खजूर पाउडर
Date powder (khajur powder): what it is and how to use it
Date powder, also called khajur powder, kharik powder or chhuhara powder, is dried dates ground fine. Here is what it is, how it differs from sugar, and how Indian families use it.
Also searched asdate powderdates powderkhajur powderkharik powderchhuhara powderdry dates powderखजूर पाउडरखारीक पूड
Quick answer
Date powder is whole dried dates ground into a fine powder. It is also sold as khajur powder, kharik powder, chhuhara powder or dry dates powder. Nothing is removed, so it keeps the fruit’s natural fibre and minerals, and it can replace white sugar in chai, milk, porridge, ladoo and baking.
What exactly is date powder?
Date powder is made by drying dates until they are hard (this is called kharik in Marathi and chhuhara in Hindi) and grinding them into a fine, sandy powder. Good date powder has one ingredient: dates. No sugar, no flour, no preservative.
Because it is the whole fruit, it is not the same as refined sugar. It brings the date’s own fibre and minerals into your cup along with the sweetness. It is also not sugar-free: dates are naturally sweet.
How is date powder made?
Good date powder takes 8 careful steps, and dates are the only thing that goes in. This is how Saanjh makes it:
- Sorting: Whole, ripe kharik is picked by hand. Broken or spotted dates are set aside.
- Washing: Every date is washed in clean water to lift off dust.
- Drying: The dates are air-dried until no water is left on the skin.
- Slow drying: The whole dates, seed inside, are dried again on low heat until crisp right through. Keeping moisture low keeps the powder fresh without preservatives.
- Breaking: Each date is broken into small pieces, seed and all.
- Grinding: Fruit and seed are ground together into a fine powder.
- Sieving: The powder is sieved fine. Coarse bits go back to be ground again.
- Sealing: It is packed and sealed to keep out air and moisture.
No sugar is added and no preservative is used. The powder stays fresh because the dates are dried slowly until crisp before they are ground.
Read the label before you buy. Many date powders in the market are blended with sugar. Pure date powder lists only one ingredient: dates.
Why we grind the seed too
Most people throw the date seed (गुठली) away. Saanjh grinds it in with the fruit, so nothing of the date is wasted. Studies on date seeds find them about 67–74% dietary fibre, mostly insoluble fibre, with natural polyphenols such as catechin and epicatechin, and minerals such as iron, zinc and phosphorus.
Because the seed is in it, our powder has a little more body than a fruit-only powder. A little settling at the bottom of the cup is normal.
Date powder, khajur powder, kharik powder: are they the same?
Yes. These are different names for the same thing. In shops and online you will see:
- Date powder or dates powder in English
- Khajur powder (खजूर पाउडर) in Hindi
- Kharik powder or kharik pud (खारीक पूड) in Marathi
- Chhuhara powder or dry dates powder
One name that is different: khajur gur or nolen gur. That is jaggery made from the sap of the date palm, not from the fruit.
Black (kala) vs white (safed) date powder
Date powder changes with the dates it is made from. Kala Kharik uses black dried dates and tastes deep and caramel-like, which suits warm milk, ladoo and kheer. Safed Kharik uses white (safed) dried dates and tastes mild and honey-light, which suits chai, coffee, children’s porridge and baking.
How to use date powder
- Chai and coffee: 1–2 teaspoons per cup. Stir, wait a moment, stir again.
- Warm milk: 1–2 teaspoons at bedtime, the way elders like it.
- Porridge, dalia and sheera: in place of sugar.
- Ladoo, kheer and halwa: it adds a caramel note.
- Baking: replace sugar one-for-one for a softer, moister crumb.
Date powder has fibre, so it does not melt away completely like sugar. A little settling at the bottom of the cup is normal.
How to store it
Keep the pouch closed and in a cool, dry place. Date powder can form soft lumps in humid weather; that is natural. Break them with a spoon or shake the pouch.
Questions people ask
Is date powder healthier than sugar?
Date powder is the whole fruit, so it carries the fibre and minerals that dates naturally contain, which refined white sugar does not have. It still contains natural fruit sugars, so use it in the same or a smaller amount than sugar.
How is date powder made?
Saanjh date powder takes 8 steps: dates are sorted by hand, washed, air-dried, slow-dried on low heat until crisp, broken, ground with the seed, sieved and sealed. Nothing else is added: no sugar and no preservative.
Does Saanjh date powder contain the date seed?
Yes. We grind the whole dried date, fruit and seed together. Research on date seeds shows they are very rich in dietary fibre and contain natural polyphenols such as catechin and epicatechin.
Is all date powder 100% dates?
No. Many date powders sold in the market are blended with sugar. Turn the pack over: if the ingredient list says anything other than dates, it is not pure date powder. Saanjh date powder has one ingredient: dates (100%).
Is date powder sugar-free?
No. It has no added sugar, but dates are naturally sweet. If you are diabetic, pregnant or under medical care, ask your doctor before using it.
Does date powder dissolve in tea?
Mostly. Because it is whole fruit with fibre, a little may settle at the bottom. Stir, wait a few seconds and stir again.
What is the difference between date powder and date palm jaggery?
Date powder is the dried fruit, ground. Date palm jaggery (khajur gur or nolen gur) is made by boiling the sap of the date palm tree.
Can children have date powder?
Many families use mild white date powder in children’s porridge, sheera and kheer. For babies under one year, ask your paediatrician first.