Indian Gavvalu Dessert Recipe Made with Jaggery

Feel like treating yourself to something sweet? How about these delicious-looking sweet shells that are actually healthy? Yep! That’s right. Try making this easy Gavvalu with jaggery on a weekend and enjoy them for the weeks to come. 

Jump to:

• What is Gavvalu?
• Ingredients For the Gavvalu
• How to Make Gavvalu with Jaggery
• Can I Make the Gavvalu in Advance?
• How Do I Store Leftover Gavvalu?
• Indian Gaavalu Dessert Recipe with Jaggery

What is Gavvalu?

Gavvalu is a special Indian sweet made crafted with a handful of simple ingredients. The dish originated in the state of Andhra, and while they are traditionally made during the festival of Diwali, they can be enjoyed practically anytime! 

What’s best about it is the fact that you don’t need a lot of fancy ingredients to make it. It is super simple and easy, and addictive, especially if you have a sweet tooth. 

If you are looking for authentic Indian dessert recipes, you might also enjoy this steamed khaman dholka cake, or even this sabudana kheer Indian tapioca pudding. Both are delicious and also simple to make.

Ingredients For the Gavvalu

You honestly don’t need a lot to whip up these deliciously sweet and crispy treats. 

• Whole wheat flour
• Ghee
• Salt
• Water
• Jaggery(sweetener)
• Oil for frying

How to Make Gavvalu with Jaggery

In a medium bowl, mix together the whole wheat flour and salt.

Heat the ghee until hot but not boiling, then pour over the dry mixture and mix together until it forms a crumbling texture.

Add water, a tablespoon at a time, until the dough forms into a ball.

Coat a fork with a bit of oil, then using small balls of the dough, run the fork over the dough to create a lined edge. This will look similar to gnocchi.

Heat ½ cooking oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat.

Once hot, add the gavvalu to the hot oil and fry for 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown.

Remove from the pan and set aside to drain on paper towels.

While the gavvalu cools, add jaggery and 1 tablespoon water to a small saucepan over medium heat. Let it melt until it becomes a syrup, making sure to stir regularly.

Toss the cooked gavvula into the syrup and mix until combined.

Allow it to stand for 5 minutes to cool before serving.

Can I Make the Gavvalu in Advance?

You absolutely can! That’s actually one of the best parts of this recipe. You can make these little bite-sized treats in advance and store them for later. Regardless of whether you soak the Gavvalu in jaggery syrup or sugar syrup, they can stay good for up to 10 days. 

So if you’re planning to make these as a quick sweet snack for some friends coming over, or even just for yourself, you can easily do that. 

How Do I Store Leftover Gavvalu?

Whether you want to store the leftovers or just want to prepare the Gavvalu in a big batch for consumption on another day, you just need to keep a couple of tips in mind. 

First, always use an airtight container to store the Gavvalu- even if you’re planning to store it at room temperature. 

Separate the Gavvalu and allow them to cool down before you transfer them to the container. 

Tips to Make the Gavvalu with Jaggery

All set and ready to try making these delicious and crunchy treats? Here are a few tips and tricks you need to keep in mind before you do! 

• You might be tempted to try these in another shape, and while there’s no harm in trying, the unique shell shape that you get by rolling the dough on the back of a fork is what increases the surface area of the Gavvalu and lets all the syrup soak in, which gives it that addictive, caramel-y taste. 
• Remember that the consistency of the jaggery syrup should be just perfect. You might not be able to get that double thread consistency syrup for this one as you would get when you’re making a sugar syrup, but make sure that the syrup is thick enough to coat the Gavvalu and give it that nice glaze. 
• When choosing jaggery for this recipe, always use good quality jaggery. This will ensure that even after your Gavvalu are soaked in the syrup, they don’t turn soggy or as hard as a rock when you bite into them. 
• When you’re heating the oil to fry the Gavvalu in, make sure it is just at the right temperature. Frying the dough bits in oil that is too hot will cause them to burn, which is not what you want. 
• While the Gavvalu bites are frying, remember that the oil should be at low-medium flame. This will help the Gavvalu turn crunchy and cooked just right. 
• The perfect time to get the fried Gavvalu out of the oil is when they start turning golden brown in color. 
• Don’t underestimate the power of adding that little pinch of salt to the mixture. You can also add in a pinch of salt to the jaggery syrup. This can really help enhance the flavor of the Gavvalu and give it that salty and sugary taste as you would get in a caramel coated snack. 
• Another excellent trick to get an added flavor punch to your Gavvalu is to add in some cardamom powder into the dough. 
• To make the Gavvalu even more crunchy, you can add a little semolina into the dough mixture. 
• Want your Gavvalu to have a unique twist to it? You can add a couple of pinches of sesame seeds into the dough mixture before you fry it. 

Serving Ideas & Suggestions

Love how delicious the Gavvalu with jaggery turned out? Looking for some ideas and suggestions to serve it right? Here are a few ideas to get you going. 

• Typically, you can serve the Gavvalu as a bite sized dessert after a full-fledged Indian meal of an Indian curry like creamy Shahi Paneer, some hot and spicy lemon rice and homemade naan. 
• Loved how easy it was to make these? You can actually also whip up a spicy version of this snack. All you need to do is toss the fried Gavvalu in a spice mix of your choice instead of soaking them in a sugar or jaggery syrup. Easy peasy!