Easy way to break Jaggery - Tip Tuesdays

Jaggery (Gud or Gur in Hindi or Vellam in Tamil), is one of the quintessential ingredient for making most of the South Indian festive sweets. It is a healthy alternative to sugar, is a traditional sweetener used in Indian kitchens since ancient times. Come winter, gud becomes an essential ingredient for making a variety of desserts; from Sakkarai Pongal in the South to Pithas, Nolen Gur Sandesh and Rasgullas in the East and Gud Til Ladoos in the North and West, every Indian state has its own jaggery-based delicacies. 

Read this post to know more about jaggery and its benefits and uses in cooking.

When you don't have a heavy object like a kitchen stone, its difficult to break a whole jaggery. Sometimes it becomes messy too.  Need not be, here after. There is a brilliant way to break the jaggery in a microwave. Wow!!!

Keep the whole jaggery piece on a plate and microwave it for 7 - 10 sec in a medium power setting. Once you take it out, press it with your hand and Voila!!! It crumbles down in a fraction of secs. The jaggery piece will be as a whole even after 10 secs. So press it to break it.

Note

• Since it is done in a microwave, we all know every microwave varies from one another. Trial and error and correct it. Start with 5 secs and keep checking it until its done. Keep a close watch.
• Reduce the power level. Otherwise, it melts inside whereas the outer remains intact.
• Do not keep it in for more time. Otherwise, it melts. Keep an eye
• Jaggery is one of the main sweetener used in many types of kheer | Payasam. So do check my tips page on  how to make payasam without curdling the milk