This barfi (fudge) is prepared especially for new mom, she can eat during her 1st month after child’s birth when her body need to recover post delivery.
You must have seen my recipe for nutritional squares (without gond or edible gum) recipe for pregnant women or new mothers and also Ginger Candies for Mothers To Help During Child Birth. These recipe of healthy squares called Katlu pak recipe which has gund, gond or gundar in it is especially for new mother. Every Gujarati family has a tradition of making Katlu Pak for new mothers after baby’s birth. Giving birth to a child is like getting second life. So after a child’s birth, mother needs to be well fed. We make many dishes for new mom like raab which is like a soup made with wheat flour, ghee and jaggery and spices, shira also made with same ingredients but has a thicker consistency.
I have made a big batch of katlu pak but you can reduce the portion and add the spices accordingly. This recipe has almost half and half flour to nuts, seeds and spices ratio. Traditionally we add powder of dry fenugreek seeds which has very bitter taste. So I thought why to spoil such an amazing tasting pak with bitter taste, she can eat fenugreek leaves in veggie curries or eat sprouted fenugreek salad or have 1/2 tsp fenugreek powder with water (smart, isn’t it!!) 😀 😀
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: around 60 minutes
Ingredients:
– 1/4 cup flex seed powder – Omega-3 fatty acids which is a “good” fats that have been shown to have heart-healthy effects
– 1/2 cup caraway seeds (suva dana) – one of the best herbs to prevent gas and bloating
– 1/4 cup carom seeds or bishop’s weeds (ajwain) – is also one of the best herbal wonder drug for gas, flatulence and indigestion
– 1 cup almond – a source of vitamin E, copper, magnesium, and high-quality protein
– 1 cup coconut powder or shredded coconut – rich in fibre, vitamins C, E, B1, B3, B5 and B6 and minerals including iron, selenium, sodium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorous
– 2 tbsp ginger powder (sunth or sonth) – helps in digestion
– 2 tbsp pimpramul (ganthoda) powder – high in Magnesium that works with calcium to build bone, regulate muscle contractions and balance blood pressure
– 3 tbsp katlu (batrisu) powder – a mix of 32 perfectly blended of traditional Ayurvedic herbs and other spice, mixed in optimum quantity brings all types of vitamins, proteins and other nutrients together
– 3/4 cup edible gum (gond or gund) – helps to strengthen back bone
– 3 1/2 cup wheat flour
– 1 1/2 – 2 cups jaggery (gud) break (quickest way to break it) in small pieces – it boosts immunity and also helps increase the total count of hemoglobin in the blood
– 4 cups or more clarified butter (ghee)
– Shredded coconut and/or poppy seeds for garnishing.
Procedure
1. Fry gond (edible gum) in a little ghee on low heat. It will puff up and double in size in few seconds. Remove from frying pan soon after that. Put in a big bowl and slightly crush using any flat bottom bowl.
2. Dry roast flax seeds, caraway seeds, and carom seeds separately on low heat and make powder. Dry roast almond on low heat and coarse grind. Dry roast shredded coconut on low heat for a minute. Roasting all these ingredients enhances the flavour. Add flex seed powder, caraway seed powder, carom powder, almond powder, shredded coconut, ginger powder, pimpramul, and katlu powder with crushed fried gond and mix everything well.
3. In a wide heavy bottom pan, heat 3 cup ghee. When ghee is slightly hot, add flour (sieve flour before using). Cook on low to medium stirring continuous. If mixture feels dry then add little more ghee. The mixture should look runny. Let it cook until mixture turns golden brown and house is filled with aroma. It will take about 15-20 minutes. When flour cooked turn off the heat.
4. Turn off the heat then add jaggery. Do not move away pan as heat from the hot coil helps to melt jaggery. Continue to stir and let jaggery melt, it will take a minute or 2. Then add spice mixture and mix well until everything is blended together. If mixture feels dry at this point then add melted ghee and mix. Tip: If you melt jaggery in the flour mixture while heat is still on, then chances are jaggery will over cook and these squares will be hard to break when done.
5. Spread this mixture immediately in greased tray or thali. I used 1 tray and 1 thali as I had a huge batch or you can use big pizza tray. The thickness should be around 1/2″. Level the mixture with flat bottom bowl or flat spatula. Sprinkle some shredded coconut, poppy sees on top and flatten with spatula. After few minutes when mixture cools down slightly, make square cuts using knife. Instead, you can make ladoo. Let the hot mixture cool down slightly and when it it is easy to handle, make ladoo.
