I love sweets!

Sukhiyan - one of the most traditional sweets

I learnt this recipe from Ms Cheeniya. This is also known suyyam and poornam boorelu in telugu.

Filling:

Grind white portion of grated coconut very fine, adding water if necessary.

Ground coconut paste - 2 cups

Jaggery - 1 cup

Cardamom powder - ½ tsp.

In a kadai, mix coconut & jaggery.

Heat & go on stirring on a low flame, till the mass leaves the vessel.

Add cardamom powder & switch off.

Outer covering:

Raw rice - ¼ cup heaped

Urad dhal - ¼ cup heaped

Salt - a tiny pinch

Oil - to deep fry

Mix rice & dhal & soak for one hour.

Grind fine to idli dough consistency & add salt.

Make round bals of the filling.

Dip each ball in the dough, lightly, making sure that the outer covering does not become very thick. This is important.

Deep fry to golden colour.

PS - In Kerala, moong dhal is used along with coconut & jaggery for filling. Some use channa dhal as well, like poli filling.

 

Sanjeera - A shallow fried sweet of South Canara !

This is similar to the sojjiyappam of Tamil Nadu. I learnt this from my Konkani friend Chandri Bhat. I have modified it slightly.

Covering:

Maida - 1 cup

Wheat flour - 1 tbsp

Powdered sugar - 1 tbsp

Ghee - 2 tbsp

Saffron colour - a dash

Salt - a dash

Filling:

Rava - ¾ cup (can be Bombay rava or Chiroti rava)

Grated coconut - ½ cup

Sugar - 1 cup

Milk - 1 cup

Cardamom powder - ½ tsp

Ghee - 2 tbsp

For the covering, add sugar powder & ghee to maida & knead to bread crumb consistency.

Add water gradually to knead to a soft dough consistency .

Soak in oil & keep covered for 1 hour.

Filling:

Heat ghee & roast tava on a low flame till light brown.

Add coconut & boiling milk.

Mix well & cook covered till soft.

Add sugar & continue cooking, stirring continuously, till the mixture does not stick to fingers when rolled between fingers.

Cool & divide into small balls.

Make equal no: of balls from the outer cover.

Flatten each ball of the covering on the greased palm of hand.

Place a filling in the center & cover with dough & pinch the edges together.

Roll out into thin rounds (using either palm or a rolling pin) & roast on both sides in a tava without adding any fat.

Do not shallow-fry for a long time, to avoid becoming tough.

Serve smeared with a little ghee.

 

Khoa chocolate - for those who prefer less sugar in sweets.

Unsweetened khoa - 400 gms
Or
Grated khoa - 2 cups

Powdered sugar - 1 cup

Cocoa - 2 tsp
Or
Drinking chocolate - 1 tbsp
Or
Chocolate chips - 3 tbsp

Chopped cashewnuts - 2 tbsp

Mix grated khoa, powdered sugar & cocoa thoroughly in a non-stick kadai.

Keep the kadai, preferably over an old tava on the flame.

Cook till a portion taken in hand & cooled, can be rolled quite firm.

Remove & transfer to a greased plate.

Sprinkle nuts on top & press well.

Cool & cut into pieces.

If it softer to cut, roll into balls.

Coat them with desiccated coconut or coarsely powdered nuts.

 

Sojjiappam - this is a deep-fried delicacy of Tamil Nadu

My filling is a delightfully different combination, my niece taught me !

Outer covering:

Maida - 1 level cup

Wheat flour - 1 level tbsp

Ghee - 2 tbsp

Powdered sugar - 1 tbsp

Water - to make a dough

Filling:

Rava, water & sugar - 1 cup, each

Coconut - 1 cup
+
Jaggery - ½ cup

Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Oil - to deep fry

For the outer cover, rub ghee into maida to breadcrumb consistency.

Add sugar & water gradually & make a soft dough (slightly more soft than for chappathis), adding a dash of kesari powder.

Keep covered.

For the filling, cook rava, water & sugar together till it becomes like a dough.

Mix coconut & jaggery (powdered) & cook till dry.

Mix both together & add cardamom powder.

Make equal no: of balls with covering & filling.

Roll each ball into 2 “ & keep the stuffing inside.

Draw the covering inwards to the center & pinch.

Roll into rounds & drop in medium hot oil.

Fry on a low fire till crisp.

If you prefer it soft, fry on medium flame till done.

 

Suji Halwa - simplest of simple sweets; I call this VeNNilavu Sojji !

Milk - 1 cup

Sugar - ½ cup

Ghee - 1/3 cup

Bombay Rava - ¼ cup

Cardamom powder - little

Cashews, chopped & Sultanas - 1 tbsp each

Mix all ingredients in a kadai.

Boil, stirring continuously, till the mass leaves the sides of the vessel.

Add cardamom powder.

Remove & add cashews & sultanas fried in 1 tsp ghee.

