BHOPLYAACHE GHAARGAE (SWEET FRIED PUMPKIN FLATBREAD)

Bhoplyaache Ghaargae is a traditional Indian sweet dish made from pumpkin. In today’s time, with the invent of fusion as well as junk food, many traditional dishes are being forgotten. Pumpkin is a highly nutritious vegetable and as I have previously stated, it being vegetable from the yellow or orange coloured family of vegetables, is very good for our skin.

During my childhood, these ghaargae were regularly prepared by my mom. As in those days, I did not have much of a sweet tooth and in fact disliked anything sweet (except vanilla ice cream), I did not like this dish at all! It is now that I have developed a sweet tooth (at the wrongest time of my life), and decided to make these ghaargae as I had some pumpkin left over and I wanted to introduce my kids to this traditional dish!

For more such delicious dishes, do take a look at the following recipes too….

1. Doodhi Methi Muthiya

2. Sweet Potato Corn Chaat

3. Phodnichi Chapati.

4. Corn Oats Semolina Pancakes

Here’s the recipe for the delicious Bhoplyaache Ghaargae….

Prep Time : 25 min

Cooking Time : 2 min/Ghaarge

Serves : 4 (28 Ghaarge of approx 3″ diameter each)

INGREDIENTS :

• 2 cups Finely Chopped Pumpkin (200-250 gm approximately)
• 3/4 cup Jaggery
• 1 1/2 cup Whole Wheat Flour
• 1/4 cup Rice Flour
• 2 pinches Salt
• 1/4 tsp Cardamom Powder
• Oil for frying

METHOD :

1. To make the Bhoplyaache Ghaargae, first wash and peel the pumpkin. Chop it into fine cubes.
2. Add them to a pan alongwith 1/4 cup of water. Switch on the heat and add the salt. Cover and cook stirring occasionally.
3. When the pumpkin is cooked, add the jaggery and saute till it melts.
4. Saute till all the released liquid evaporates. Do not let the mixture dry too much.
5. Transfer it to a mixing bowl and let cool. Add to it the cardamom powder and mix.
6. When the pumpkin mixture cools down, add the flours and knead well into a slightly hard dough, or say a semi soft dough without using any water.
7. Keep covered for a while.
8. Heat oil in a kadhai for frying the ghaarge.
9. Take a small ball of the kneaded dough and roll into a small round disc using some oil for rolling it.
10. Alternatively, you can roll a big round disc and use a small circular cookie cutter, or a lid or a bowl for cutting of the ghaarge from the big one.
11. When the oil is fairly hot, just drop a tiny ball of dough to check if it rises to the surface immediately.
12. If it does, the temperature of the oil is just right for frying. Start by adding the rolled discs one at a time.
13. Start splashing the hot oil over it immediately and give it a light pressure once or twice with the back of the slotted spoon.
14. This helps the flatbread to puff up well. Immediately flip and fry the other side too.
15. Transfer to an absorbent paper and repeat the process for all the rolled out discs.
16. If during this process, if the oil becomes too hot and the ghaarge are turning out burnt, reduce the flame to medium for a while. But not for too long as at low temperature the ghaarge won’t puff up well.
17. These ghaargae require hot oil to puff up well. It is up to us to control the temperature of the oil while frying.
18. Serve the delicious Bhoplyaache Ghaargae for breakfast, evening snack or just during lunch or dinner with your meal.