Sajjappa / Kajjaya

Sajjappa is one of the traditional dish prepared during the festival. Sajje means rava/semolina and appa is a sweet. The outer layer is covered with rava and maida and the stuffing is Gasa gase/Poppy seed, coconut and jaggery.

Festivals are celebrated not only to have fun. we family members learn a lot like adjusting each other member in the family.  Lots of traditions and culture passing on to the next generations. It is not only about the food, family bonding, respecting the elders, love and care everything that comes together.
Sajjappa can be kept in airtight box for 15 days. We all love to have them at any time of the day.
Let us see the recipe Now :

Things Needed :

Chiroti Rava : 2 Cups
Maida : 1 Cup
Salt : A pinch
Jaggery : 1 Cup
Copra /Dry Coconut : or normal coconut gratings. : 1 cup
Poppy Seeds : 2 Tablespoons
Cardamom : 5 to 6 Pods
Ghee : 2 Tablespoons
Oil : To Fry /2 Cups of oil

Method :

1 Grate coconut and Dry grind it with cardamom pods.  powder jaggery.
2. Take a big bowl and put chiroti rava and maida. Add a pinch of salt and ghee.

3. Mix all the ingredients nicely Add water and prepare thick dough.

4. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add dry ground coconut and jaggery. Let the jaggery melt and mix with coconut.
5. Stir till all the moisture disappear from coconut - jaggary mixture. Add poppy seeds and stir till all the moisture disappear.

6. Shift the ready hoorana ( coconut-jaggery mixture) to a small bowl. Let it cool.

7. Divide the ready dough into very small portion. Kneed it well and give a ball shape.
8. Now roll the small pooris, place 1 teaspoon of jaggery -coconut mixture.

9. Fold the edges and bring it in the middle. Press it slightly with your palm.
10 Arrange these folded sajjappa in a plate or tray.

  11. Keep a pan and heat. Put oil and let it get hot. ( Low flame ).
12. Fry Sajjappa on low and medium flame one by one or as you wish.
13. Fry Sajjappa on both sides and remove it from the pan. Put it on a kitchen tissue.

  14.Shift the ready Sajjappa to a serving bowl.
15. Serve hot or cooled Sajjappa at any time of the day.

 Note :

Use of ghee while preparing the dough helps the sajjappa to be crispy and adds to the   taste. You can use hot oil instead of ghee. You can also dry roast maida slightly and then use it. Allow the maida to cool completely before adding water. dry roasting helps the Sajjappa to be crispy.
For the stuffing you can use copra / dry coconut or normal coconut.  Dry grind the coconut and then use it.
Time 30 to 40 Minutes
Serves : Around 20 Sajjappa.

Crunchy Chakkuli

Chakkuli /Chakli/ Muruku is one of the favourite munching snack at any time of the day. I do love it . I also wants try varieties of chakkuli but not going beyond the tradition. I always think of what to do and how it might taste.

This Crunchy Chakkuli also from Traditional way but just made it bit easy. I have tried roasted and powdered urid dal and rice powder. Here I have pressure cooked Urid dal and then added to flour and made chakli dough.
When you are trying the recipe please do try in smaller quantity, so that even if it turns bad you do nt feel sad, or you can use your creativity and turn then as something else.
Let us see the recipe Now :

Things Needed :

Rice flour :  3 Cups
Boiled Urid Dal : 3/4 Cup
Roasted Chenna / Putani /Hurikadale : 1/2 Cup
Sesame Seeds : 1 Tablespoon
Red chilly powder : 1 Teaspoon
Jeera /Cumin Seeds : 1 Tablespoon
Salt : As required
Butter : 1 1/2 Tablespoons
Oil : To Fry : 2 Cups or little more
Mould and the plate

Method : 

1. Wash and pressure cook urid dal and leave it for cooling. Smash the cooked urid dal nicely.
2. Dry grind roasted chenna/hurikadale/putani and keep it aside.
3. Take a big bowl and add rice flour, powdered chenna, chilly powder, salt and butter.
4.  Add jeera/cumin seeds and sesame seeds. Mix all the ingredients nicely.

5. Add smashed urid dal and mix all the ingredients nicely once again.
6. Add water little by little and prepare the chakli dough. ( It should not be too loose or tight ).
6. Kneed the dough well and divide them in to small portions.

7. Wash chakli mould and insert chakli plate inside.

8. Take a portion of chakli dough and put it inside the mould.
9. Now you press the chakli mould on a plate and give a round shape to chakkuli.
10. Press and prepare chakkuli on a tray or plate.

11. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add oil and let it get hot.
12. Put these circle shaped chakkuli to hot oil and fry on both sides till they turn crisp. ( On medium flame).

