Kansar – Patel Style

EVENT: FOODIEMONDAY/BLOGHOP

THEME: #201 JAMVA CHALO JI

RECIPE: KANSAR – PATEL STYLE

Kansar – Patel Style is an important, simple and yet very delicious sweet dish that is prepared during important ceremonies and festivals. It just needs four basic ingredients, semolina or coarse wheat flour, ghee, jaggery and powdered sugar.

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.

The most important and vital ingredient in kansar is a bit of jaggery and ghee (clarified butter). These two are added as important 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 its steamed. Its then served with melted ghee and powdered sugar.

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 she would make it. Recently, when I was in Mumbai and 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.

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.

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 oceans 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.

THE GROUP – FOODIES_REDOING OLD POSTS

The Group Foodies_Redoing Old Posts, started by Renu helps the members to make an effort to update old posts. This is the 62nd redoing old posts event. This group helps me to stay focused and update old posts not only with better photos but also trying to make each post more SEO friendly. Some of them I’m also trying to add videos. Check out my You Tube Channel MAYURI’S JIKONI

I am so glad that since the first time I made it during my niece’s wedding, my kansar turns out spot on every time. I had to update this post with better photos.

With Diwali literally just round the corner, will be making kansar again.

First Published on 24/06/2019 Updated on 29/10/2021

These are the Sweet Dishes that I usually prepare as the festival begins:

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.
• 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 an important, simple and yet very delicious sweet dish that is prepared during important ceremonies and festivals.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 25 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
• 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.
• Mix the ghee and semolina. It should resemble like breadcrumbs.
• Add jaggery 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 keep 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.The best one to use is one that is finer than than the lapsi or daliya one.
• For healthier version, you an serve it with powdered jaggery or gur instead of powdered sugar.

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

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