Gujarati dishes are popular across the globe and not without reason! The food within the cuisine is mostly a simple fair that takes on an elaborate style mainly due to the manner in which it is served. The garnishes and accompaniments make even the simple ‘dhokla’ a scrumptious and tasty eye candy. More so the case with Magaj! This very simple to make and tasty part of the authentic Gujarati cuisine has been around in both the rural and urban homes for centuries. It is soon becoming a necessary add-on within cuisine from neighboring states too!
Ingredients:
1/2kg of gram flour
1/4kg refined sugar
1/2 cup of khoya or mawa got by reducing the volume of a large volume of milk over a slow fire
1/4 cup of almonds and pistachios blanched and chopped fine
1 tsp each of cardamom and cinnamon powder
2 cups of ghee
Popular Accompaniments:
Magaj is a great all time favorite with the kids. It takes little or not preparation time at all. You can always substitute the flavors with ones that appeal to you most and even vanilla essence could be used. Magaj can be stored for up to a month after it is prepared and this makes the dish really helpful when the kids cry hunger in between meals. You could give the dish your own special touch by serving it at tea time or breakfast time, with or without an accompaniment of some salty or spicy savory.
Preparation:
To make magaj you have to essentially sift the chick pea or gram flour really well.
Then knead it into a bread crumb like consistency with 1 cup of ghee.
Main Cooking:
Heat a heavy bottom wok or pan with a tight lid and fry this mixture till the flour and ghee mix turns a golden brown.
Add the khoya or mawa, reduce the flame and set the mix aside to cool.
Next make the sugar syrup.
The syrup should be exactly of a one thread consistency.
In a large mixing bowl, mix together the gram flour mixture, the sugar syrup and the cardamom and cinnamon powders.
The mixture will become a sort of batter.
Empty it into a greased plate and garnish with the blanched and chopped pistachios and almonds.
Presentation:
Cool the dish and then cut the pieces into whichever shape you fancy. Store it in an air tight container.
