Halwa, Kheer, Panjiri: Three Khapli Wheat-Based

Sweet Dishes

Perfect For Indulgence

Tips for Using Khapli Wheat in Desserts

Khapli atta is a little different from regular atta or maida because of its low gluten content, which results in it needing more water, more patience, and slightly more fat for better desserts. Treat it as a rustic, whole-grain flour, not a maida replacement.

1. Add more liquid than usual
Khapli wheat absorbs more water than regular wheat, so any batter or dough needs more milk or water than usual to avoid dry loaves or cakes.

2. Roast well for better flavour
Khapli wheat has a naturally nutty, earthy taste, which changes and becomes more pronounced when roasted, something that is important for halwa, laddoo, or barfi.

3. Let the dough or batter rest
Resting allows the fibre-rich flour to hydrate well, yielding softer desserts and preventing cracking or graininess in desserts like cakes and muffins.

4. Use slightly more fat (ghee or butter)
Its high fibre can make desserts feel dry, so a bit more ghee helps improve mouthfeel and richness.

5. Don’t overbake
Khapli wheat desserts dry out faster due to their fibre content, so bake at moderate heat and stop slightly earlier than usual.

6. Pair with moist ingredients
Khapli wheat works best with moist ingredients like jaggery, bananas, dates, coconut and yoghurt. These balance its dense texture naturally.

7. Mix with other flours for lighter desserts
For cakes or muffins that need more gluten to expand, blending khapli with regular flour improves softness and structure (since khapli alone is heavy).

8. Adjust sweetness slightly upward
Khap atta’s earthy flavour can dull the sweetness a bit, so you may need a little extra sugar or jaggery to balance.

Khapli Wheat Atta Desserts

To make khapli wheat atta desserts, pick a good-quality emmer wheat flour like Aashirvaad Chakki Khapli Wheat Atta. Armed with the perfect khapli wheat, you can make delicious Indian desserts like halwa, kheer and laddoos.

1. Khapli Wheat Halwa

With more fibre and protein content than plain wheat flour, it is made in a similar way to the rich sheera or atta halwa. The flour is ghee-roasted first, then comes the sugar or jaggery, followed by water and dry fruits. 

Ingredeints:

• Aashirvaad Chakki Khapli Atta: 1 cup

• Ghee: ½ cup 

• Sugar (adjust to taste): 1 cup

• Water: 2 to 2¼ cups

• Cashews (optional): 1 tbsp 

Method:

• Heat ghee in a kadai and roast khapli atta on medium, stirring continuously until deep golden and aromatic.

• Meanwhile, boil sugar and water, then let it simmer.

• Once the atta is roasted and releases ghee, bring the sugar syrup to a quick boil and carefully pour it in.

• Stir immediately and continuously to avoid lumps as it thickens.

Cook until soft halwa consistency, adding a splash of hot water if needed. Serve warm.

1. Khapli Wheat Kheer

This khapli wheat recipe is also known as khapli gavachi kheer, made with cracked khapli wheat, jaggery, coconut and ghee. It’s slow-cooked in a pressure cooker, often made during the festive period in Maharashtra. 

Ingredients:

• Cracked khapli wheat (emmer): 1 cup (soaked 45 minutes)

• Rice: 2 tbsp (soaked 45 mins, then coarsely pounded)

• Fresh coconut (grated): ½ cup

• Organic jaggery: 300 gm

• Cashews: 10 (chopped)

• Raisins: 10

• Dry ginger powder: 1½ tsp

• Almonds: 10 slices (for garnish)

• Salt: ½ tsp

• Ghee: 4 tbsp

• Milk: ½ litre

Method:

• Pressure cook soaked khapli wheat and rice with salt and enough water for 3-4 whistles until soft.

• Heat ghee, fry cashews until golden, then fry raisins until they puff. Set aside.

• In the same pan, melt jaggery, then mix in grated coconut and dry ginger powder.

• Add fried nuts and cooked wheat-rice mixture. Stir and simmer 2–3 minutes.

• Pour in lukewarm milk (not hot) and mix well. Simmer again for 2 minutes until a thick consistency forms.

• Switch off the heat. Garnish with almonds, coconut chunks, and a drizzle of ghee.

1. Khapli Wheat Panjiri

Panjiri is a post-partum snack that is also highly sought after during winter months, for the nuts and dry fruits used in the laddoos have warming and healing properties. Now, you can make it even more nutritious with khapli atta. 

Ingredients:

• Aashirvaad Chakki Khapli Atta: 1 cup

• Ghee: 3 tbsp

• Almonds (chopped): ¼ cup

• Black raisins: 3 tbsp

• Dates (pitted, chopped): 4

• Pumpkin seeds: 2 tbsp

• Flax seeds (ground): 1 tbsp

• Jaggery powder: ¼ cup (adjust to taste)

• Cardamom powder: ½ tsp

• Dry ginger powder (soonth): ¼ tsp

Method:

• Heat the ghee in a heavy pan. Fry almonds until golden, remove. Fry raisins until they puff, remove.

• In the same ghee, add khapli atta and roast on low-medium flame for 10-12 minutes until deep golden and nutty.

• Add pumpkin seeds and roast 2 minutes with flour.

• Switch off the heat. Immediately mix in jaggery so it melts into the warm flour.

• Add cardamom, dry ginger, fried nuts, raisins, chopped dates, and flax seeds. Mix well.

• Cool completely, for the mixture to firm up and become crumbly. Store in airtight containers. 

• Serve 2-3 tbsp with warm milk or ghee.

Khapli Atta For Better Desserts

Desserts need not be a guilty pleasure when nutritious atta, like Aashirvaad Chakki Khapli Atta, is added into the mix. You can swap or substitute part of maida or whole wheat flour in any dessert recipe and experiment with different desserts, extending this to cookies and muffins as well.