Surati Ghari

Surati Ghari

Surati Ghari

Veg

Surat's most beloved festival sweet — a rich, circular pastry made of ghee-saturated refined flour fried to a pale golden crust, filled with a dense stuffing of khoya (reduced milk solids), almonds, cashews, pistachios, and cardamom, the whole sealed and fried again until fully cooked. Eaten exclusively during the Chandi Padvo festival (the fourth day after Diwali) when Surati families assemble on rooftops and in gardens to eat ghari, fly kites, and watch the full moon. The sweet is so specifically associated with Surat that it is considered the city's culinary identity marker; boxes of ghari are sent by Suratis to relatives in other cities as the most important Diwali gift. The finest gharis come from specialist halwais in Surat's old city who have made nothing else for generations.

Cuisines

Gujarati Surati

Best for

Snacks Dessert

Recipe

Prep: 30 min Cook: 40 min Total: 70 min 2-3 servings

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup ghee
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup khoya (mawa)
1/4 cup semolina
1/4 cup ground almonds
1/4 cup ground pistachios
1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
1/8 teaspoon saffron strands
1 tablespoon milk
— ghee for deep frying

Instructions

  1. 1 In a bowl, mix the all-purpose flour with ghee to form a crumbly dough.
  2. 2 Gradually add water to the flour mixture and knead into a soft dough. Cover and set aside for 15 minutes.
  3. 3 In a pan, heat ghee and add semolina. Roast until golden brown.
  4. 4 Add khoya to the roasted semolina and cook until it melts and combines well.
  5. 5 Stir in sugar, ground almonds, ground pistachios, and cardamom powder. Mix well and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
  6. 6 Dissolve saffron strands in warm milk and add to the mixture. Stir well and let it cool.
  7. 7 Divide the dough into small balls and roll each into a small disc.
  8. 8 Place a spoonful of the filling in the center of each disc, fold the edges over the filling, and shape into a round ball.
  9. 9 Heat ghee in a pan for deep frying. Fry the ghari on medium heat until golden brown.
  10. 10 Remove from the ghee and let it cool slightly before serving.

Tips

Ensure the filling is completely cool before stuffing to prevent the dough from becoming soggy.