Gond Pak is a popular sweet winter snack, made with edible gum (gond) wheat flour and jaggery.
Gond or Gunder Pak is a popular winter dessert, from the Gujrat region of India. The pak or dessert bar is made with gond (edible gum) and jaggery, which are added to many winter Indian desserts.
The jaggery, gond and wheat flour come together to make a decadent, melt-in-your-mouth dessert filled with nutritious and wholesome ingredients.
You’ll want to keep a batch of these on hand at all times, for your sweet cravings this winter. It is delicious with a cup of karak chai or when you’re craving something sweet after dinner!
In this Post:
- What is Gond / Gundar?
- Ingredients you need
- How to make Gond Pak with Jaggery?
- Tips for Gond Pak
- More Dessert Recipes
What is Gond / Gundar?
Gond or Gundar is made from the dried sap of sap of the acacia plant. It is usually available in the form of little crystals.
Gond is often recommended for its nutritional and health benefits, especially for gut health. It is also often recommended to pregnant and lactating women since it helps with immunity and stamina. It is dense in calories and usually enjoyed in the winter.
Since gond doesn’t have much of a taste, it is often added in desserts with jaggery and ghee, such as gond laddoos or this Gond Pak.
Recipes you’ll love
If you’re looking for more traditional dessert recipes made with jaggery, here are some of our favorites:
- Til Ke Laddu – Sesame and Jaggery Ladoo
- Peanut Chikki – Jaggery Peanut Brittle
- Lapsi: Cracked Wheat Sweet
- Gur/Jaggery Popcorn
Ingredients & Notes
- Wheat flour – or Roti Atta is best for this Pak.
- Butter – unsalted butter is best for this recipe.
- Jaggery or Gur – an unrefined sugar that is dark brown in color. It is usually sold as a solid block, which you can cut into pieces for this recipe. You can use jaggery powder if you prefer.
- Gond – or Edible Gum – Edible Gum/Gond is the key ingredient in this Pak. It doesn’t have a strong flavor, but is added for its health benefits in this pak.
- Green Cardamom and Nutmeg – these spices add warm flavors to the Gond Pak
- Almonds – sliced almonds are used to garnish this dessert.
How to make Gond Pak with Jaggery?
In a pot over low to medium heat, add the butter. Once melted, add wheat flour and cook. Keep stirring, so it does not burn or stick to the pot.
Once the flour is golden and fragrant, add the grounded gond, green cardamom and nutmeg powder. Mix it well. You will hear a faint cracking sound as the gond cooks.
Once it stops cracking – about one to two minutes, add the jaggery and keep it mixing and making sure the jaggery is well incorporated with the wheat flour.
You can check if it’s done by taking a small portion in a spoon and making it into a ball. If it forms a ball without falling apart, your pak mixture is ready.
Pour the mixture into a tray, and use a spoon to flatten it into a single layer. Garnish with sliced almonds and use a spoon to press the almonds into the pak, so they stick.
Use a knife and score your Pak. Cut vertically and horizontally to get squares.
Let it cool for at least 2-4 hours, depending on the room’s temperature. Once the pak has hardened, use a spatula to remove the pieces from the tray.
Tips for Gond Pak
- If using a block of jaggery, break it into small, even pieces so they melt at the same time.
- You can add a little more butter if you feel that your mixture is dry.
- The recipe makes approximately 20-25 pieces, depending on the thickness of your tray.
Storage instructions
- Gond pak can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container.
- It will last about 2-3 weeks at room temperature, in cooler climates.
Dessert Recipes you’ll love
If you’re looking for more delicious sweets and mithai you can make ahead of time, here are some of our favorites:
If you give this recipe a try, we’d love to see it! Tag us on Instagram @thespicemess
Gond Pak
Ingredients
- 2 cups Wheat flour
- 2 ½-3 sticks Butter 282g-330g grams
- 2 cups Jaggery
- 1 teaspoon Green Cardamom powder
- ½ teaspoon Nutmeg powder
- ¼ cup Edible Gum/Gond
- 10- 15 Almonds sliced
Instructions
- In a pot over low to medium heat, add the butter. Once melted, add wheat flour and cook.
- Keep stirring, so it does not burn or stick to the pot.
- Once the flour is golden and fragrant, add the grounded gond, green cardamom and nutmeg powder. Mix it well. You will hear a faint cracking sound as the gond cooks.
- Once it stops cracking, add the jaggery and keep it mixing and making sure the jaggery is well incorporated with the wheat flour.
- If you feel the mixture is dry, you may add butter at this stage
- Ensure jaggery pieces are small and similar sizes so they melt evenly.
- You can check if it’s done by taking a small portion in a spoon and making it into a ball. If it forms a ball without falling apart, your pak mixture is ready.
- Pour the mixture into a tray, and use a spoon to flatten it into a single layer. Garnish with sliced almonds and use a spoon to press the almonds into the pak, so they stick.
- Use a knife and score your paak. Cut vertically and horizontally to get squares.
- Let it cool for at least 2-4 hours, depending on the room temperature. Once the pak has hardened, use a spatula to remove the pieces from the tray.
- Enjoy as a dessert or snack. Gond pak can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container.