Boondi laddu

Ingredients:

besan/chickpea flour : 2 cups

sugar : 1 cup

dry fruits (raisins and cashew nuts) : 25 gms

cardamom powder : 1/4 tsp

camphor : a pinch

saffron : a pinch

oil : for deep frying

First make sugar syrup with one thread consistency by pouring little water to the sugar and bringing it to a boil. Then switch off the flame and add the cardamon powder, camphor and saffron to it and keep aside.

Next mix the besan with water to make a thick batter. Heat oil in a vessel . Now pour the besan batter on the boondi ladle and tap it . Fry till it is golden brown in colour and immediately pour it into the sugar syrup. If the boondi is not round, check the batter by adding water or besan. Finally fry the dry fruits too and add to the sugar syrup. Mix it thoroughly and allow it to cool for some time. Now make small balls out of it and serve it.

potato jamoon

Ingredients :

potatoes : 2 or 3 big

maida : 1/2 cup

sugar : 2 cups

cardamom powder : a pinch

edible camphor : a pinch

saffron : a pinch

oil : for deep frying

First boil the potatoes and mash them into fine paste. Now make the sugar syrup by adding little water to the sugar and boiling it till u get one string consistency. Add in the cardamom, edible camphor and saffron to it and switch off the stove. Add the maida and make a dough similar to the poori dough. Now make small balls out of the dough and deep fry them in medium hot oil. Immediately put them in the sugar syrup and remove them after they increase in volume. The potato jamoons are ready to be served.

Kobbari laddu / Coconut sweet

Ingredients :

grated coconut : 2 cups

sugar : 1.5 cup

cardamom powder : a pinch

nuts and rasins : few (optional)

Ghee or clarified butter : 2 tbsp

First heat a pan and put in the wet grated coconut. Cook for about 5 minutes. Now pour in the sugar and keep mixing so that the coconut gets cooked up well. Add the ghee and cardamom powder along with nuts and rasins. Mix up properly and let it cool. Now make lime size balls and enjoy them for up to a week.

Note : U can also use jaggery instead of sugar for a different variation.

Bobbatlu / puran poli / sweet bread

Ingredients :

Chana dal : 1 cup

Jaggery : 1 cup powdered

cardamom : 2 pods powdered finely

Saffron : a pinch

edible camphor : a small pinch

maida / sooji fine / wheat flour : 1 cup

oil : 1/2 cup

Pressure cook the chana dal and drain off the excess water. Do not throw away as u can use it to make rasam/soup if u wish. Now sprad the dal on paper towels inorder to remove the excess water. After some time grind it into a fine paste without adding water. Keep aside.

In a bowl mix the sooji/maida/wheat flour with water to make a smooth dough like a chapati dough and smear it with oil and keep covered for about 30 minutes.

In the meanwhile put a thick nonstick pan on the stove and add in the jaggery without adding water. Keep stirring until the whole jaggery is dissolved. Now add the ground chana dal paste and keep mixing so that no lumps are formed. Add in the cardamom, camphor and saffron also. Cook until the raw smell goes off and cool for sometime. Make small balls of this mixture and keep aside.

Now make small chapati with the flour with ur fingers spreading it on a polythene sheet or plastic cover. U can use the oil for spreading. Now put the sweet ball in between and cover from the sides. Again press down with ur fingers to make round shape like a chapati. Heat a tava and fry this chapati on both sides until brown spots appear on both sides. Add oil to the chapati while frying. Repeat the same with the other balls. Remove and serve along with ghee.

Mysorepak

Ingredients :

besan : 1.5 cup
sugar : 2 cups
ghee : 2 cups
water : 1/2 cup

Prepare a one string sugar syrup with water and sugar in a thick bottomed non stick pan. In another vessel heat the ghee and keep it hot on a slow flame. Next pour the besan into the sugar syrup and keep mixing so that no lumps are formed. Keep adding the hot ghee and mixing continuosly until the mixture is cooked well and the ghee starts seperating and bubbles start forming.Immediately spread out on a greased plate and spread out some sugar on top and then cut into cubes. If u still keep it on the stove for some more time it becomes hard. Serve when cooled.

