Jaggery is one of those ingredients that makes food feel warmer and homier. A small piece in ginger tea makes mornings better, and that same sweetness can add to porridge, idlis, or even a quick drink. It melts into chutneys when they taste too much, and brings back childhood when it holds together a simple packet of chikki. Here are top 20 ways to use jaggery every day.
1.Tea
Simmer chopped ginger in water and let it boil long enough for the spice to really infuse.Add jaggery and give it time to melt completely. Stir if needed so that it blends smoothly. Let the mixture boil for some more time to deepen the flavour. Then, strain into a cup and serve it hot. You can also add cardamom for extra flavour.
2.Porridge
In a pot, heat ghee and add half a cup of cooked rice. Pour in some water and let it all simmer. Next, add jaggery and it should melt slowly into the porridge. Keep stirring everything to blend evenly without forming any clumps. Add half a tumbler of milk, along with some dry fruits such as dates and walnuts. Cook until the rice turns mushy and the oil from the ghee separates.
3.Poha
Rinse the poha and keep it aside to soften. In a pan, melt jaggery using water so that it turns into a smooth syrup. Then, add some grated coconut, halved cashews, and cardamom pods. Mix this with the softened poha and keep stirring for it to absorb the syrup well. Drizzle a spoon of ghee on top of the poha before serving.
4.Rasam
In a pot, boil tomatoes in tamarind water until it turns mushy. Then, add some garlic, pepper, cumin, and a little bit of rasam powder. You can also add a small piece of jaggery and let it melt as the rasam simmers. Pour some more water if needed to achieve the desired consistency. Temper mustard seeds, coriander leaves, and dried red chillies over the rasam.
5.Chikki
Dry roast your preferred nuts and seeds and keep aside. Melt jaggery in a pan on low heat until it bubbles and reaches a sticky, syrupy consistency. Quickly mix in the roasted nuts so that they all get coated evenly. Spread this nut mixture onto a greased surface. Flatten with a rolling pin and cut it into pieces before it hardens. Refrigerate the chikki before serving.
6.Laddoo
Roast ragi flour and chopped nuts in a pan until they smell toasty. In another pan, melt jaggery using a little water so that it turns into a thick syrup. Pour this syrup into the roasted nut mixture. Give it a quick mix so everything comes together. Roll the dough into small ladoos before the mixture starts to firm up.
7.Kheer
In a pan, add a good amount of ghee and roast vermicelli until golden. Pour in milk and simmer so that the strands soften. Then, add some jaggery, raisins, cardamom pods, and halved cashews. Mix everything together well so that it becomes creamy and smooth. Cook until the kheer leaves the sides of the pan. Serve chilled.
8.Sattu Drink
Start by mixing the required quantity of sattu in a little water first to avoid lumps and then pour in more water. Keep stirring until it is completely dissolved. Next, add some powdered jaggery as per your liking. Mix it all together well. You can also add a few ice cubes to make it cool and refreshing.
9.Pancakes
Melt jaggery using hot water so that it turns into a syrup. In a bowl, add flour, milk, baking soda, and the jaggery syrup. Keep stirring it all until it forms a smooth batter. You can also incorporate pureed fruits into it. In a pan, add a little ghee and spread the pancake batter into small circles. Cook on low heat so that they don’t burn. Flip once the edges look golden and cook the other side.
10.Tomato Chutney
Saute mustard seeds, curry leaves, and garlic cloves. Next, add some chopped tomatoes and let it cook down until soft and pulpy. Mix in chilli powder, salt, turmeric, and some jaggery that is dissolved in water. Turn off the heat once this mixture thickens. You can either blend it for a smooth texture or leave it chunky.
11.Sauce
Melt jaggery with a good amount of water. You can also add a little bit of dry ginger if you would like a hit of spice to balance out the sweetness. Keep stirring this on low heat so that it thickens. Turn off the flame and let it cool slightly so that it settles into a pourable sauce. If you want, you can also run it through a strainer for a smooth texture.
12.Bread
Mix flour, salt, oil, baking soda, and melted jaggery to form the dough. Knead everything together till it forms a slightly sticky dough, adding more water or flour as required. Let it rest for a while. Bake the bread on medium heat until the crust turns firm and the inside is cooked through.
13.Chia Pudding
Dissolve jaggery into warm milk. Next, add chia seeds into it. Let this sit for a few more minutes before stirring again so that the seeds spread out evenly. Cover this and refrigerate overnight for the chia seeds to absorb the liquid and swell up. Mix the pudding again and add any desired toppings before serving.
14.Roti
Dissolve jaggery with a little water until it turns syrupy. Make a dough using this syrup, some whole wheat flour and a pinch of salt. Knead it into a pliable dough and add water only if needed. Portion into small balls and roll the dough out into a roti Cook it on a hot tawa until both sides turn light brown.
15.Puttu
Wet the rice flour using a little water so that it feels crumbly but holds its shape when pressed. Steam it in layers along with some grated coconut for it to turn soft. In another pan, simmer jaggery along with water and cardamom until it becomes a thick syrup. Once the puttu is steamed, pour the warm jaggery syrup and mix well. You can garnish with more grated coconut.
16.Idli
Start by melting jaggery with a little bit of water. Don’t dissolve until it gets entirely runny. Next, add it to the idli batter along with some grated coconut. Mix until it blends well together. Grease the idli molds with ghee and pour in the sweet batter. Steam the idlis on medium heat until they turn fluffy. Let it cool for a minute before removing from the molds and serve warm.
17.Adai
Soak a mix of lentils and a little rice so that it softens and grind it into a coarse batter with just enough water to keep it thick. Mix in some melted jaggery, grated coconut, and a little bit of cardamom. Heat a tawa and spread a ladle of the batter into a slightly thick adai. Drizzle a little ghee around the edges and cook on low so that it browns gradually. Flip and cook the other side until golden.
18.Halwa
Roast flour in a good amount of ghee until it browns. In another pan, melt jaggery using a bit of water into a syrup. Next, add milk, cashews, and the jaggery syrup into the flour. Keep on mixing so that it thickens without forming any lumps. Let the halwa cook slowly so that it turns glossy and leaves the sides of the pan.
19.Pongal
Cook the rice and moong dal together in a pan and mash them so that it turns mushy. Add jaggery into this hot mixture and let it all cook together on low heat for it to absorb the sweetness. In another pan, toast cashews, raisins, and cardamom pods in ghee. Pour this over the pongal and mix well before serving.
20.Barfi
In a pan, add some ghee and roast the grated coconut until golden. Boil jaggery and water into a thick syrup. Pour this syrup over the roasted coconut and keep stirring so that it all blends into a sticky mass. Spread this mixture onto a greased plate and press it down evenly while still warm. Let the barfi harden and cut it into pieces.
