Friday, April 5, 2013

Chandrakala

Chandrakala is an extension of a very famous recipe call gujiya specially made on Holi a festival of colors. This recipe is prepared with Koya and dry nuts filling in a maida puri, fried and then dipped in sugar syrup. To make this extraordinary sweet you need loads of patience and few ingredients. Let's get cooking.




Serve:                              6-8 (make 15 pieces)
Preparation time:              45 minutes

Ingredients:

Maida (All purpose flour):        2 cup
Ghee (clarified butter):             1/4 cup
Khoya/ Mawa:                        200 grams
Almond, Pistachio, walnut:       1/2 cup (finely chopped)
Raisins:                                    2 tablespoon
Sugar:                                     2 1/2 cups
Cardamom powder:                1/4 teaspoon
Saffron:                                   Few strands
Oil to deep fry
Silver leaf/ chandi kay wark for garnish

Method:

1) Mix maida and ghee in a big bowl rubbing it with your palm. Knead the flour into stiff dough using warm water.
2) Cover the dough with wet kitchen towel and set aside for 30 minutes.
3) For stuffing, grate or crumble the khoya. Add a tablespoon of ghee and fry the grated khoya stirring regularly until golden brown on medium flame. Set aside
4) Finely chop or grind roughly all the dry nuts. Add it to the khoya. Add raisins, cardamom powder, 1/2 cup sugar Mix well.
5) Now divide the dough in 30 equal parts. Roll in small rounds or about 2.5-3 inches diameter like a small puri. Work covering the dough or puri with a damp towel else the dough will become hard.
6) Divide the filling in 15 equal parts. Place on round puri on a clean working table; add the stuffing in the center using a small spoon.
7) Using your finger apply some water around the edge and place another puri just above the 1st one.
8) Stick the edges by pressing up with your finger and close the stuffing in between two puris.
9) Now put this stuffed chandrakala in your one hand and start making pattern along the edge. To make the pattern first press with the other hand and then twist, now press again and then twist. Repeat the process for the complete edge around the circle. Set aside and cover with damp cloth.
10) Similarly make all the chandrakala and set aside.
11) Heat some oil in a khadai at medium flame. Oil should not be too hot.
12) Fry all the chandrakala till golden brown and crisp at the medium flame. It takes around 7-8 minutes to fry one set of chandrakala. Let it cool completely.
13) Add 3/4 cup water in 2 cups of sugar and cook to make syrup, add few saffron strands. Make 2 string sugar syrup by cooking 5-7 minutes after sugar dissolves.
14) Toss each chandrakala one at a time in the sugar syrup carefully.
15) Keep it on tray and let it dry. Use chandi key wark to decorate the top of chandrakala.
16) Serve at room temperature and make your festival special.

BON APPETIT..

2 comments:

  1. I love sweets.. your dish looks delicious... I'm a new blogger... Do visit my blog.. http://kitchenserenity.blogspot.in/

    ReplyDelete