Gundar Pak or gond pak – Edible Gum Fudge is a traditional Gujarati delicacy which is often prepared during the winter season. These exotic and unique taste bars consists of Bawal/Baval Gundar or gond ( edible gum ) ghee, jaggery and lots of special herbs and spices.
Here is how to make gond pak recipe with jaggery.
WINTER WARMER FOODS IN GUJARAT
In Gujrati kitchens Katlu , Methi Ladoo , Vasanu or Gundar Pak these are the few of the winter warmer delicacies which are prepared exclusively when the mercury drops.
These sort of recipes were devised by our ancestors to serve as a delicious tonic to keep the body in good condition during harsh winters. All these hearty and homemade winter foods are wholesome, comforting and make you feel so good in the frigid winter months.
The sweet and mildly spicy winter warmer dishes that are herbal recipes fortifies the immune system and energises it. Traditionally these winter warmers such as Pinni are eaten at breakfast with a glass of milk.
WHAT IS GUNDAR PAK?
Gundar pak also known as gund pak or gond pak in other region of India.
Gundar Pak is one of the most popular winter delicacy made in Gujarati kitchens. It is tasty and rich, the wholesome energy bar is prepared with edible gum, ghee, jaggery or sugar and special herbs and spices.
It has this unique but sharp intensity of flavours, but one can get used to so quickly. The Gundar pak not only popular in Gujarat but across north Indian states like Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, where winter are so harsh.
Every region has their own recipes and method of making Gundar Pak, but let me tell you the end product is so mouthwatering and nutritious. Some Gundar Pak recipes include milk, sugar, mawa ( milk solids ) in some wheat flour and jaggery.
My recipe is without sugar, milk, mawa and wheat flour.
WHAT IS GUNDAR AND IT’S BENEFITS
Gundar, Gond or Gondh is an edible gum that is sourced from plant gums derived from the Middle Eastern legume or acacia plants. This gum producing plants are found in the Middle East, Rajasthan, Punjab and parts of Gujarat.
It is tasteless and odourless.
According to our ancestors and ayurvedic health experts, Gundar has many nutritional and ayurvedic health benefits. It is great for boosting immunity, stamina and health. Gundar is also ideal for nursing mothers.
WHAT GOES IN MAKING GUNDAR PAK/PAAK
The main ingredients of this toothsome Gundar Pak are
Gundar / edible gum which is available in any Indian grocery store. It is available in 100g, 200g packets and in crystal form.
Ghee is a second must item in this recipe, use homemade desi ghee. Vegans can use coconut oil or dairy free butter.
Jaggery , if you are preparing this dish in the winter season, use fresh Jaggery that is available at this time. The colour of your Gundar Pak depends on which jaggery you have used.
Spices and Herbs, In Gundar Pak, dried spices and herbs are must. You can either buy whole spices and make powder at home or get readymade. If you don’t want to buy a different powder then just get KATLU or BATRISU MIX powder, it will do the same job.
Nuts
Again rich and protein packed nuts are necessary for the Gundar pak, it won’t matter which one you use but mostly in Indian households cashew, almond, walnuts and pistachios are used.
HOW TO MAKE GUNDAR PAK?
There are a couple of methods for this recipe. In most of the Gujarati households, Gundar is soaked in melted ghee of at least 12 hours before using it in this recipe, wherein other regions Gundar is directly fried in ghee. Both methods work perfectly, but in my recipe, I have combined both methods, let’s see in the pictures.
Making Gundar Pak is not a tedious job but slightly time-consuming, also keep a couple of tips in mind when you prepare a jaggery syrup then you are all set for a delicious and irresistible Gundar pak!
First, grind the Gundar till you get a fine powder. Sift through the wheat flour sieve. ( Still, there will be some bigger pieces left of the edible gum, don’t throw but keep it aside. ) Melt ghee in a pan and add all the gundar powder, mix well and cover it with the lid and keep it aside for minimum 12 hours at room temperature. Next day lightly roast the nuts and grind into the coarse powder. Lightly roast the desiccated coconut. Cut the jaggery into the small pieces or grate it. Grease one tray and keep it aside.
Heat ghee in a kadai and fry the leftover gundar crystals. Keep it aside and mash it with your hands or a small stainless steel bowl. In the same pan, add a couple of tablespoons of ghee, and add grated jaggery.
