Gune (pronounced – Gu, as in Guru, plus Nay: gu + nay) is a traditional sweet snack which is prepared during the festival of Gangaur in a few states of North India and is the primary sweet which is offered to Goddess Parvati during Gangaur pooja (prayer). These can be prepared with white flour and white sugar, but I have always liked wheat flour and jaggery based Gune since my childhood. And as the whole family used to like this snack so much, my mother always prepared a lot for our munching.
Basically, Gune is similar to Shakkarpara (first version) Shakkarpara (second version.) We just change the shape and the same snack is called Gune.
Oh, I missed blogging so much and I feel so good to be back here. While typing this post I can feel as if I am already talking to all my dear blogger friends! Little bit here and there, ups and downs, but overall things are normal at my front. The main reason for not being active here was that I got busy with my home baking entrepreneurship. It is on a small scale but the most satisfying part is that customers are happy with my cookies, cupcakes and cakes. Many of them are coming back, again and again! What else one can ask for!
This year summer is really hot in Bangalore. Many a times I wanted to try a few variety of chips and papad for the blog. But honestly speaking, there was no strength left after finishing orders, experimenting on new healthy recipes, cooking three meals and other household chores. Now virus is back with a bang, and we have cases in our apartment so we have to restrict outsiders for a few days. Again there is fear in the air so no orders for some time. I got some time to relax (somehow you have to keep positive frame of mind) and decided to revive my blog.
Try these jaggery based Gune at home and don’t worry about the shape if you feel that it is a time consuming work. You can prepare them as thin stripes or cut them like round thinners with a cookie cutter. I am sure you will love munching this crispy wheat flour and jaggery based snack…
Ingredients:
Wheat flour 2 cups
Jaggery 160 grams
Warm water 1/4 +1 tbsp
Oil 1/4 cup
Cardamom powder 1/2 tsp
extra oil for frying
Process
There are two ways to use jaggery in this recipe. You can soak jaggery in warm water, let jaggery get dissolved completely and use this sweet water to knead the dough…
Or, grate jaggery in a big pan and follow the rest of the procedure…
Add oil, cardamom powder and start kneading the dough by slowly adding warm water. Remember, we have to knead tight dough like we prepare for poori – not soft chapati dough. With soft dough, gune will not be crisp.
Because of jaggery, dough would be sticky. So sprinkle some dry wheat flour on your palm and this will be helpful in scrubbing the sticky tits-bits of dough. Now sprinkle some half a tsp oil in the pan and collect everything along with the dough and it will be smooth.
Divide this dough in two parts.
Again, there are two ways to roll this dough…
You can use a parchment or butter paper to roll the dough evenly from all the sides and then cut the stripes horizontally and vertically. Take one strip around your finger and seal it by pressing at the end of the edges.
The other way to do is that you sprinkle dry wheat flour on dry kitchen counter and roll the dough. If dough is sticking while rolling, again use dry flour. (Don’t roll the dough too thick. Because of jaggery, Gune get fried very quickly.Thick Gune will turn soft after frying. Thin ones will remain crisp for many days or till you finish them!) Cut the rolled disk horizontally with the help of a knife. Take one long strip and from one edge roll it around your finger, break it and seal the edges by pressing both the ends together. Use the same strip in the same manner until it gets over.
Heat oil in a wok and when oil is hot, reduce the heat to sim and fry Gune on sim heat. Be very gentle while frying. Jaggery makes them very delicate – so be careful while turning so that they don’t break. After frying all let them cool down completely. Later, fill them in an air tight container and enjoy jaggery and wheat flour based Gune.
After cooling down completely, Gune become crisp.
