Halloween is a time to try out new pumpkin recipes especially the sweet ones. Here is one that is a delicious and a big hit with the kids.
Most pumpkin desserts use sugar. This recipe uses jaggery as an alternative.
Advantages of Using Jaggery
- Jaggery is unrefined sugar. It is prepared by slowly simmering raw sugar cane juice until it becomes thick and then letting it set in moulds. The liquid thus retains all the nutrients present in sugar-cane.
- Jaggery is more wholesome than sugar and is full of minerals such as magnesium and potassium.
- It is also a rich in iron and is recommended in Ayurvedic medicine for young mothers, just after delivery to increase haemoglobin in the blood.
- Jaggery is often called medicinal sugar. It is used to cure dry coughs, indigestion and constipation. Infact, a piece of gur after a heavy dinner can prevent an upset stomache.
- Another great advantage of using jaggery is that it is processed naturally and has no added chemicals. Sugarcane juice is clarified using vegetable clarificants such as okra or hibiscus, before it is allowed to set.
Sweet Fried Balls called Gulgules
This is a traditional Indian snack usually prepared on a rainy day. Gulgules are small round balls, soft, sweet and deep fried. There are numerous versions; this one is just right for Halloween trick-or-treat as it contains pumpkin and lots of healthy nutrients for kids.
Ingredients to Make 40-45 Gulgules
- 500 gms Whole Wheat flour
- 300 gms Pumpkin puree
- 300 gms Jaggery (gur)
- 50 gms Finely cut dry coconut pieces
- 50 gms Chopped cashews
- 3 tbsps Clarified Butter (ghee)
- A pinch of Salt
- 1/2 tsp Baking powder
- Refined oil for frying
Method to Make Sweet Pumpkin Balls
- Take grated jaggery in a bowl.
- Cover it with warm water and allow it to dissolve to make thick treacle. Mix smoothly to avoid lumps.
- In another bowl, add flour, pumpkin, ghee, salt and baking powder.
- Mix well and add the jaggery water to make a thick batter.
- Add coconut and cashews to this batter.
- Heat the oil in a wok.
- With a wet spoon, scoop batter from the bowl and drop it into the oil to make small balls.
- Fry until golden brown. Do not add more than 4-5 balls to the oil and keep the oil hot so that the gulgules are cooked through to the center. If they are fried quickly in very hot oil, they tend to soak in less oil.
Gulgules are a healthy substitute to the usual candy and chocolates that fill goody bags on Halloween. They are great with a cup of hot tea especially on a rainy day.
Rukhsana Badar - I am a patron of creativity. I have been scribbling and doodling since I was 6. My poems and short stories were regularly published in ...
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