Kansar – Patel Style

Recipe: Kansar – Patel Style

Kansar – Patel Style is a traditional, simple and yet very delicious sweet dish that is prepared during important ceremonies and festivals. It just needs five basic ingredients, semolina or coarse wheat flour, ghee, jaggery, cardamom powder and powdered sugar. These days chopped nuts, desiccated coconut, rose petals, poppy seeds, etc are added. I am sharing with you the traditional one, without all the nuts and coconut. Feel free to add whatever you like.

Importance Of Kansar

Any religious or happy occasion like Diwali, weddings, birth of babies, etc begins with kansar in a typical Gujarati home. This dish preparation varies from region to region in Gujarat. As we begin Diwali celebrations kansar is made and offered to the deities. It is also offered to Ganeshji on the day of pre-wedding ceremonies. For many communities in Gujarat kansar is what is offered to the bride and groom to break their fast. Usually on the wedding day both the bride and groom fast. After the wedding ceremony is over, the bride’s mother offers kansar to the groom and bride to break their fast. It also signifies the commitment, loyalty, respect and love for the newly formed families.

The most important and vital ingredients in kansar is a bit of jaggery and ghee (clarified butter). These two are added as significant religious items. It’s believed that jaggery and ghee has  purifying power.

Difference Between Kansar – Patel Style and Other Communities.

Kansar varies from region to region in Gujarat. For most regions kansar is what we call lapsi. Usually broken wheat is boiled in water with jaggery.  However, kansar that is made by the Patel community of Gujarat is totally different. We use either semolina or slightly coarse wheat and it’s steamed. It’s then served with melted ghee and powdered sugar. In India mostly coarse wheat flour is used. I think the usage of semolina is a very East African thing amongst the Indian diaspora. Probably, back then when they settled in East Africa, coarse wheat flour was not available. Semolina was available and that was used. I find using semolina easier as that is what I am use to.

Kansar and Me

I personally love kansar and till now was not successful at making it on my own. When my mother in law was with us in Mombasa, she would make it. After that I tried several times and each time the kansar would become rubbery or lumpy. This was one dish I did not watch closely whenever Nunu would make it. Recently, when I was in Mumbai, I asked her for the recipe, she just couldn’t remember the measurements. She no longer cooks which is really sad as she was a fantastic cook.

I asked my bhabhi for her recipe as she makes it often. As usual I can rely on her to make me understand how its done in a very simple way even though ocean separate us.  I realized that previously, I was getting the ghee and water measurements wrong. It’s paramount that you use both as the recipe suggests. Less of ghee and it will be rubbery. More of water and it will be gooey and with lumps.

Sharing Kansar Recipe With FoodieMonday/Bloghop Theme

As I had suggested the 201st theme, Jamva Chalo Ji which means please come for your meal in Gujarati, I thought this is the right time to get my kansar making skills perfect. Also as we begin my niece’s pre-wedding celebrations, beginning with kansar seemed just the right thing to do.

Sharing  Kansar Recipe With Foodies_Redoing Old Recipes

The Group Foodies_Redoing Old Posts, started by Renu helps the members to make an effort to update old posts. This post required better photos. As per tradition, I prepared Kansar during Diwali. Sharing this post with better photos and a video.

First Published on 24/06/2019 Updated on 07/11/2025

These Are The Sweet Dishes That I Usually Prepare During Diwali Celebrations

Rama Ekadashi – Rajgira Sheero
Vagh Baras – Kansar or Meethi Sev
Dhanteras – Lapsi
Kalichaudas – Doodh Pak
Diwali – Gur na Ladwa
Govardhan Puja/ Bestu Varsh (Gujarati New Year) – Shrikhand or Puran Puri

Ingredients Required For Kansar – Patel Style

• Semolina – sooji. Medium is better. If you have coarse wheat flour use that instead of semolina.
• Water – tap or filtered water
• Jaggery Powder – gur
• Ghee – clarified butter. To add to the mixture  while steaming and extra for serving
• Powdered Sugar – I prefer to grind sugar at home. Icing sugar or confectioner’s sugar contains cornflour. In India we get ground sugar without any cornflour in it.
• Cardamom Powder – elachi. For flavouring but it is optional.

KANSAR - PATEL STYLE

mayurisjikoni

Kansar - Patel Style is a traditional, simple and yet very delicious sweet dish that is prepared during important ceremonies and festivals. It just needs five basic ingredients, semolina or coarse wheat flour, ghee, jaggery, cardamom powder and powdered sugar.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Dessert, Indian dessert, Mithai

Cuisine Gujarati

Servings 2

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup medium sooji
• ¼ cup +2 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp jaggery powder or a small lump
• 1 tbsp ghee

For topping:

• some melted ghee
• some powdered sugar
• ½ tsp cardamom

Instructions

 

• Heat the water. Add jaggery and mix well till it melts.
• Allow it to cool down. If you are using jaggery powder then no need to melt it in the hot water.
• Mix the ghee and semolina. It should resemble like breadcrumbs.
• Add jaggery water| water to the semolina mixture and mix it with your fingers gently.
• Let it rest for 5-10 minutes.
• Get your steaming device ready in the meantime.
• Transfer the semolina mixture into a wide steel plate or bowl which fits in the steamer.
• Place the plate or bowl in the steamer.
• Let the Kansas steam for 10 - 15 minutes.
• Immediately remove the kansar from the steamer.
• Using a fork, fluff it up and gently break up the lumps.
• Add cardamom powder and mix gently.
• Let the mixture cool down a bit.

SERVING KANSAR

• There are two ways to serve kansar. One way is to serve melted ghee and powdered sugar along with the steamed kansar. People add both according to their taste.
• The other way is to mix the ghee and powdered sugar and serve. The amount depends entirely on the taste of the family.
• I personally prefer the first method and for offering to God use the second method.

Notes

• Jaggery or gur is added to the semolina mixture purely as an auspicious ingredient.
• Kansar can be made with coarse wheat flour.
• Can add chopped nuts, desiccated coconut, poppy seeds, nutmeg, etc to the steamed mixture before serving.

Keyword how to make kansar, kansar recipe, kansar, patel style

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If you do try this recipe then please either

• add a comment below,
• send a picture to my email mayuri.ajay.patel62@gmail.com
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• or comment on Pinterest @mayuri62