13. Put the done chakkuli on a kitchen tissue so that extra oil can be absorbed by tissue.

14. Repeat the same and prepare the remaining chakkulis

15. Now chakkulis are ready to serve. Put them in a air tight box or bottle and store.

Note :

Cook dal with 1/2 cup of water. Let it cook nicely. Soft dal is easy to smash it. You can grind the dal instead of using the hand to smash.
You can also use more chilly powder to give chilly taste. Adding more butter turns chakkuli very soft and it might dissolve in oil while frying. So do not add more butter. Water use should be very little at time, just add enough water and prepare dough. If the dough turns very loose it might absorb more oil and chakkuli will not be proper. If the dough turns very thick, you may have to put your energy to press the mould to prepare chakkuli. Poori dough consistency will be perfect. Adding more oil to fry is an option. I use minimum oil to fry. Fine rice powder should be used.
Time : 30 to 35 Minutes.
30 to 40 Chakkulis can be made. ( According to size ).

Chakkuli and Ompudi Plates.

You can also prepare Ompudi /thin khara Sev with the same mix and using Khara Sev plate.

Ompudi - Plate 

Millet Mirchi Bajji /Fried Fritters

Mirchi bajji is famous fried fritters these days. Mirchi bajji goes well with a cup of coffee/chai or any other fruit juice.

I have tried this Mirchi bajji using millet flour, besan /channa dal flour, curry leaves chutney powder and other spices. Just wanted to try this fritter with millet flour and it has turned nicely with crispy and soft texture. It has a good taste and of course it is a good choice for having with lunch as a bite by the side.
Let us see the reciepe Now :

Things needed :

Mirchi /Bajji Chilli : 3 to 4
Millet flour : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Besan / Channa Dal Flour : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Curry Leaves Chutney Powder : 1 Tablespoon
Chilly powder : 1/2 Teaspoon
Jeera / Cumin Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Salt : As required
Oil : to Fry : 1 Cup

Method :

1. Wash and remove the seeds in Chilly. Slit them in the middle. / You can cut them into two in the middle.
2. Take a big bowl and add millet flour, besan / channa flour, curry leaves chutney powder, salt, chilly powder and jeera/cumin seeds. Mix it well.
3. Add water and prepare the batter. ( Let it be medium thick).

4. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add a cup of oil. Let it get hot.
5. Dip each chilly in the batter you have prepared and fry them on medium flame.

6. Turn the other side and fry till they turn golden brown.

7. Remove from the oil and put it on a kitchen tissue.

8. Millet Mirchi Bajji /Fried fritter is ready to serve.

9.Repeat the same and prepare the remaining bajji.
10 Serve as you wish, with a cup of coffee / tea or a cup of juice or for lunch as a bite like papad.

Note :

Careful while you prepare the batter. Let the batter be medium thick. Adding any spice is optional. Curry leaves chutney powder adds to the taste. Adding more chilly powder is optional.
Fry on medium flame so that it cooks well and chilly turns crunchy.
I have the big chilly into two. So that it is easy to fry. No cooking soda is used here.
Time : 20 Minutes.
Serves : 2 to 3.

Roasted Chenna - Avalakki Chakkuli

ಚಕ್ಕುಲಿ/ ಚಕ್ಲಿ ಚಕ್ಕುಲಿ/Chakkuli is a famous fried crispy and crunchy munching snack. 

There are many ways to prepare this Chakkuli/Chakli. I have tried and tasted varieties of chakkuli.
Here is one more way that you can prepare yummy, crispy chakkuli and you can enjoy then at any time of the day.
All you need is fine variety of rice flour, avalakki/thick variety of poha, roasted chenna and little butter. Red chilly powder, sesame seeds, jeera / cumin seeds and salt.
Let us see the recipe now :

Things Needed :

Rice Flour : 3 Cups
Avalakki/Thick Variety of Poha : 1 Cup
Roasted Chenna/Huri Kadale /Putaani : 3/4 Cup.
Salt : As required
Sesame seeds : 1 Tablespoon
Chilly Powder : 1 Teaspoon
Butter : 2 Tablespoons
Oil : 2 Cups ( To Fry chakkuli ).
Chakli Mould .

 

Method : 

1. Clean sesame seeds and keep it aside. ( I have used black sesame seeds).
2. Clean and powder avalakki in a dry mixi jar. ( It should be fine powder).
3. Powder roasted chenna and keep it aside.

4. Take a big bowl and put rice powder, ground avalakki, ground roasted chenna, butter, rice flour, salt, sesame seeds, red chilly powder and mix it nicely.
5. Add water ( little by little) and mix all the ingredients nicely and prepare chakkuli dough.

6. Keep a frying pan on the fire and heat. Add oil, let it get hot. ( On medium flame).
7. Divide the chakkuli dough into small portions.
8. Wash chakli mould and fill in small portion of the dough and roll the top portion of the mould.

9. Squeeze out chakli dough in hot oil and fry on both sides till they turn slightly golden brown.

 10. Remove the done chakkuli and put it on a kitchen tissue, so that extra oil will be absorbed by the tissue.

11. Prepare chakkuli with remaining dough.

12. Let it cool. Put them in a air tight box and serve/eat.

  Note :

The chakli dough should be soft, you need to kneed the dough nicely. It should not be watery. ( It might absorb more oil). Adding chilly powder is optional. Adding white sesame seeds is optional. Do not add more butter. The dough will turn very soft and it will be curdled in oil while frying.
Time : 40 Minutes.
Serves : 2 Medium sized bottles.