Note : one string sugar syrup is when u can form a small ball with ur fingers when u put the syrup in cold water.

Khajalu

Ingredients :

maida : 2 cups

ghee/clarified butter : 2 tbsp

salt : a big pinch

sugar : 2 cups

oil : for deep frying

cardamom : a pinch

edible camphor : a small piece

soda : a pinch

First take a big bowl and seive the maida so that no lumps are present. Put in the salt, soda, one tsp oil and water to make a soft dough like the chapati dough. Keep covered for about 15 min. Now roll out a big chapati with the dough. (Can be done on the table or counter top.). Spread the ghee on the chapati and sprinkle some sugar and flour on it. Now roll the chapati like a mat. Cut it into small pieces lenghtwise and just press them with hand. Do not press too hard or the layers get stuck.

Take a wide mouthed pan and put the sugar in it. Pour one cup of water and bring it to a boil. The syrup should attain one-thread consistency. Put in the cardamom and camphor. Switch off the stove.

Now place another pan on the stove, pour the oil and heat it. The oil should be medium hot. Drop the pieces one by one and fry till they attain a brown color. Take them out on a paper towel and drain the excess oil.

Put these into the sugar syrup and keep mixing till all the syrup is absorbed by the khajas. Note that the syrup as well as the pieces should not be too hot as the dish gets spoiled while dipping. They should be warm not hot.

Serve after the syrup is absorbed completely.

Nuvvula poornam / Seasme seeds sweet

Ingredients :

All purpose flour / Maida : 1 cup
salt : a pinch
Oil : for deep frying

For stuffing :
seasme seeds : 2 cups
jaggery : 2 cups (powdered)
cardamom powder : a pinch
edible camphor : a pinch

dry nuts : 1/2 cup (sliced cashews, almonda and pista)


Dry roast the sasme seeds in a pan and allow them to cool. Grind into a coarse powder along with the powdered jaggery, cardamom and camphor. It becomes a sticky paste. Add the dry nuts to this mixture. Now make lime size balls and place them aside.

In a bowl take the flour and add a pinch of salt and make a smooth batter adding water. The batter should be of dosa batter consistency. Keep a pan and pour the oil and heat it. Now dip each ball in this batter and put into the oil. Fry until it gets a golden brown color on all sides. Remove and drain the excess oil on paper towels. Serve hot or cold.

Pesara pappu payasam / Moong dal sweet

Ingredients:

pesara pappu/ moong dal : 1 cup

milk: 3 cups

jaggery :1.5 cup

cardamom powder : 1/4 tsp

edible camphor: pinch

saffron(optional) : 3 - 4 strands

ghee or butter: 1/2 stick( 2 tbsp)

nuts and raisins : for garnishing

Soak the (pesara pappu) uncovered split moong dal in water for half an hour. Take a wide non stick pan and put the dal in it along with little water and cook for about 5 minutes. Now add the milk and let it cook for another 5 minutes. Add in the powdered jaggery and keep stirring so that the bottom does not stuck and burnt. Now just when the dal seems to get mushy add in the camphor ,cardamom powder, saffron and ghee and switch off the stove.

Serve garnished hot or cold with nuts and rasins fried in ghee.

Gummadikaya halwa / Pumpkin sweet

Ingredients:

Pumpkin (Gummadikaya) : 1/4 kg

sugar : 200 gms

Ghee (or butter) : 50 gms

cardamom powder : 1/4 tsp

eating camphor : a pinch

sliced almonds : 1 tbsp

First grate the pumpkin. Then place it in a large non stick pan and bring it to boil. The water starts coming out. Now add the sugar and keep mixing it. See that the bottom doesn't get burnt. When all the water evaporates and comes together add the ghee and keep mixing. Also add the cardamom powder, camphor, nuts and then switch off the stove.

Serve it after it cools down.