Jaggery – బెల్లం

Description

Jaggery is a versatile sweetener with a wide range of uses, especially in cooking, traditional medicine, and cultural practices.

• Sweetener: Used as a natural sweetener in traditional dishes and desserts like:
  • Kheer (rice pudding)
  • Payasam (South Indian sweet dish)
  • Puran poli (sweet stuffed flatbread)
• Baking: Adds a rich, molasses-like flavor to baked goods like cakes, cookies, and bread.
• Chutneys and Sauces: Enhances flavor in tamarind-based chutneys and sweet-and-sour sauces.
• Beverages:
  • Sweetened drinks like jaggery tea (gur chai) or buttermilk (chaos).
  • Used in traditional herbal drinks or decoctions.
• Snacks:
  • Key ingredient in making chikki (peanut or sesame brittle).
  • Used in ladoos (sweet Indian balls made with grains or seeds).
• Savory Dishes: Adds depth of flavor to lentils and curries, balancing spiciness and acidity.