Ghewar
Rajasthan's iconic disc-shaped honeycomb sweet — fried to a lacy golden crisp and drenched in sugar syrup and rabri.
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Servings
4-6
Difficulty
Advanced
Ingredients
batter
syrup
topping
forFrying
Instructions
Make the Batter
10 minsRub cold ghee into flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add cold milk and water gradually, whisking constantly to make a very thin, lump-free batter — thinner than pancake batter.
Rest the Batter
20 minsRest batter for 15-20 minutes. It should be very fluid and pourable. Add saffron milk. The batter should flow easily.
Heat the Ghee
10 minsHeat ghee in a deep, cylindrical vessel to about 180°C. The vessel should be deep enough for the ghewar to expand — at least 8 cm deep.
Pour the Batter
5 minsPour a thin stream of batter in a circular motion from height into the center of hot ghee. It will sizzle and form a lacy, honeycomb pattern. Pour gradually in 3-4 rounds.
Fry Until Golden
8 minsFry on medium heat until ghewar is golden and crisp. It should be lacy with holes throughout. Remove with a cylindrical rod through the center. Drain.
Soak in Syrup
15 minsMake one-string sugar syrup with cardamom and rose water. Pour over ghewar while both are warm. Let it absorb. Top with rabri and garnish with nuts.
Chef's Tips
- Batter must be ice cold for lacy texture
- A cylindrical mold or deep degchi gives authentic shape
- Pour batter in a thin stream from height
- Multiple pours build up the honeycomb layers
- Best eaten fresh, topped with rabri
The Story Behind Ghewar
Ghewar is Rajasthan's most theatrical sweet — its making is a spectacle in itself. During Teej and Raksha Bandhan festivals, sweet shops across Jaipur and Jodhpur set up large vessels of simmering ghee and perform the art of ghewar-making for crowds of onlookers. The sweet is also exchanged as gifts between families.
The honeycomb structure — achieved through the cold batter hitting hot ghee — makes ghewar unique among Indian sweets. Modern variations include mawa ghewar stuffed with khoya, and malai ghewar topped with fresh cream.