Traditional Food of India
1.3 Gajak
Gajak (also called gazak, til gajak, gur gajak and gachak) is a traditional Indian sweet (Figure 1.3.1) that is highly popular in the Northern and Central parts of India though now is available in other regions. It is a dry sweet mainly made of sesame seeds (til) and sugar/jaggery. The product has a crispy soft texture and melts easily in the mouth. Gajak has a bite-size rectangular or square shape while thickness is between 4 and 10 mm. If protected from moisture ingress and avoiding contact with air, the product can be stored for 3-4 months at room temperature. There is a chance of textural softening and the development of rancid flavour during storage.
The product gajak contains essential nutrients like protein and fat (each at 4-6%), sugar, and other vitamins and minerals, and food energy. A reduction in sugar content, and replacing sugar with non-nutritive sugars can help to brand the product as a functional or healthy food.
Rewaris is a product similar to gajak; the product is mainly prepared using sugar or jaggery, and usually has a small flattened circular shape. The diameter is between 20 and 30 mm while the thickness is between 4 and 10 mm. The proportion of white sesame seed compared to sugar/jaggery is higher in this product than that of gajak.
Raw materials
The ingredients are sugar, jaggery (gur), sesame seeds with or without skin, ghee, khoa, sugar, pieces of dried fruits, groundnut and flavouring ingredients. Baking powder is sometimes added to obtain a soft-crispy product.
Method of preparation
Til (sesame) seeds are hulled to remove the dark-coloured outer husk. Whole dehulled seeds or partially crushed dehulled seeds are used for gajak preparation (Figure 1.3.2). Thus, white-coloured seeds or their fractions are visible on the surface of the product and can offer a mild oily-smooth taste. The roasting process gives a nutty flavour taste to the product. Dry roasting of dehulled seeds is done until a light yellow or faint brown colour appears and a nutty flavour is identified. Then the seeds are cooled and partially crushed if needed as it is an optional process. Gur or a mixture of sugar and gur is heated and til seeds are added and mixed well; other flavourings are then added. The thick dough mix is spread on a flat surface, smeared with oil and a thin layer of sesame seeds. It helps to avoid sticking to the surface and offers an attractive appearance while white seeds act as a decorative item. In some of the methods of preparation, the hot dough is repeatedly rolled, folded and even beaten. The hot mix is then allowed to cool and solidify, and then cut to the required size and shape.
Machinery
A sesame dehulling machine, heating and mixing unit for sesame seeds and jaggery, pouring facility of hot mass, gadget for cutting to the required size and shape of the set mass, and packaging machines are needed.
Requirements
- It is necessary to determine the properties of different varieties of gajak such as proximate composition, microbial status, content of nutraceuticals, density and thermal properties. The requirement also exists to standardise the process of the preparation of gajak and packaging details.
- A decrease in the sugar content of the product and an increase in the shelf-life are the other requirements.
- The thin gajak samples are usually brittle and often break during transportation. Research attention is thus needed to improve the integrity of the product without sacrificing the unique features of the traditional product.
- The development of a continuous processing facility to manufacture gajak can decrease the cost of production, and improve the hygienic condition of the product. Moreover, the export of gajak to other countries as a health-benefitting snack is possible wherein a marked decrease in sugar and energy levels is desired. A partial replacement of sugar with starch is possible apart from using non-nutritive sweeteners.
Further reading
Chakraborthy, S., Bisht, H. C., Agarwal, M. D. and Shah, N. K. (1985). Survey, standardisation, packaging and storage studies on sugar and jaggery based Gajak and Rewari. Journal of Food Science and Technology, 22(4), 258-262.
Raghav, P. K. and Agarwal, N. (2014). Comparison of sensory qualities of three popular brands of gajaks sold in Jaipur market. International Journal of Agricultural and Food Science 4(1), 6-8.
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