Chakali.

CHAKALI

Diwali snacks seem to be incomplete unless Chakali is made and served . Making this crisp snack is time consuming and tideous and crowds can finish it in seconds making all the eforts well worth it.Traditionally roasted grains are ground into flour to make chakali. However if the means to grind grains are not available , here is a workaround recipe by which you dont miss to make and eat you favorite snack.

Ingredients :

1 cup rice flour , 1 cup wheat flour (Atta) , 1 cup bajri flour ,

Salt to taste , 1/4th tspn ajwain , 1 tbspn white sesame seeds (til) ,

4 tbpn butter , 1/2 tspn red chilly powder , 2 pinch asafoetida ,

1/4th tspn turmeric , 1/2 cup hot water , Oil to deep fry.

Procedure :

Roast the measured rice , wheat and bajri flour on medium high heat for 15-20 minutes. This removes the raw taste and finishes the missed step of roasting the grains before grinding. Let it get to the room temperature. Melt the butter and add it to the flour mixture. This helps to make them crisp. Add salt , red chilly powder , turmeric , asafoetida , ajwain , sesame seeds. Mix well. Add hot water just enough for the batter to get together. Do not add too much water to the flour.

Fill the material to the chakali making machine and make the chakalis in the traditional swirl pattern on a plastic sheet. Carefully lift the chakali and deep fry them till they turn brown in color. Place them on the cooling rack so that excess oil drips down. Let cool chakali is ready to eat. Store them in an airtight container only after they get to the room temperature.

Rava Besan Laddu.

RAVA BESAN LADDU

With all the festivities all over during Diwali everyone enjoys a variety of sweets. Laddu being the favorite of all can be made with a wide range of ingredients. Just like a Rava laddu and besan laddu a combination of both ingredients brings out a different flavor and taste all together.

Ingredients :

1.5 cups Rava (Sooji), 3/4 cup Besan (chickpea flour) ,

1 cup water , 2 cup sugar , 1/2 tspn cardomon powder , pinch of salt ,

2 tspn raisins. 3 tbspn ghee.

Procedure :

Heat a tbspn ghee in a nonstick pan and roast measured sooji in it for about 15 mins. Alongside use the other 2 tbspn ghee to roast the measured besan. Saute it well on medium high heat for about 15 mins. Your nose knows when the besan is sauteed well. Add a pinch of salt and the roasted besan to the sooji and continue to saute on low heat till you get the sugar syrup ready.

Heat the water and sugar till the water comes to a boil and melts the sugar. Remember that this syrup is 1 string. Once the syrup is ready turn off the flame add the cardamon powder. Then add the syrup to the Rava besan mixture and incorporate the syrup well . Keep stirring it on medium heat till the time you feel that the syrup has soakes well into the rava. Let the mixture be moist to some extent . Let the mixture get back to room temperature. This gives time for the Rava to absorb the moisture and it get to the consistency which helps to make laddus. Add raisins and mix well. If you find the batter bit loose , place it on medium heat to help loose extra moisture. Let it get to the room temperature again before you make laddus.

Besan Laddu.

BESAN LADDU (बेसनाचा लाडू )

Besan laddu is a very easy sweet to make and is popular throughout India, especially at festivals and celebrations, especially Diwali. Enjoy the sumptuous besan laddoos with friends and relatives

Ingredients : (Approx. 20 Laddus)

1 cup besan (chickpea flour) , 3/4 cup Ghee ( Clarified butter)

2 tbspn milk , 1.25 cup powdered sugar , 1/2 tspn cardamon powder.

Procedure :

Heat ghee in a nonstick and add the besan to it. Stir well for about 15 minutes on medium heat. Keep an eye on the pan all the while so that it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. After 15 minutes it changes color . Then add 2 tbspn milk. Quickly stir the mixture as it has lost all the moisture and adding milk/cream adds moisture. It fluffs up and if not stirred continuously , it might get charred.

Turn down the heat and keep stirring for another 5 minutes. Your nose knows that its done. Turn off the heat now and let get to room temperature. Add the powdered sugar and cardamon powder. Mix well with hands and make laddus. You may add raisins at this stage if you like.

Karanji (करंजी)

KARANJI (करंजी)

(Karanji , a sweet snack made during Diwali is very delicious.)

Ingredients :

For the dough :

1 cup All purpose flour , 1 tbspn Sooji (Rava) , Salt to taste , 1 tbspn oil , water

For the stuffing :

1 cup Dry Coconut , 1 cup powdered Sugar ,

a hint of salt (very little , even less than a pinch) ,

1/4 tspn cardomon powder

Oil to fry.

Procedure :

Knead a dough with all purpose , Sooji , Salt , oil and water and set aside covered for sometime.

Roast grated dry coconut till it gets golden brown and let it cool. Mix powdered sugar per measurement or as per your tastes . Add cardomon powder and the stuffing is ready.

To make Karanji : Roll out a puri of the dough and place it on a flat surface. Keep the stuffing on one half of the Puri and press the end of the other half over it. Make sure the stuffing is tight and there is no room for air. When you cut make sure that there is sufficient space left so that the Karanji doesnt break open while frying. Use a moist cloth to keep the karanji till you make others.

Deep fry on medium heat till it gets golden brown . Karanji is ready to serve.

Variation : You may make the stuffing with regular coconut . Roast grated coconut over medium heat . Add a teaspoon ghee and equal amount of sugar . Keep roasting till sugar melts. Let cool and add cardomon powder. Karanji with this filling has less shelf life.

