Bhal, my native region, was once known for its ancient variety of durum wheat called Bhaliya or Chasiya, or Daudkhani. This particular wheat variety is said to produce the best ladoo, lapshi, and bhakhri. I’ve spoken about this hardy wheat in several of my previous posts, where I delve into the legacy of recipes like Jadariyu, Velan Lapshi, and Ghau no Ponk (Freekeh in middle east).
In Gujarati, ‘Ponk’ refers to the tender, immature grains of crops like wheat, jowar, and bajri. For agrarian communities, it is a seasonal delicacy they eagerly await. In Bhal, there is a unique culinary tradition of transforming Ghau no Ponk into an emerald-green, smoky-flavored sweet called Jadariyu (I have a detailed blog post on this). It was once common to receive cardboard boxes filled with chunks of Jadariyu, their smoky aroma filling the air as soon as the box was opened. My 85 years old father still looks forward to Jadariyu whenever a family member visits from the region. It’s a joy to hear him reminisce about Jadariyu and Ghau no Ponk, sharing stories from the past.
Since it’s the season for Ghau no Ponk and we’re already on the subject of Doodhpaak, I wanted to share one of the lesser-known variations I came across while studying Gujarat’s Doodhpaak traditions. The smoky depth that roasted tender wheat berries lend to Doodhpaak is phenomenal—combined with the creamy richness of thickened milk, it’s a flavor experience like no other.
My very reliable team helped me with finding perfectly tender wheat berries and processing it into Ponk. Slide through to watch them roast and clean the Ponk.
