre of the hot ghee; this creates the honeycomb structure as the batter spreads outward.
Ghevar is traditionally made during Teej and Raksha Bandhan festivals in Rajasthan; it requires practice to master the pouring technique.
The ghee must be at the right temperature throughout — too hot and the ghevar browns too quickly without cooking through; too cool and it absorbs excess ghee and becomes greasy.
About This Dish
Ghevar is a traditional dessert dish from Rajasthan, India. This authentic recipe provides exact measurements for cooking 4 servings.
- The batter must be ice-cold and very thin — this is what creates the characteristic lacy, porous texture; warm batter produces a dense, doughy ghevar. - Pour the batter from a height in a thin, steady stream into the centre of the hot ghee; this creates the honeycomb structure as the batter spreads outward. - Ghevar is traditionally made during Teej and Raksha Bandhan festivals in Rajasthan; it requires practice to master the pouring technique. - The ghee must be at the right temperature throughout — too hot and the ghevar browns too quickly without cooking through; too cool and it absorbs excess ghee and becomes greasy.
Category
Dessert
Cook Time
60 mins
Servings
4 servings
Difficulty
Hard