jaggery
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Also known as
gur, gud, gol.
Description
Jaggery is a traditional unrefined non-centrifugal sugar consumed in Asia. This type of sugar is a concentrated product of cane juice without separation of the molasses and crystals, and can vary from golden brown to dark brown in color. It contains up to 50% sucrose, up to 20% invert sugars, moisture content of up to 20%, and the remainder made up of other insoluble matter such as ash, proteins and bagasse fibers. The sugar made from the sap of the date palm is both more prized and less available outside of the districts where it is made. The sago palm and coconut palm are also now tapped for producing jaggery in southern India and Sri Lanka.
Jaggery pulp- Add the jaggery cubes or crushed jaggery into a blender and grind it into fine powder. Add water as per desired dilution and a sweet flavourful pulp is ready.
Chopped jaggery
Place he block of jaggery on a chopping board and chop it finely or roughly as per recipe requirements.
Grated jaggery
Grate a block of jaggery using a grater into finely grated or thickly grated jaggery as per recipe requirements.
At present jaggery being produced in India has no set of any standards and at the time of manufacturing, chemicals like hydrosulfate, synthetic colours, additives may get added. It would be best to buy jiggery from reputed dealers. The jaggery should appear clean, attractive and possess a unique sweet smell.
Culinary Uses· In Maharashtra most vegetables curries and dals contain jaggery.
· Jaggery is specially used during Makar Sankranti for making sweetmeat called tilgul. In rural Maharashtra, water and a piece of jaggery is given when someone arrives home from working under a hot sun.
· Kakvi, a byproduct from production of jaggery, is also used in rural Maharashtra as a sweetener
· It is regularly consumed as a sweetener and is a part of many sweet delicacies such as gur ka chawal (rice with gur) which is a traditional Rajasthani dish.
· A pinch of jaggery is sometimes added to sambar, rasam and other gravies which are staples in India.
· Jaggery is also added to lentil soups to add sweetness to balance the spicy, salty and sour components, particularly in Gujarati cuisine
· Many sweet dishes are made by mixing jaggery with milk and coconut or with nuts like cashew.
How to storeStore in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.
Health benefits· It contains many minerals not found in ordinary sugar and is considered beneficial to health by the traditional medical system Ayurveda
· Jaggery is a rich source of iron and is considered by some to be a particularly wholesome sugar and, unlike refined sugar, it retains more mineral salts.
· Indian Ayurvedic medicine considers jaggery to be beneficial in treating throat and lung infections.
Glycemic indexHigh ( above 70)