Keep the heat on low and let the jaggery melt completely, once you see the bubbles appear, add roasted nut powder, coconut, all the herbs and spices, white poppy seeds, raisins, nutmeg and green cardamom powder. Quickly mix everything, then add soaked and fried gundar and combine all together. At this stage, the mixture will get thick so quickly, and there is a chance that the mixture will stick to the bottom of the pan or kadai so work quickly. Transfer the Gundar pak mixture into the greased tray, and level and press it with the back of the spatula. Sprinkle pistachio slivers ( if using ) and press it again. Leave it to cool for 40-50 minutes then cut into the desired shape. If you don’t want to set the mixture for bars, you may make ladoo, ( these are called Gunadar Ladoo or Gond ke Ladoo ) Let the Gundar Pak completely cool then store in an airtight container. Have one big piece at breakfast time with a glass of milk or tea.
Gundar Pak
Equipment
- 1 Heavy base kadai
- 1 Grinder
- 1 Plate or tray
Ingredients
- 200 gram Edible Gum Bawal/baval Gundar
- 250 gram Ghee Clarified Butter
- 500 gram Jaggery Gud/Gor
- 100 gram Desiccated coconut Sukha Nariyal
- 250 gram Nuts Almond, cashew, pistachio and walnuts
- 2 tablespoon Green Raisins Kishmish
- 3 tablespoon White Poppy Seeds Khus Khus
- 5 tablespoon Katlu powder A mix of 32 exotic herbs and spices
- 1 teaspoon Cardamom powder Elaychi Powder
- ½ teaspoon Nutmeg paowder Jaiphal Powder
Garnish
- 2 tablespoon Pistachio slivers optional
- 2 tablespoon Rose Petals
Instructions
- In a grinder, grind gundar till you see fine powder.
- If you need sieve through the wheat flour sieve, leave it aside.
- Melt 200g ghee in a pan, add sieved gundar powder, mix well and leave it aside for 12 hours at room temperature .
- Next day or after 12 hours , lightly roast the nuts and coconut, grind it till you get a coarse mixture. Keep it aside.
- Heat about 30g ghee in a kadai, fry the leftover gundar pieces.
- Transfer in another plate and smash it with your hands or a bowl.
- In the same kadai, add more ghee and jaggery.
- Let the jaggery melt completely, once bubbles start to appear in the syrup add raisins, ground nuts and coconut powder, katlu powder, cardamom, nutmeg powder and poppy seeds.
- Mix everything quickly, then add soaked and fried gundar into the jaggery mix.
- Combine everything quickly and pour the mixture into the greased tray or thali.
- Sprinkle pistachio slivers if using.
- Let it cool for a while, cut into the desired shape.
- Once completely cooled, store in an airtight container.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Gundar Pak
Equipment
- 1 Heavy base kadai
- 1 Grinder
- 1 Plate or tray
Ingredients
- 200 gram Edible Gum Bawal/baval Gundar
- 250 gram Ghee Clarified Butter
- 500 gram Jaggery Gud/Gor
- 100 gram Desiccated coconut Sukha Nariyal
- 250 gram Nuts Almond, cashew, pistachio and walnuts
- 2 tablespoon Green Raisins Kishmish
- 3 tablespoon White Poppy Seeds Khus Khus
- 5 tablespoon Katlu powder A mix of 32 exotic herbs and spices
- 1 teaspoon Cardamom powder Elaychi Powder
- ½ teaspoon Nutmeg paowder Jaiphal Powder
Garnish
- 2 tablespoon Pistachio slivers optional
- 2 tablespoon Rose Petals
Instructions
- In a grinder, grind gundar till you see fine powder.
- If you need sieve through the wheat flour sieve, leave it aside.
- Melt 200g ghee in a pan, add sieved gundar powder, mix well and leave it aside for 12 hours at room temperature .
- Next day or after 12 hours , lightly roast the nuts and coconut, grind it till you get a coarse mixture. Keep it aside.
- Heat about 30g ghee in a kadai, fry the leftover gundar pieces.
- Transfer in another plate and smash it with your hands or a bowl.
- In the same kadai, add more ghee and jaggery.
- Let the jaggery melt completely, once bubbles start to appear in the syrup add raisins, ground nuts and coconut powder, katlu powder, cardamom, nutmeg powder and poppy seeds.
- Mix everything quickly, then add soaked and fried gundar into the jaggery mix.
- Combine everything quickly and pour the mixture into the greased tray or thali.
- Sprinkle pistachio slivers if using.
