With the deteriorating quality of air, especially in the Capital, everyone is looking for ways to protect themselves from the hazardous effects of air pollution. One of the natural ways, as validated by many health experts, is jaggery (gur or gud).

Jaggery is a concentrated product of cane juice or palm, and can vary from golden brown to dark brown in colour.

Many experts say that palm jaggery is healthier than cane jaggery because it contains ascorbic acid and certain vitamins among other micro and macro nutrients, unlike cane jaggery.

A rich source of glucose, i.e, instant energy, consuming jaggery is good also because it is rich in iron, which, after its consumption, increases the levels of haemoglobin in the body. So, we asked chefs to share some out-of-the-box yet easy to make dishes, where the main ingredient is jaggery.

Nutritional value of Gud per 100 gm

*Jaggery Cheesecake

Ingredients

350 gm plain digestive biscuits, 120 gm ghee or unsalted butter, melted and cooled, 600 gm cream cheese, 350 gm jaggery, 1 cup (250g) sour cream, 200ml thickened cream, 4 eggs (lightly beaten), 1/3 cup (50g) cornflour, 2 tsp lemon juice, 50 gm blueberry compote

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease a round 20cm springform cake pan and line the base and side with baking paper.

Place biscuits in a food processor and whiz to crumbs. Add ghee and whiz to combine. Press into the base of prepared pan and chill until needed.

Place cream cheese and 250 gm jaggery in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until smooth. Beat in sour cream and cream. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in cornflour and lemon juice, and pour over base. Wrap the outside of the pan in 3 layers of foil and place in a large roasting pan. Add enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the cake.

Reduce oven to 150C and bake cake for 1 hour and 40 minutes or until just set with a gentle wobble in the centre. Turn off oven and cool for one hour in the oven. Remove from oven, cool to room temperature, then chill for 3 hours or until cold. Remove from pan and place on a serving plate.

When ready to serve, melt remaining 100 gm jaggery in a small saucepan over medium heat with 2 tbs water, stirring to dissolve the jaggery. Cool completely, then pour over the cake, garnish with blueberry compote and fresh mint leaves.

* Gud Wali Atta Sevaiyan

Ingredients

200 gm of whole wheat sevaiyan (small), 1 cups of jaggery, 1.5 litres water, 125 gm ghee, 5-6 sliced almonds, 5-6 sliced pistachios, tsp nutmeg powder, a large pinch of saffron, and 1 tsp ground cardamom

Method

Add all the ghee to the vermicelli and cook on medium heat until the vermicelli starts to get golden brown.

Add the jaggery to water and allow it to melt while boiling the water.

Carefully pour the hot jaggery water to the cooked vermicelli. The vermicelli will start to bubble and cook so be careful that you dont get splattered. Add the ground nutmeg, cardamom and saffron to the mixture.

Keep stirring until the mixture becomes fairly solid and doesnt stick to the saucepan.

Garnish with almonds, pistachios.

Recipe by Chef Harangad Singh

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* Gud ice cream and gud crme brulee

Ingredients

200 gm jaggery, 20 ml condensed milk, a bit of cinnamon powder, 6 egg yolks, 100 ml heavy cream, 30 gm castor sugar and a few drops of vanilla essence

Method

For gur ice-cream

Make a syrup of jaggery by dissolving 150 gm jaggery with water and cooking it. Once it assumes a syrupy consistency, add condensed milk and cinnamon powder. Blend well and freeze.

For crme brulee

Mix egg yolks with remaining jaggery, sugar and cream.

Add vanilla essence and fill the mixture in a lined container, and steam it in a steamer.

Torch the crme brulee with some bit of jaggery powder on top and top it with ice cream and serve.

Recipe by Chef Nishant Chaubey

* Palm jaggery whole wheat cake

Ingredients

200 gm palm jaggery, 120 ml water, 120 gm wheat flour, 1 tsp baking powder, tsp baking soda, pinch of salt, 1 tsp cinnamon powder, a pinch of nutmeg powder, 2 eggs and cup oil/melted butter

Method

Preheat oven to 180C. Line a baking pan with parchment paper, grease with oil and set aside.

Take palm jaggery in a sauce pan, add water and heat till jaggery melts. Set aside to cool.

Take wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl and whisk well.

Take eggs, oil, melted palm jaggery and mix well.

Add this to the wet ingredients and mix well.

Spoon this into the pan and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove it and cool for 10 minutes.

Slice and serve.

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Gur naal pollution hata: Heres how to cook with jaggery for a healthy lifestyle - Hindustan Times