Savory Shankarpale (खारे शंकरपाले)

Savory Shankarpale (खारे शंकरपाले )

(Shankarpale , a snack made for Diwali is normally sweet . To add variety to this dish you can also make it savory. You can make it any time of the year and serve it as Titbits for surprise visitors .)

Ingredients :

All Purpose flour 3 cups . Salt to taste , 1.5 tspn red chilly powder,

1 tspn Ajwain , oil

Procedure :

Knead a dough with all purpose flour , salt , red chilly powder , Ajwain and oil. Make sure that the dough is not too loose. Make a Potato Size Ball and roll it to form a big medium thin Roti. Cut the roti to form diamond shape pieces. Heat oil in a pan and fry till they turn golden brown. Remove the Shankarpale on a tissue to drain excess oil. Do not cover them till they get to room tempreture. Once they get to room tempreture keep in in an airtight container.

Tips : You may use a pizza cutter to make the diamond shaped shankarpale.

Stuffed Sweet Puri (सांजोर्या)

STUFFED SWEET PURI (सांजोर्या)

(A mother's recipe is a child's delight. This one comes from my mother. These Puris have longer shelf life . Just like fine wine , they get better with each passing day.)

Ingredients :

1 Cup All Purpose Flour ,1 tbspn Rava Sooji , Salt , 1 tbspn oil

For stuffing :

1 Cup Sooji / Rava , 1 cup Jaggery ,

1/4 tspn nutmeg powder , a pinch of cardomon powder

Procedure :

Roast Sooji well and let cool. Heat jaggery in the microwave or over the flame just so that it melts. Do not overheat. Mix the roasted jaggery , sooji , nutmeg powder and cardomon powder after turning off the flame. Keep the mixture in the refrigerator overnight so that the sooji absorbs moisture and flavor from the other ingredients.

After 8-10 hrs refrigeration get the stuffing to room tempreture.

Knead a dough of the All purpose flour , Rava , Salt and oil.

Make a small ball of the dough , roll it half way , place the stuffing in the center and join all ends to form a ball. Roll this ball again to make a Puri.

Heat oil in a pan to fry these till golden brown. Let cool and the Stuffed Sweet Puris are ready to serve.

Chivda (For Diwali).

Chivda
About Chivda : This is a traditional way of making Chivda . Chivda is a dry Indian snack which can be served with tea. It is normally made during Diwali however it can be made all round the year. It can be stored for several days . It is also good to carry and munch on during weekend outings.

Ingredients :

1 pound Thin Poha , 2 cup Churmure , 1/2 cup peanuts ,1/2 cup sliced dry coconut ,

Tadka : Oil ,1 tbspn mustard seeds , 1/2 tspn cumin (jeera) ,1/2 inch pieces of 8-10 green chillies , 12-15 curry leaves , 1/4 tspn Asafoetida , 1/2 tspn turmeric
Salt to taste, 1 tspn sugar .

Procedure :

Roast the Poha well on medium heat till it get hot evenly . You will notice that the Poha changes its shape as it gets evenly roasted . Spread it on a paper sheet to avoid moisture . Add churmure to the roasted poha. You do not need to roast the churmure because they already have the required crunch.

Heat oil in a pan . Fry peanuts till dark brown. Remove the peanut , add the sliced Coconut pieces to the oil and fry till golden brown. Drain the fried items well to remove excess oil .

For tadka : Use the same hot oil . Add mustard seeds . When they begin to splutter add cumin , green chillies , curry leaves , asafoetida , turmeric .

Spread the Tadka evenly over the Poha/ Churmure. Add salt to taste and sugar.
Mix well . Let it cool before you move it to another closed container to retain the crispness.

It can be served with finely chopped onion , lemon juice , grated coconut and sweet tamarind chutney . this adds taste and variety to the serving method.

Rice crispies Chivda.

RICE CRISPIES CHIVDA
(About Chivda : Chivda is a typical Indian dry snack which can be served with tea . Can be munched on even when you are not hungry .It can be made and stored for several days . It is good to be served to surprise visitors at home. )

Ingredients :

1 pckt plain rice crispies , , 3/4th cup Oil , ½ cup peanuts , 1 tbspn raisins ,1 tbspn cashew ,

1 tbspn mustard seeds , ½ tspn cumin (jeera) , ½ inch pieces of 8 to 1o green chillies ,

12-15 curry leaves , 2 pinch asafoetida (hing) , ½ tspn turmeric powder (haldi) ,

1 tbspn chat masala , salt to taste , ½ tspn sugar.

Procedure :

Heat oil in a pan. Fry peanuts in the oil till they turn dark brown . Remove peanuts and add it to the rice crispies . Fry cashews split into halves till goden brown and add them to the rice crispies. Drop the raisins and remove them immediately out of the hot oil. This is done only to remove the raw taste of raisins . Make sure you drain all the excess oil from the fried ingredients.

Tadka : Use the same heated oil . Add mustard seeds and as they begin to splutter add cumin , green chillies , curry leaves , asafoetida (hing) , turmeric (haldi) . This is traditionally called as “Tadka” in Indian cooking . Thers can be slight variations in the ingredients depending on the dish to be made.

Evenly spread the the Tadka over the rice crispies. Now add chat Masala , Salt , sugar and mix well. Remember that rice crispies already have a salt content. Make sure that you add minimal salt just to adjust the salty taste.

Rice crispy Chivda is ready to serve .