For Gur-ness Sake Try This Sweetener

Jaggery Staple

In homes, earlier, a meal would often end with a piece of jaggery to satisfy the sweet tooth and aid digestion. Jaggery is a common ingredient for sweets during harvest festivals in India. “Jaggery represents Indian food philosophy: wholesome food and a passing of tradition and culture. In Maharashtra, Puran Poli and Tilgul laddus are made with jaggery. Punjab greets winter with jaggery gajak and rewri, while the arrival of the season signals Nolen Gur Sandesh in Bengal. Aam panna is elevated in summer with jaggery drink in Uttar Pradesh,” says Chef Ishijyot Surri, Executive Chef and Founder of Mulk and SJI Gourmet.

Jaggery — the golden nectar held a sacred place as a sweetener and a medicinal Ayurvedic ingredient. “From our grandmothers’ kitchens, it’s been used in simple delights like stale roti with gur, chana-gur prasad, and laddus. Besides sweets, it enhances the taste of certain vegetables, lentils, and even meat dishes, lending a natural sweetness that balances spices,” adds Chef Amandeep Singh, Executive Sous Chef, The Westin Mumbai Garden City.

Versatile Sweetener

Jaggery is adaptable; it melts into a syrup, is powdered to sprinkle over breakfast bowls, or is used in grated form. “Traditionally, jaggery has been at the heart of regional dishes, Pongal in Tamil Nadu, gur ki roti in Punjab, and in temples of Kerala, Nei payasam rice with jaggery and ghee is the prasadam. People are rediscovering it for salad dressings, instead of honey or maple syrup. Today, chefs are experimenting with jaggery in glazes, marinades, and fusion desserts like cheesecakes,” states Adhya Subramanian, nutritionist and content creator at Aura Art of Healthy Living.

Contemporary Spin

Jaggery is popular, thanks to a growing interest in natural, unrefined sweeteners. It finds versatility in contemporary and fusion dishes. “Jaggery is added to smoothies, mocktails, vinaigrette and caramel sauce. Chefs combine it with mousses, cheesecakes, and kombuchas; it matches with chocolate, nuts, citrus, and warm spices, proving that traditional ingredients can have a place in modern cooking,” adds Surri.

Global Appeal

Jaggery is no longer a traditional Indian sweetener; it’s making its mark across the globe. “In Thailand, it sweetens desserts like khanom chan, in Malaysia and Indonesia, it flavours rice cakes and snacks, and in Mexico, it’s used in piloncillo-based sweets. Chefs worldwide appreciate its deep caramel notes, mineral richness, and integrate it into both sweet and savoury dishes,” says Amandeep.

Different Flavours

Jaggery can balance spicy or tangy sambar, rassam, tamarind chutney or raw mango lonji. “Jaggery reflects a conscious return to indigenous wisdom. It represents how culinary trends today are intertwined with health and sustainability, making wellness deliciously sweet,” states Chef Balaji Srinivasan, Taj Cidade de Goa.

Restaurants and cafés now serve jaggery-laced smoothies, energy shots and mocktails. “Jaggery is redefining the flavour palate. Even in desserts, jaggery is preferred for its caramel-like richness, and it pairs well with both traditional and contemporary creations. Jaggery adds rustic depth to payasam or mellows down the sharpness in tamarind gravies,” adds Balaji.

Benefits of Jaggery

Ayurveda has used jaggery for years due to its healing properties. “Jaggery is a natural sweetener that has minerals like calcium, magnesium, iron, and potassium. It makes one feel energetic, helps digest food better, and fights off illness. The iron in it helps keep anaemia at bay, and the magnesium keeps muscles and nerves healthy. Sugarcane jaggery is great for raising haemoglobin levels. Palm jaggery has more minerals and a lower glycemic index,” states Dr Anshul Singh, Team Leader, Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics Department, Artemis Hospitals.

Jaggery is a natural detoxifier that helps cleanse the liver by removing toxins. It keeps the body warm in the winter. Eating a small piece after meals can help digestion and satisfy a sweet tooth more healthily. “It does not cause sudden spikes in blood sugar because it releases energy slowly. For diabetics, jaggery is not a safe alternative to sugar because it can raise blood sugar levels. It should be consumed in small amounts, after consulting a doctor. Try to opt for organic jaggery because adulterated jaggery has chemicals or chalk that can be bad for your health,” concludes Dr Anshul.

Jaggery-based Recipes

Baked Gur Rasgulla (Courtesy: Chef Ishijyot Surri, Exe. Chef & Founder, Mulk and SJI Gourmet)

Ingredients

• 12 rasgullas (ready-made or homemade (squeezed to remove excess syrup)

• 1 cup reduced milk

• ½ cup grated jaggery

• ½ cup fresh cream

• 4 tbsp condensed milk

• 1 tsp cardamom powder

• Chopped pistachios, saffron strands, and edible silver leaf

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

2. Prepare the rabdi by heating reduced milk, cream, and condensed milk.

3. Add jaggery at the end (never boil jaggery directly, as it can split the dairy).

4. In a baking dish, arrange rasgullas and pour the warm jaggery-milk mixture over them. Sprinkle cardamom powder and saffron strands.

6 Bake uncovered for about 15 minutes, until the top has a caramelised glaze.

Garnish with pistachios and silver leaf before serving.

Palm Jaggery Puttu (Courtesy: Chef Amandeep Singh, Exe. Sous Chef, The Westin Mumbai Garden City)

Ingredients

• Rice flour — 1 cup

• Palm jaggery — 1/2 cup, grated

• Water — as needed

• Grated coconut — 1/2 cup

• Salt — a pinch

Method

1. Mix rice flour with a pinch of salt. Sprinkle water gradually and knead to a crumbly texture (like wet sand).

2. Grate the palm jaggery and mix half of the grated coconut with the jaggery.

3. Take a puttu mould or cylindrical steamer. Layer rice flour at the bottom, then a mixture of jaggery and coconut, and finish with a layer of rice flour on top.

4. Steam for 5 minutes and serve hot with the grated coconut or ghee.

Panakam (South Indian Jaggery drink) (Courtesy: Chef Balaji Srinivasan, Taj Cidade de Goa)

Ingredients

• Jaggery (powdered) 100 g

• Water — 4 cups (chilled)

• Lemon juice — 2 tbsp

• Dry ginger powder — ½ tsp

• Cardamom powder — ¼ tsp

• Black pepper powder — ¼ tsp

• A pinch of salt

Method

1. In a bowl, dissolve the powdered jaggery in 1 cup of water. Strain the liquid and add

the remaining 3 cups of water.

2. Stir in lemon juice, dry ginger powder, cardamom and pepper powder,

and a pinch of salt.

Sweet Potato Halwa (Courtesy: Adhya Subramanian, nutritionist and content creator)

Ingredients

• 1 large sweet potato, grated

• 1/3 cup jaggery powder

• 1 pinch cardamom powder

• 1 tbsp ghee

• 2 tbsp water

• 2 tbsp walnuts, toasted, chopped

• A pinch of salt

Method

1. Heat ghee in a pan. Add sweet potato and sauté for 2 minutes. Pour water, cover, and cook until soft.

2. Add jaggery

powder and cook until it melts.

Sprinkle cardamom powder, salt, and walnuts on it