Adadiya Pak Recipe: Kathiyawadi Urad Dal Winter Sweet

What is Adadiya Pak?

Adadiya Pak is a rich Kathiyawadi sweet made from coarsely ground urad dal (adad) slow-roasted in ghee, then cooked with milk, sugar or jaggery, edible gum (gond), dry ginger powder and lots of nuts. It is made through winter and around Diwali because it is believed to keep the body warm.

Adadiya Pak at a glance

Detail	This recipe
Yield	One medium thali
Roasting	15-20 minutes on low-medium heat, stirring constantly
Setting	2-3 hours
Texture	Grainy, rich, firm enough to cut into squares
Keeps	2-3 weeks in an airtight container at room temperature

Ingredients (makes one medium thali)

• 1 cup urad dal, coarsely ground (dardara)
• 3/4 cup ghee
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup sugar (or grated jaggery)
• 2 tbsp edible gum (gond), fried and crushed
• 2 tbsp dry ginger powder (sunth)
• 1/2 cup mixed chopped almonds, cashews and pistachios
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
• 2 tbsp grated dry coconut (optional)

Prep checklist

Once the roasting starts you cannot leave the pan, so get everything ready first.

• Grind the dal coarse (dardara), like fine rava, not powder.
• Fry the gond: heat a little of the measured ghee on low heat and fry the gond in small batches. It puffs up and roughly doubles in size within seconds. Lift it out, let it cool and crush it lightly with a heavy bowl.
• Chop the nuts and divide them into two halves (one for the mixture, one for the top).
• Measure the milk, sugar or grated jaggery, sunth, cardamom and coconut into separate bowls.
• Grease the thali and keep a flat-bottomed bowl ready to press the mixture level.
• Use a heavy-bottomed pan; a thin pan scorches the dal before it turns golden.

How to make Adadiya Pak, step by step

1. Heat ghee in a heavy pan, add the ground urad dal and roast on low-medium heat, stirring constantly, until deep golden and nutty - about 15-20 minutes. This slow roast is the whole flavour of the sweet.
2. Add milk carefully and cook until it is absorbed and the mixture thickens.
3. Add sugar (or jaggery off the heat), sunth, cardamom, fried gond, coconut and half the nuts. Mix well and cook 3-4 minutes until the ghee starts to release at the edges.
4. Spread in a greased thali, top with the remaining nuts, press lightly and let it set for 2-3 hours.
5. Cut into squares and store in an airtight box. It keeps well for 2-3 weeks.

Texture and doneness cues

Stage	What to look and smell for
Roasting the dal	Colour changes from pale to deep golden; a nutty aroma fills the kitchen; the mixture loosens as the ghee separates
After adding milk	Hissing and steam at first, then the milk is absorbed and the mixture thickens and gathers
After adding sugar and spices	The mixture turns glossy and ghee starts to release at the edges
Cutting	Mark squares while it is still slightly warm; once fully set it is harder to cut neatly

Add the milk slowly and stand back: it will splutter when it hits the hot ghee.

Tips for perfect Adadiya

• Never rush the roasting - under-roasted dal tastes raw and sticks to the throat.
• If using jaggery, add it after switching off the flame so it does not curdle.
• A coarse grind gives the classic grainy texture; do not powder the dal fine.

Common mistakes and fixes

Problem	Likely cause	Fix
Raw, heavy taste	Dal under-roasted	Roast patiently until deep golden and nutty
Dark specks, bitter taste	Heat too high or thin pan	Keep the heat low-medium and stir without stopping
Too soft, does not set	Mixture spread before it thickened enough	Cook a little longer, until ghee shows at the edges, before spreading
Hard and difficult to bite	Overcooked after the sugar or jaggery went in	Switch off as soon as ghee releases; add jaggery off the heat
Gond is chewy	Gond not fried until puffed	Fry on low heat until it puffs fully, then crush

How to serve

Adadiya Pak is rich, so cut small squares. It is served as a winter sweet and on Diwali faral plates alongside namkeen.

Variation (optional): the dhabo method

Many Gujarati recipes start a step earlier: a little warm milk and ghee is rubbed into the urad flour (this is called giving the flour a dhabo), the flour is sieved and rested for about 30 minutes, and then roasted in ghee. Some versions also add a little besan and an adadiya masala of spices. This is a different method with its own quantities; if you try it, follow one recipe from start to finish rather than mixing the two. See the linked source below for one such version.

More Diwali sweets from the kitchen: Magas, Sukhdi and Kopra Pak.

FAQs

Can I make Adadiya with jaggery? Yes - use grated jaggery in place of sugar and add it off the heat.

How long does Adadiya Pak last? 2-3 weeks in an airtight container at room temperature.

Is gond compulsory? It is traditional but optional; skip it if unavailable.

When do I cut it into squares? Mark the squares while it is still slightly warm, then separate the pieces once it has set completely.

Can I use less ghee? This recipe is built around 3/4 cup ghee for 1 cup dal. With much less, the dal roasts unevenly and the sweet turns dry, so make a smaller batch instead of cutting the ghee.

Also from the Diwali kitchen: Mohanthal (Gujarati besan fudge) and Churma Ladoo.

Sources

• Bhavna's Food Journey: Adadiya Pak with jaggery (gond frying and the dhabo method)

Last verified: October 23, 2026.