Thuli (Broken Wheat & Jaggery Dessert)

Traditional Bohra dessert made from cracked wheat, ghee (clarified butter) and melted jaggery; usually served to celebrate birthdays as per Islamic calendar.

This is an old post that has been sitting in my drafts folder for far too long. I wasn’t sure about sharing this recipe as the pictures didn’t turn out well; I was in a rush while clicking them. However, I have finally decided to put this up simply because it tasted so good. I even realized that I don’t have too many dessert/sweet recipes on the blog. In fact, this is only the 2nd dessert recipe that I am sharing with you guys. I think it has to do with the fact that my husband & I are not very fond of desserts. But seriously I will try to share them more often.

Thuli is a Bohra Cuisine sweet dish made from broken wheat. It has an age-old significance of being auspicious. It is made on special occasions like buying a home, Islamic birthday, new baby or any other memorable occasion with prayers of good luck for the new beginning. Broken wheat is rich in fiber and jaggery is rich in vitamins and minerals. Thuli is a very nutritive sweet.

Bulgur, Broken wheat or cracked wheat is nothing but whole wheat kernels toasted, steamed and broken down coarsely. So this accounts to a whole grain with all the nutrients such as fiber, iron & protein.

I made this for my Islamic birthday (Varas) last month. Every year I am pestered by mom & mom-in-law, to make thuli for my husband’s & my Islamic birthdays. But I always end up forgetting. I did not know how much I have missed thuli, until I made it. The smell of cracked wheat roasting in ghee (clarified butter), just took me back in the years when mom made thuli for everyone’s Islamic birthday at home. Along with the thuli we always relished many Bohra dishes like mutton biryani, lagan seekh, soups & salads together in a thaal. As we are firm believers in the maxim – “The family that eats together, stays together”, Islamic birthdays were a grand affair in our house.

Thuli is always served warm. When you keep it refrigerated it becomes solid (because there’s so much ghee!) so when you want to eat it simply microwave for a minute or heat in a pan and it would be as good as fresh!

Here’s how you can make it:

Ingredients:

1 cup broken wheat/cracked wheat
1 1/2 cup grated jaggery
3 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
1 tbsp raisins
1 tbsp slivered almonds
1 tbsp charoli
4 cups water

Method:

Heat ghee in a non-stick pan, add the broken wheat and cook on a slow flame, for 5 to 7 minutes or till it turns golden brown in color, while stirring continuously.
Heat 4 cups of water to boil in another pot.
Pour hot water into the cracked wheat pan, stirring continuously until well combined. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 15 to 17 minutes; stirring occasionally until the wheat is cooked to tender.

Grate or cut jaggery into pieces.
Add the jaggery to the pan & mix well and cook on a slow flame for 5 to 7 minutes or till the ghee separates. Keep stirring in intervals.
Add in the dry fruits, mix well & serve hot.
Garnish with more dry fruits & dried coconut.