RAVI K YADAV

Edible gum, also known as Gond, is a natural resin obtained from the bark of various trees. In India, it’s commonly sourced from the Babul (Acacia) tree. While it might not sound appetizing at first, this edible gum plays a crucial role in one of the traditional sweet dish prepared in northern states of India in winter.

Before using edible gum, it needs to be prepared. The process typical involves:

1. Frying the gum crystals in ghee (clarified butter), until they puff up and become light and crispy. The crystals are very delicate, so be careful when frying to avoid burning them.
2. Grinding: Once fried, the gum is next crushed into rough textured powder. Use a small bowl and crush the fried crystals. Don’t use a grinder, as it turns into a sticky paste. The primary objective is to crush the crystals so they can mixed with flour and dry fruits.

“Gond ke laddu” is a specific type of laddu, which features edible gum as star ingredient. Along with edible gum, the laddu contains crushed roaster dry fruits (almonds, pistachios, cashews, sun flower seeds, etc). The base is wheat flour, mixed with a lot of ghee.