Pumpkin Gharge

This Maharashtrian sweet has been a favourite of mine since childhood and I’m super thrilled to have finally learned how to make it, and be able to share it here! ‘Gharge’ are made of a pumpkin, jaggery and wholewheat flour dough, deep fried till slightly crispy on the edges but soft in the centers. They’re not super sweet which is rare in all the festive treats that are made in homes this time of year, and part of why I love them so much. Even while not being cloyingly sweet, they’re full of flavour and the only way to eat them is with a generous dollop of ghee.

• 3 cups finely grated red pumpkin (450 gms)
• 1 and 1/2 cups finely chopped jaggery (290 gms)
• 1/4 cup semolina (sooji rawa; 40 gms)
• 1/3 cup grated coconut (20 gms)
• 2 cups wholewheat flour (atta; 200 gms)
• Vegetable oil for kneading and deep frying, as needed