6. When it cools down completely, remove all the pieces carefully from the tray and store in airtight container (remember to taste before you store, they taste the best when still slightly warm 😛 😛 ). You don’t need to put this in fridge, it will stay good for at least 2-3 weeks at room temperature.
Katlu Pak has amazing health benefits and wonderful flavours from all the spices. It is so soft that it melts in your mouth. You can add poppy seeds, some fenugreek seeds and sesame seeds. It is a very rich dish. Share with your family and friends so someone who needs it can benefit from it.
Please do leave a comment or let me know if you have any questions regarding this dish. .
You can check out similar recipe ideas.
Nutritional Squares for Mothers To Be or New Mothers
Ginger Candies for Mothers To Help During Child Birth
Thank you for visiting my blog. Until next time!
Check out my Facebook page and like the page to receive the latest recipes in your news feed! You can also follow me on Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.
Facebook Bhavna’s Food Journey
Twitter @BhavnasFoodJrny
Pinterest Bhavna’s Food Journey
Instagram Bhavna’s Food Journey
Bhavna, what kind of wheat flour do you use course? Chapati flour?
LikeLike
Hi Raji, I use regular chapati flour to make katlu.
LikeLike
Hello,
Your recipe is really superb, fantastic with benefits & effects of ingredients .
A complete recipe step by steps with perfect measurements of all ingredients.
I love it. Liked it too much.very helpful to a newmother.
Great job.
One question I have that how long can Kaatlu powder be last ?
Actually I bought it 1 year before from India and stored it in room temperature for 7-8 month and then stored in refrigerator till date. So should I use it or not ?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much Rachna, I am glad you liked it. You can store katlu powder in airtight glass bottle in fridge for long time. I have kept it in for last 2 years. and it’s still good. If you see any fungus or your know something doesn’t look right then don’t use it.
LikeLike
Your Recipe was very useful and well explained. Thank you very much
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am glad you tried it, thanks for the feedback!
LikeLike
Where do I get Katlu powder from or do we have to make it?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Try local Indian grocery store, I have also seen it on Amazon. It is also called Batrisu
LikeLike
Hi, In katlu ingredients, it hasn’t been mention about fenugreek seeds powder is that ok to add or already included in batrisu katlu powder.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have mentioned in my post why I did not add, but you can definitely add fenugreek powder the person eating katlu is okay with slightly bitter taste.
LikeLike
hi, Can we add more katlu powder, if yes, what is the maximum amount to add?
Thanks
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Raksha, Yes, if you wish to add little more katlu powder in this or you can add katlu powder to raab also.
https://bhavnasfoodjourney.com/2017/09/08/raab-wheat-flour-soup-with-spices-for-new-mothers/
LikeLike
Hi, How much and for how many days should a new mother eat this for maximum benefit. Also will this help in improving breastmilk quality so that the baby does not suffer from wind and colic?
Thank you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You can give 1 piece each in morning and afternoon. Yes, it does help in increase brestmilk as it has lots of spices which helps new mom to recover quickly.
LikeLike
I want to try. This recipe which is simple to follow .Just wanted to know at what stage I add Katlo powder
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, see 2. step and follow that.
LikeLike
I recently had a baby and I am looking for someone to make this and courier it to me. Do you know anyone in Dallas area who could help me get this? Thanks!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Congrats dear! Sorry, I live in Toronto so I don’t know anyone in that area. This is just a suggestion to get it from India. They can courier it.
LikeLike
how to use readily available edible gum POWDER in this recipe
LikeLiked by 1 person
Just add as it is
LikeLike
Great recipe ! Others can also take this sweet, isn’t it ?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, it’s good for anyone but mainly for new mothers
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ok, thanks !
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for your Katlu pak recipe. I would like to know whether man can it katlu pak?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Smita, you are very welcome. Man can eat if it’s without gund (edible gum)
LikeLike
Hi thanx for the recipe but where wil I find these ingredients..can u giv me the recipe of phasing it is also similar to this but uses milk thanx
LikeLike
Hi Tahira, thanks for checking out the recipe. Where do you live? If in India, then you can find these ingredients in health food store where they sell desi health spices. In Canada, I have seen it in Indian stores. I am going to write raab (wheat flour soup) recipe soon which you can prepare using milk instead of water. Thanks for stopping by!
LikeLike