Jaggery Karchikai

Karchi Kai /Karanji / Sweet fried Kadubu is one of the traditional dish prepared for Ganapati and Deepavali. It is one of the easy dish and can be kept for a long time ( At least a week).

Varieties of stuffing can be done according to your imagination. The outer layer is done with chiroti rava and maida. The filling/stuffing is like coconut, jaggery or sugar, dry fruits, dates and candy sugar etc.
Here I have used roasted chenna, jaggery, thin variety of semolina and little maida.
Use of ghee helps the outer layer to be crispy and crunchy.
It is easy, simple and jaggery is used instead of sugar. Chiroti rava in a al
Let us see the recipe now :

Things Needed :

For Outer Layer/Cover/Kanaka 
Chiroti Rava : 1 Cup
Maida : 1/2 Cup or little less
Ghee : 1 Tablespoon
Salt : A little
Hoorana /Stuffing
Roasted Chenna /Huri Kadale : 1/2 Cup/ 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Dry coconut : Cup
Cardamom :  5 to 6 Pods
Jaggery : 1/2 Cup (Powdered)
Oil : to Fry : 2 Cups

Method :

1. Dry grind dry coconut and keep it aside.

2. Dry grind jaggery, roasted chenna and cardamom pods nicely till powder.

3. Take a big bowl and put coconut powder, jaggery mixture and mix it well.

4. Take a big bowl, put chiroti rava/thin variety of semolina and maida/All purpose flour.

5. Add required salt, a tablespoon of ghee and mix all the ingredients nicely for 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Add water ( little by little ) and prepare the dough.
7. Kneed the dough nicely and divide the dough into small portion.

8. Roll each small portion and stuff some sweet mixture and fold the karchikai and press it at the edges. So that it does not get open while frying in oil.

9. Arrange the done karchikai in a plate or tray.

10. Keep a pan on the fire and put oil. Let it get heated.  (On low flame).
11. Put folded karchikai/karanji one by one and fry on both sides.

12.Remove it from the pan and put it on a kitchen tissue.

13. Repeat the same and prepare rest of karchikai.

14. Let it cool. Serve them with as snack.

Note : 

Do not add any water while dry grinding. No need to heat sweet mixture on the pan. Roasted chenna helps to take away the moisture. Use of more / less jggery is optional. Use of more ghee while preparing the dough helps the dough to turn crispy. Let the flame be low while frying also. It helps the kachori layer to be crunchy
Time: 30 to 40 Minutes
Serves : 15 to 20.

Aralu hittina Unde/Gundittu Unde

Aralu Unde is specially made for Gokulastami /Shri Krishna Janmastami. It is one of the must laddu prepared  and do arpan as Navaidyam for Shri Krishna.

Aralu Hittu /Gundittu is special flour prepared with puffed rice. Dry roasted puffed rice /a type of avalakki is ground to make flour and then used for preparing Laddu.
Udupi Shri Krishna temple is in Udupi and I am very proud that I belong to that region. I have seen Shri Krishna's Astami Sambrama so many times in Ratha beedi./Car street, the street around the Asta Matt.
Varieties of Eatables are prepared for Shri Krishna and it is kept as Naivedyam at night. According to  to the star Rohini, Shri Krishna's birth. People fast whole day on that day, ( Shravana Masada Shukla pakshada 8 ne dina ). Then only people eat. The very next day whole of Udupi and around Udupi the celebration starts in the morning. People decorate themselves different Vesha/Costume and visit houses and get some money. It is fun to watch these and you do enjoy seeing many people with different costume. Huli Vesha / People in the costume gather and dance according to the beat as tigers it is really fantastic. All these people go to Udupi Vitla Pindi Utsav, they do take part in the celebrations and processions with Lord Shri Krishna and Lord Mukya Prana/Hanuman/Hanumantha /Maruthi.
The Golden  Chariot is pulled around the Car Street , Shri Krishna sitting in it. The whole place is filled with people around the world to watch Shree Krishna's Utsav. Number of Huli Vesha groups dances and the instruments like drums and other musical instruments are played and move with Shri Krishna's procession. We say our janma pavana by seeing the Utsav. 
Laddus prepared by Mutts, distributed to the whole large group which do take part in processions andsome schools, near by offices, banks also will get the prasads from Shri Krishna Mutt.
This is about Shri Krishna Astami/Gokulastami celebrations
Even at home different varieties of laddus are prepared for naivedyams and Aralu Unde is one of it.
This Aralu Hittu is available only during Astami time.
I have been to Udupi just before Shri Krishna Janmastami and brought some flour and prepared this laddus.
This puffed rice is already roasted and no need to roast the flour again. You can add ghee according to your requirements. Adding more ghee helps the laddu to be tasty. Less ghee turns the laddu hard after a day and you need to break a laddu and have it. ( It means its hard to eat).
 Aralu Hittu is good for health and it helps to keep your body warm.
Let us see the recipe Now :

Ingredients :

Aralu Hittu /Gundittu : 3 Cups
Ghee : 1/2 Cup or little more
Jaggery : 1 1/2 Cup ( Powdered)
Cardamom : 6 to 8 Pods
Cashews : 2 Tablespoons ( Cut into small)
Raisins : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Coconut : 1 Cup
Sesame Seeds :  2 Tablespoons

Method :

1. Powder jaggery and keep it aside.

2. Grate coconut and dry grind it, keep it aside. Dry roast sesame seeds and powder it.

3. Remove the pods from cardamom and powder it.
4. Keep a small pan and put 2 tablespoons of ghee. Fry cashews and
5. Keep a pan and put jaggery and 1/4 cup of water. Let the flame be low.
 Let jaggery melt and bubbles starts and it starts to bubble.

