Gharge
Gharge are small Indian pumpkin pancakes made from a spiced dough of pumpkin, jaggery, flour and semolina. They fry up golden and tender, with a warm cardamom sweetness.
Cardamom masala
1.4 gGround and mixed into the dry ingredients (step 3)Everything else
Method
- Grind 1.4 g green cardamom pod seeds to a fine powder; set aside.
- Heat 150 g canned pumpkin purée, 120 g jaggery or dark brown sugar and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring continuously, for 25 minutes until thickened and slightly dry.
- Leave the pumpkin mixture to cool.
- Mix 100 g chapatti flour, 7 g coarse semolina and the cardamom masala in a bowl.
- Add the cooled pumpkin mixture and 13.5–27 g oil; knead with greased hands to a smooth dough. No water is needed.
- Cover the dough and rest it for 10 minutes.
- Heat oil for deep-frying to 170°C (338°F), or until a cube of bread browns in about 30 seconds.
- Divide the dough into 8–10 pieces. Roll each piece on a flour-dusted surface into a 7 cm disc.
- Deep-fry the discs in batches until golden brown, then drain on kitchen paper.
- Serve topped with ice cream and chopped pistachios.
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Green cardamom seedUse 35 to 40% of the total pod weight; lightly bruise the seeds before frying in oil to release their essential oils.
Ground green cardamomUse 20 to 25% of the pod weight (about 1 generous pinch per pod); stir in toward the end of cooking so the delicate floral notes do not dissipate.
White cardamom podUse 1:1 by pod count or weight; crack gently before using, though it is slightly less intensely floral.
Pumpkin or butternut squashUse the same weight of cooked, mashed purée; roast first for thicker purée. Butternut is smoother and sweeter.
Squash or pumpkinUse the same weight cooked and puréed; drain if watery, as canned purée is dense.
Sweet potatoUse the same weight cooked and mashed; sweeter and starchier, so reduce added sugar.
JaggeryUse the same weight, grated or chopped. It gives a deeper, more mineral sweetness.
Dark brown soft sugarUse the same weight. It is very close, with soft molasses notes; dissolve fully.
- Light brown soft sugar
Use the same weight. It is milder and less dark, so expect a lighter flavour.
Wholemeal flourUse the same weight; it is very close, but add water slowly as it can be coarser and absorb more.
Plain flourUse the same weight but reduce water by about 10%; the dough is softer and the flavour less nutty.
FlourUse the same weight as a plain-flour swap; reduce water slightly and expect a lighter, less wheaty result.
SemolinaUse the same weight; it is finer, so add liquid gradually and soak for less time.
Fine semolinaUse the same weight; it absorbs faster and gives a smoother, less grainy texture.
Cream of wheatUse the same weight; toast it first if the recipe calls for roasting, and watch the liquid.
Vegetable oilUse the same weight. It is neutral and behaves the same in frying and tempering; no noticeable change in flavour.
Corn or vegetable oilUse the same weight. Neutral and good for high heat; the dish will taste virtually the same.
Groundnut oilUse the same weight. It has a mild nutty flavour and is good for Indian cooking; heat until just hot, not smoking, so the nuttiness does not dominate.
Similar dishes
- Same: Phulkas and this dish both use chapatti flour and are cooked on a stovetop as Indian breads.
- Different: Phulkas are made with chapatti flour, ghee, salt and water and cooked on a hot griddle until puffed, while this dish adds pumpkin purée, jaggery, cardamom, semolina and oil and is fried as small pancakes.
- Same: Puris shares chapatti flour, salt, and a fried cooking style with this dish.
- Different: Puris has more chapatti flour and oil, lacks pumpkin purée, jaggery, semolina, and cardamom, and is deep-fried to puff rather than cooked as a spiced pancake.
- Same: Chapattis and this dish both use chapatti flour, oil and salt as core ingredients.
- Different: Chapattis lacks pumpkin, jaggery, semolina and cardamom, adds butter, and is cooked on a dry griddle instead of being fried as small pancakes.
- Same: Plain Buttery Parathas shares chapatti flour, oil, salt, and pan-frying with this dish.
- Different: Plain Buttery Parathas has butter and lacks pumpkin, jaggery, semolina, and cardamom; it is a layered flatbread, while this dish is a sweet pancake dough.