Astonishing Gurr walay chawal

Gurr walay chawal also known as Meethe Chawal and are referred to as Jaggery Rice in English is very simple, easy and tasty recipe which can be served as a snack and also as dessert. This recipe can be cooked quickly and is enjoyed by people of all ages. Apart from an event or a normal day, a party with lot of guests it’s the best dish to be eaten while watching your favorite television show whether you are alone or with other people.

Gurr Walay Chawal is traditional Punjabi Pakistani dessert. The dish require ingredients like boiled rice, Jaggery, green cardamoms, Desi ghee, currants, coconut, almonds, fennel seeds, and water. Apart from the nuts, rice, Gurr, and ghee are the major ingredients. For adding a desi flavor to this dish nuts are essential for the purpose. Jaggery rice is also served as dessert in weddings in Punjab. Those who don’t know how to make it can try making Gurr Walay Chawal at home with the assistance of the posted recipe.

If we go for the name origins ‘Gurr’ is the Urdu translation of jaggery. It is an unrefined product made with sugar cane. Sugar cane is pressed and its juice is rested so that impurities would settle at the bottom. It is then strained, stirred and boiled until most moisture is evaporated and paste like dough is remaining. This paste can be shaped but traditionally and locally it looks like irregular roundish pieces.

Though Gurrr walay chawal can be cooked at any time of the year, it’s more like a winter treat as most of the sugar cane is harvested in the winter season and thus the Gurr is made in the same season. Depending on the process of Gurr making, it color could vary from light golden to dark brown. Gurr rice will be as good as the Gurr used to make them.

When there are guests at home and I can’t decide which dessert to serve because almost all of them take time to make, Gurr walay chawal really is the first thing that comes to my mind. Not only they are easy to make but with further enhancements of nuts and ras-malai this gurr walay chawal turns out to be a mouth-watering delight.

When people think or talk about rice recipes the first few dishes that comes to their mind are Biryani, Pulao or Chinese rice despite the presence of a lot more of rice desserts such as Zarda or Gurr walay chawal. Even Mutanjan is also a rice dessert I really love.

This recipe have five main ingredients but still as I have mention you can add ingredients as per your need and preference like almonds and other garnishing ingredients.

• Water is required in very less quantity only to melt Gurr so it won’t get burnt.
• Rice are par boiled and then simmered in melted Gurr. Use any good quality, long grain rice. Sella and basmati are both excellent options. I prefer basmati.
• Desi Ghee is preferred but ghee (clarified butter) or cooking oil or butter can also be used. Ghee keeps rice from clumping due to high sugar content and also keeps rice fresh.
• Green Cardamoms are gently sauted in melted desi ghee to enhance the aroma of the rice. Cloves and cinnamon sticks can also be used but personally I only like to add cardamom only.

Be careful while adding Gurrr because the unpleasant increase in the sweetness can ruin the recipe. Jaggery rice can be topped with sweet yoGurrt as well as ‘balai’ as both of them add a milky treat into the dish.

Gurr walay chawal step-by-step

Use good quality banasmati rice. Wash and soak in water for 1 hour.

Crush or chop the nuts.

Melt the gurr in water until it forms wire when squeezed and released between fingers.

Boil rice. When the rice are being cooked add a green cardamom and ghee in another pan. 

When green cardamom will release its fragrance then add the melted gurr in it then add the almost cooked rice (do not fully cook them).

Cook it until the melted gurr itself nearly disappear. Then add the nuts and other optional material in it.

Cover the lid afterwards.

Garnish your recipe with the nuts and enjoy your favorite Gurr walay chawal.