Have you tried gur ki roti or sweet roti?
Is your kid bored of the same old plain rotis?
Make this Punjabi sweet roti for your kiddo and I am sure it will be a hit in your dinning table. Who doesn't like sweet items by the way?
This meethi roti is a traditional Punjabi dish and is made usually with sugar. It can also be made with jaggery or gur.
In my kitchen, sugar is not always an option because it is refined form and not healthy at all. So I include jaggery, the healthier sweetener, as an ingredient in most of the sweet dishes prepared for my sugarplum. My version of sweet roti so has a healthy jaggery stuffing.
What is jaggery or gur?Jaggery is the traditional raw sugar that is obtained by removing the water content from sugar cane juice. It can be also made from palm sap or dates syrup.
Jaggery is an extensive ingredient for preparation of sweet and savory items across India, Pakistan, Nepal, Srilanka, Afghanistan and Iran.
Jaggery from sugarcane is the one that is largely used in India. Its color varies from golden to dark brown and generally comes in balls or blocks.
Jaggery i.e. " Gur" in Hindi is called ' Bellam' in Telugu, ' Sharkara' in Malayalam, ' Gul' in Marathi, ' Vellam' in Tamil and ' Bella ' in Kannada.
Gud can be called a healthier substitute to white sugar, which is loaded with empty calories.
Why gur / jaggery is a better option than sugar?Though jaggery and sugar both are made from the same raw material, sugarcane, the process of making both varies widely and this brings in a wide difference in their health benefits and nutritional value.
Sugarcane juice undergoes a lot of processing to get converted to normal white sugar. Usually the process involves use of bone charcoal or chemicals to refine the raw material to form white crystalline sugar. In this refining process the end product sugar losses many of the natural vitamins, minerals and salts.
In the making of jaggery no chemicals are used, instead the water from the sugarcane juice is removed through evaporation. This is done by boiling sugarcane juice in large iron vessels. This process ensures that the natural minerals and salts in sugarcane juice are not lost at the end. Also as it is made in large iron vessels, the jaggery also gathers a good amount of ferrous salts making it a good source of iron.
Have you noticed the instant burst of energy you get from consuming sugar items? This is because sugar is one of the simplest forms of sucrose and hence it gets instantly digested and absorbed in the blood. This sudden increase in sugar levels is actually bad for health and can be harmful for the internal organs.
The sucrose in jaggery is much more complex than in sugar and so it is digested slowly and releases energy slowly making it easy on the internal organs and health.
Again sugar when dissolved in water is generally considered cool in nature and so is not advised when you have a cough or cold. But jaggery on the contrary is safe to be consumed when you have cold or chest congestion.
Try this carrot halwa made with jaggery and also this sweet pongal or sakkarai pongal for toddlers.
Benefits of jaggery or gur:Though the look and color of jaggery is not so appealing compared to sugar, it does have a load of health benefits than other type of sweeteners.
Let's have a quick look at the benefits of jaggery.
- Prevents iron deficiency/anemia as it is a good source of iron
- Detoxifies liver and cleanses blood and body
- It activates digestive enzymes, stimulates bowel movement and thus relieves constipation
- Is a good source of energy as it is a complex carbohydrate
- Can give relief from cough, cold and flu like symptoms
- It is loaded with antioxidants and minerals and hence boosts immunity
- Cools stomach as it helps to maintain a normal body temperature
- Contains magnesium, zinc, potassium, sodium etc. that are good for health
So as now that you know the benefits of jaggery and why jaggery or gud is better than sugar, you have more reasons to include jaggery in your little one's diet.
Here is the recipe of one of the very popular Punjabi sweet breads made with jaggery.
Punjabi sweet roti, gur ki roti or meethi roti recipe:
To me, Gur ki roti/Punjabi sweet roti comes to the rescue whenever my kid is bored of the same old roti or paratha. Whenever I make it my little one consumes it happily and would not hesitate to ask for another 😛
Simultaneously even I do not fear giving it once in 2-3 days for the immense health benefits of jaggery and also the homemade ghee smeared on the roti especially during the winter and rainy season adds to its health benefits.
This sweet paratha recipe is safe for kids above one year of age.
Let us see how to make sweet roti.
First using enough water knead a dough out of whole wheat flour just like you make for chapattis and keep it aside for 10-15 minutes. Make equal balls out of the dough.
Now, roll a dough ball with the help of a rolling pin to form round roti. Make the roti somewhat thick so that it doesn't tear while cooking.
Take the jaggery block and crush or grate it into small pieces or slices.
Apply ghee in the centre of the rolled roti. Put the pieces or slices of jaggery in the center.
Apply little water at the edges of the rolled roti and fold it into half and fix with the help of your fingers.
Heat the tawa and cook the stuffed roti on it in medium flame for both the sides. Once you find the jaggery pieces inside is melting apply oil on both sides and let the sides turn golden.
Finger lickin' good sweet roti with jaggery is ready to find its way through your kid's stomach.
Unlike other plain/stuffed rotis, this paratha does not require add-ons like tomato ketchup, jam, chutneys or yogurt. This roti can be had as such without any side dishes.
This treat along with being iron rich, also keeps children energetic and filled for longer duration.
Must read:Notes:
- Jaggery in moderation has many health benefits, but too much can prove bad for health. So avoid giving too much of this sweet dish and that too on a daily basis.
- Any jaggery could be used for preparation of this stuffed roti. However I prefer making use of golden brown jaggery as lesser-refined gud contains higher nutritional values.
- Buy high quality gur to make sure that it doesn't have impurities like sand and dust.
- Serve and consume soon after the preparation. It tastes best that way. Or else it becomes hard after a time and doesn't taste as good.
- You may add variations as per your child's taste like adding grated coconut/sesame seeds to the jaggery stuffing.
- You can also use powdered or melted jaggery to make this roti.
- To avoid the melted gurh leak while cooking, make sure to keep the roti thick while rolling and press well with your fingers to close the sides while folding it half.
You can also refer to the 14 delicious variety chapati recipes for toddlers and kids.
It took me 3-4 trials to expertise this sweet roti recipe. Once it tears down, the entire efforts get wasted. But once you master it, this sweet chapati is worth the effort with all the goodness of jaggery. So, take your time but don't forget to let your child get drooling over this easy Indian roti recipe 😛
Do you use jaggery for making dishes? Share your easy recipes with jaggery.
What all different sweet roti or savory stuffed parathas do you make at home?
Share with us in the comments.