- Let it cool for a while, cut into the desired shape.
- Once completely cooled, store in an airtight container.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Looking for a speedy mid-week supper recipe? You need this Instant Pot Vegetable Chow Mein / Instant Pot Lo Mein ! It’s easily ready under 20 mins (quicker than home delivery) and is packed with flavours and textures. Also, not to forget it is vegan too.
Make perfect Chow Mein noodles in your Instant Pot every time.
Vegetable Instant Pot Chow Mein
This is the perfect Vegan Vegetable Chow Mein recipe ! It is light yet flavourful.
Lo mein noodles cooked in the Instant Pot is an easy recipe for lunch or dinner. It can also work as good meal prep meal.
Now, this method does take away the Lo Mein from being “authentic” but the flavours are very much still there and the dish overall takes less time!
I would traditionally make noodles in a wok, but it requires a few different pots to prep all of the ingredients. Making Chow Mein in the Instant Pot is essentially a one-pot meal.
Easy Instant Pot Recipes:
Instant Pot Mexican Rice with Coconut, Coriander, and Lime
DIY Meditarranean Orzo Pasta Salad
Vegan Thai Peanut Noodles
Persian Cranberry and Saffron Rice Pilaf
Coconut, Pineapple Thai Fried Rice
What is Vegetable Chow Mein
Original Chow Mein is a Chinese style dish of fried noodles with shredded meat or seafood and vegetables, but here we are talking about this absolute tasty and simple Vegetable Chow Mein , it is a classic Chinese dish that you can easily whip up in your own kitchen.
There are many fusion Indo-Chinese noodles recipes such as Hakka noodles or Schezwan stir-fried noodles. However, the ingredients in this recipe make a more authentic Chinese noodle dish.
This homemade version is far healthier than any takeaway, the best part is that this delicious meal can be on the table in less than 20 minutes to make in total (including chopping all the veggies). This delightful and light dish is packed with flavours and textures.
A mix of vegetables such as spring onion, carrots, mangetouts and red pepper and egg-free noodles are stir-fried in the nutty groundnut and toasted sesame oil.
These crunchy vegetables add a crunch to the dish. The combination of soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and white pepper bring that wonderful oriental feel. This dish is perfect to sneak in some extra vegetables.
You can also toss in your favorite protein such as tofu or tempeh. Edamame beans would also work well.
Why you should make this Instant Pot Vegan Chow Mein
One of the most popular Chinese noodles dishes
It is a quick and easy meal with simple ingredients, perfect for meal prep
One-pot recipe
Use whatever vegetables and noodles you like to use – you just need a quick trip to your local grocery store
Suitable for vegans or vegetarians – this is a meat-free version of chicken chow mein
Chow Mein or Lo Mein
Chow Mein and Lo Mein are similar but have their differences.
Both use wheat flour noodles but the main difference is that Chow Mein is prepared using “fried noodles”. The noodles are made crispier in the pan whereas Lo Mein noodles are boiled.
What to serve with Chow Mein
Burnt Garlic and Tofu Fried Rice
Vegetable Spring Rolls
Soya and Vegetable Manchurian
Baked Tofu Manchurian
Ingredients
Full ingredients and measurements can be found in the recipe card below
When it comes to oriental cooking like vegetable chow mein, the most important thing is the ingredients and then the cooking process.
Vegetables – This dish based on vegetables, both the vegetables used and textured are key to make delicious noodles. Try to include as many various colour vegetables as possible like carrots, mangetout (snow peas) or sugar snap peas, bean sprouts, red bell pepper, and spring onions.
Noodles – Egg-free fresh or dried instant noodles would do a perfect job. You can use thin noodles or thin spaghetti noodles also. For a gluten-free lo mein recipe, you can use gluten-free noodles.
Oil – The right oil can make a big difference. For authentic oriental flavours that give that chinese food flavour, use groundnut aka peanut oil, and toasted sesame oil.
Because stir-frying involves high cooking temperatures, it is important to choose an oil that has a high smoking point, and peanut oil is perfect for stir fry recipes. Also, it has a pleasant nutty flavour and has a high smoking point up to 450 F / 230 C. Toasted sesame oil lends that nutty and authentic flavours.
Chow mein sauce – For the perfect authentic Chinese taste you don’t need so many sauces, only light soy sauce and dark soy sauce combined with rice wine vinegar. For the perfect savory sauce, I like to add a little white pepper powder, but you can also use black pepper. I also add a pinch of sugar whether its white or brown sugar.