 

Rose Flower Chirote - a lovely looking sweet to floor your guests !

Chirote looks equally nice, if left white. It is optional to add kesar colour to a part of it.

Maida - 1 ½ cups

Ghee - 1 tbsp

Oil - to deep fry

Sugar to make into one string syrup - 1 cup

Cherries - few

Pistachios - few

Almonds - few

Colour - saffron colour

Cornflour - 1 tbsp

Salt - a pinch


For cream or pathir layer:
Cream with your palm, on a plate, 1 tbsp ghee till it is light & fluffy. Add 1 tbsp cornflour & mix well.Keep aside.

To maida, add a pinch of salt & 1 tsp hot gee.

If using saffron, warm & crumble a few threads in a few drops of water & add.

Any other colour like pink or green can also be used.

Now knead the flour with sufficient water to make a stiff dough.

Rest it for minimum 2 hrs.

Then divide this dough into 4 equal sized balls and roll out into chappathis which are neither too thick nor too thin and rolled to the same size and shape.

Take one & spread a thin film of melted ghee over it.

Spread cream layer evenly and put the second chappathi over it.

Repeat the process with other chappathis & apply the same on the fourth also.

Now roll these chappathis very tight & cut into 2 cm slices.

Take one of the slices & press gently between the palms, making sure that the layers are not disturbed.

Place a piece of polythene smeared with ghee on the rolling board.

Put the flattened slice of pastry over it.

Now put another pieces of ghee-smeared polythene over the pastry.

This elaborate arrangemen is to prevent the pastry from sticking to the board while rolling and also to prevent the rolling pin from ironing out all lines formed by the 4 layers.

Roll out to a circle of 3 “.

Heat oil ( or ghee) in a kadai till it is really hot.

Gently slide in the rolled chiroti, basking the top with oil or ghee from the kadai, to make all the layers open out to look like a rose.

Drain & cool, when done.

Make a one-string syrup with sugar.

When the chirotes are cold, put a 1 tbspful of syrup over each & decorate with pieces of blanched pistachios, almond slices & half a cherry.

Alternately dip the fried chrotes in syrup, take out & strain.

Also go to
Sweet & Savoury Chiroti (1)
Sweet & Savoury Chiroti (2)
Sweet & Savoury Chiroti (3)
Sweet & Savoury Chiroti (4)

 

Bread Shakarpara - tastes like mini badushah minus effort !

Bread - 4-5 slices

Sugar - 1 cup

Water - ½ cup

Ghee_oil - to deep fry

Remove crust from bread & cut into cubes.

Deep fry in oil, till crisp.

Boil water & sugar till 2 string is reached.

Remove & quickly drop the bread pieces.

Shake the vessel well when the sugar will start solidifying.

Remove, dry & store.

 

Besan-Maida Burfi - Beginners can try this confidently !

This is usually made with plain maida.
I tried with a mixture of besan and maida and the taste was awesome !

Besan - ¾ cup

Maida - ¼ cup

Sugar - 2 ½ cups

Ghee - ½ cup

Saffron - ¼ tsp (warm & powder)

Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Chopped nuts - to garnish (optional)

In a kadai, heat the ghee.

Mix the besan and maida & add to the ghee.

Roast on a low flame till the colour changes & a roasted aroma comes.

Remove from flame.

Add enough water to sugar in a saucepan, to immerse just completely.

Heat on a medium flame stirring continuously till it dissolves.

Boil till it is past one-string consistency – if you drop a tsp in cold water you should be able to roll it into a soft but firm ball.

Remove immediately & add the fried mixture along with spices.

Stir well for a few mts – it will start solidifying.

Transfer to a greased plate, mark & cut into pieces.

The second photo is besan-maida burfi with nuts.

 

Kheer Mohan - I made this for the I Lites lunch.

Milk - 1 lt

Khoa - 250 gms

Sugar - 250 gms

Nuts - 100 gms

Simmer milk on slow fire till thick.

Add khoya, sugar & stircook till very thick.

Add nuts & continue to cook till it becomes semi-solid.

A tsp dropped in water should be rolled into a soft ball.

Pour into a greased plate & cut into desired shapes when cool.

Decorate with sliced cherries.

Store in the fridge & serve

 

Sapada Bhakshaya - a Mangalorian treat !

This sweet is specially prepared as an offering for Satyanarayana Puja.

Chiroti rava - 1 cup

Thinly sliced bananas - 1 cup

Ghee - 1 cup

Sugar - 1 cup

Milk - 2 cups

Keep the milk, ready, boiling.

The entire cooking is best done on a low fire.

Heat the ghee in a kadai.

Roast the rava till the colour changes & the rava is well fried.

Add the bananas & fry lightly.

Now add sugar & Mix well.

Add the milk, gradually, stirring well continuously.

Cook on a low fire till all ingredients blend to a mass.