Winter Special Gondpak

Step 1: Prepare Khoya

Pour 1 liter of full-cream milk into a pan and place it on the stove. Turn on the gas and begin stirring the milk to make khoya (milk solids). Continue stirring until the milk reduces and thickens into a solid mass. Add a pinch of saffron threads to the milk while it's reducing for flavor and color.

Step 2: Fry Gond

In a separate pan, heat 100 grams of ghee. Once the ghee is hot, add 1 cup of gond (edible gum) in small batches. Fry the gond until it puffs up and turns light golden brown, about 1-2 minutes per batch. Remove the fried gond and place it on a plate.

Step 3: Crush Gond

Once the fried gond has cooled slightly, use a spatula or the back of a spoon to lightly crush it. You want a coarse texture, not a fine powder.

Step 4: Melt Jaggery

In the same pan used for khoya (or a clean pan), add 1 cup of grated jaggery. Heat it on low flame, stirring continuously until the jaggery completely melts and forms a smooth, liquid consistency. Turn off the gas once melted to prevent it from hardening too quickly.

Step 5: Combine Ingredients

Immediately add the crushed gond and the remaining uncrushed gond (if any) to the melted jaggery. Then, add the prepared khoya to the mixture. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly with a spatula until everything is well combined and evenly coated with the jaggery.

Step 6: Set the Gondpak

Transfer the hot gondpak mixture into a greased plate or tray. Use the back of a spatula or a flat spoon to spread and press the mixture evenly into the plate, forming a compact layer.

Step 7: Garnish and Cool

Garnish the top of the gondpak with sliced almonds and pistachios. Gently press the dry fruits into the mixture. Allow the gondpak to cool down completely and set for at least 2 hours at room temperature.

Step 8: Serve Gondpak

Once the gondpak has set, cut it into desired shapes (squares or diamonds). Serve the delicious and nutritious Gondpak.

• You can use store-bought khoya (mawa) to save time.

• Adjust the amount of jaggery or use sugar according to your sweetness preference.

• Ensure gond is fried until it puffs up and becomes crispy for the best texture.

• Substitute jaggery with an equal amount of sugar for a different flavor profile.

• Add other dry fruits like cashews, walnuts, or desiccated coconut.

• Incorporate cardamom powder for an aromatic touch.