6. Let it get one string syrup consistency. Keep stirring for another 2 minutes.

7.  Add grated coconut and mix it well. Take out the pan on fire and put off the fire.

8. Add Gundittu/ Aralu flour and mix it well. Add ghee fried cashews and raisins.

9. Add remaining ghee and mix it slowly.  Add powdered cardamom.

10. Take a handful of mixture in your palm and fold the palm tightly and turn the flour in round shape.

  

 11. Repeat the same and prepare laddu /unde and arrange them in a tray or bowl.

12.  Put them in a serving bowl. Let it cool. Store them in a air tight box or bottle and serve as you wish.

 Note :

Let the syrup consistency be just little more thicker than one string consistency.  Check the consistency with your finger tips. It should be slightly sticky. Not watery. Let the mixture be bit cool to turn them as laddu. The hot mixture burns the hand because of the heat. Add little ghee if you feel that, the mixture is completely dry. You can add hot milk also, but you can not store them for a long. Milk used Laddu get fungus. So better use melted ghee. Adding more jaggery is optional.
If dry roasted avalakki is available you can buy and powder the avalakki and use it for laddu.

Time : 30 Minutes.
Serves : 3o to 40 Laddus/Unde.

Sorekai Sihi / Bottle Gourd Sweet Curry

Sorekai/Bottle gourd one of the wonderful, healthy vegetable is available in the market around the year. I do have done many types of curries and chutney using this vegetable. Here is one more curry Sorekai Sihi / Bottle Gourd Sweet Curry,  which is usually prepared during feat / festival.
I have used bottle gourd, fresh grated coconut, little jaggery,  3 to 4 almonds, and seasoned with home made ghee.

 
Let us see some benefits of eating " Fresh Ghee " in our diet.
Ghee is one of the good fat content that our body needs to be fit. They help in easy digestion and rich in the oil soluble Vitamin A and Vitamin E.. It contain anti oxidnt and anti- viral properties. They help and take care of immune system. They have good source of anti inflammatory properties also.
Let us see the recipe now :

Ingredients :

Sorekai /Bottle Gourd : 1 Bowl. ( Half bottle gourd of small size bottle gourd ).
Coconut  5 to 6 Tablespoons
Almonds : 4 to 5 pods.
jaggery : 1 Tablespoon
Salt : As required
For Seasoning :
Ghee : 1 Tablespoon
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Urid dal : 1/2 Teaspoon
Red chilly : 3 to 4
 Curry Leaves. : 6 to 8

Method :

1. Wash and remove the outer layer of bottle gourd/sorekai and cut into thin /small pieces.
2. Cook with little water. Let it get soft.

3. Grate coconut and grind it with 3 to 4 almonds into thin paste. Add water if required.

4. Keep a pan on the fire and put cooked sorekai/bottle gourd pieces.
5. Add salt, little turmeric powder and let it boil for 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Add ground coconut - Almond mixture and mix it. Let it boil for 2 to 3 minutes.

7. Keep a small pan on the fire and heat. Put a tablespoon of ghee. Add mustard seeds, cut red chilly.
8. Let it splutter. Add curry leaves and put off the fire
9. Add this seasoning to Sorekai Sihi./Bottle Gourd Sweet Curry.

10. Serve with hot rice or any other main dish.

Note :

Grind coconut into fine paste. Use only required water to grind. The curry should be thick. Adding almonds helps the curry to be thick. You can use a teaspoon of raw rice. Use of more coconut adds to the taste. Use of ghee adds to the taste. Use of jaggery is optional.
The vegetable should be cooked well. So that it mixes well with gravy.
Time : 20 Minutes
Serves : 3 to 4 .

Wheat - Rava - Banana Guli Appa

Guli Appa /Paddu/Gunthpongalu/ Kuli Appam whatever you call it, it is one of the tasty appa/appam that you really enjoy eating them. Here I have tried wheat - rava/semolina Guli appa and it is quick, easy and healthy too.

I have used wheat flour, rava, banana and jaggery and little eno salt to add softness in the dish.
These Sweet Guli appa is good for kids when they come back from school in the evening. It is diabetic friendly, it is prepared using rava and wheat flour. Add little jaggery if you are serving to diabetic person.
Jaggery does provide energy and iron. It is good to have to decrease gastric problems. It helps to digest the food easily.
Wheat - Rava - Banana Guli Appa is easy to prepare, a very few ingredients to use and you can do it quickly. It can be served as evening snack or for breakfast.
Let us see the recipe Now :
Ingredients :
Wheat flour : 1 Cup
Rava /Semolina ( Medium size) : 1/2 Cup
Jaggery : 2 Tablespoons full
Banana : Well ripen : 1
Curd : 2 Tablespoons
Salt : As required
Eno Salt or Cooking Soda : A pinch
Coconut : Grated : 2 Tablespoons.
Cooking Oil : 2 to 3 Tablespoons

Method :
1. Take a big bowl and add curd, jaggery and banana and mix it nicely.

2. Add wheat flour, rava, grated coconut, salt .
3. Mix all the ingredients nicely and add required water. Mix it well.
4. The batter should be like dosa consistency.
5. Add eno salt to the ready batter and mix it well.

6. Keep Guli Appa pan on the fire and heat. Add little oil to each mould in guli appa pan.
7. Mix the batter nicely and put a spoon of batter. sprinkle oil to each guli appa.
8. Cover the pan and cook on medium flame for 1 to 2 minutes.
9. Turn the other side and cook on low flame till it turns golden brown.

10. Remove guli appa to a clean bowl or plate and serve with ghee.

Note : 

Do not make the batter too watery.  Add little rava if the batter turns very watery.
Adding more / less jaggery is optional. Adding ghee while cooking is optional. Use of well ripe banana is good to use and guli appa turns tasty.
Time : 20 Minutes.
Serves : 2 to 3.