Garnish – I have used toasted sesame seeds
Optional:
Some versions use fresh ginger or ginger paste but I have used fresh minced garlic only as I prefer the flavour that way.
How to make Vegetable Chow Mein on the stove
First, cook the noodles according to packet instructions.
Drain the water and add a tablespoon of sesame or groundnut oil, mix it and leave it aside.
In a wok heat groundnut oil at a high temperature.
Add chopped garlic, after a quick stir add carrots (always add harder vegetables first) then mangetout, red pepper and spring onion.
Stir fry the vegetables on high heat for 3 minutes.
Then add noodles, salt, sugar, white pepper powder, both soy sauce, rice vinegar and mix well.
Add toasted sesame oil.
Serve hot in a serving bowl and sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds if using.
How to make Instant Pot Chow Mein recipe
You may have to adjust the cooking time depending on the water content of your vegetables.
Select SAUTE function on the Instant pot panel for 5 minutes and add groundnut oil (pic 1).
Add chopped garlic and saute for few seconds (pic 2).
Add carrots and saute for a minute or so (pic 3).
Now add red pepper and cook for half a minute (pic 4).
Tip in mangetout and saute for 2-3 minutes (pic 5-6).
Add chopped green onions and cook 30 seconds more (pic 7).
Remove the stir-fried vegetables. We only want them cooked al dente so they should retain a little crunch (pic 8).
Add a tsp. oil (pic 9).
Add noodles (pic 10).
Pour enough cold water to cover the noodles (pic 11).
Close the pot with the lid, select HIGH PRESSURE COOKER MODE, for 1 minute. Meanwhile, begin to gather the delicious sauce ingredients (pic 12).
Quick release the steam and open the lid (pic 13).
Press the sauté mode for 2 minutes and give the noodles a stir down to the bottom of the pot (pic 14).
Add sautéed vegetables to the cooked noodles (pic 15).
Add sugar-salt (pic 16-17)
Pour light and dark soy sauce (pic 18-19)
Add rice vinegar (pic 20).
Now add white pepper powder (pic 21).
Add toasted sesame oil (pic 22)
Mix well and sprinkle toasted sesame seeds (pic 23)
Other Noodles Recipes
Vegetable Pad Thai Noodles
Chilli Garlic Noodles
Noodles and Peanut Salad
Vegan Thai Peanut Noodles
Storage
The best way to store leftover vegetable lo mein in the fridge in an airtight container.
For best results, I would serve the dish immediately once cooked as the texture of the noodles and the fresh vegetables does change slightly once reheated.
INSTANT POT VEGETABLE CHOW MEIN
Equipment
- 1 Chopping board
- 1 Sharp knife
- 1 Instant pot
- 1 spatula/tong
Ingredients
- 150 grams noodles egg free dried OR Spaghetti
- 50 grams julienne carrots
- 50 grams mangetouts -snow peas
- 50 grams red bell pepper julienne
- ½ bunch spring onion
- 2 tablespoon groundnut oil peanut oil
- 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil toasted
- salt
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- ½ teaspoon white pepper powder
- ½ teaspoon Sugar
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds toasted
Instructions
- Keep all the ingredients ready near Instant Pot.
- Set up an Instant Pot according to manufacturer instructions.
- Press the saute button for 5 minutes on HIGH.
- Add ground nut oil and let it heat. 2 tablespoon groundnut oil
- Add chopped garlic, fry a few seconds. 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
- Then first add carrots, stir fry for a minute or so. 50 grams julienne carrots
- Then add mangetouts, bell pepper and spring onion. 50 grams mangetouts, 50 grams red bell pepper, 1/2 bunch spring onion
- Cook for a couple of minutes and remove it in a plate.
- Now add dried noodles in the pot and enough water to just cover the noodles ( I added 1/2 cup water) 150 grams noodles
- Close the lid and set the pressure cooker for 1 minute.
- Let the build pressure.
- Once done release the steam, open the lid.
- Stir the noodles, then again press saute button for 2 minutes.
- Add stir-fried noodles, salt, sugar, pepper powder, both soy sauce and rice vinegar. salt, 1 tablespoon light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce, 1 teaspoon rice vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon white pepper powder, 1/2 teaspoon Sugar
- Mix everything.
- Add toasted sesame oil and mix again. 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- Serve HOT in a plate or bowl and sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds. 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
