Shakkarpara Recipe With Wheat Flour–Wheat Flour Shankarpali Recipe

Shakkarpara/ Shankarpali is a most popular North Indian style deep fried snacks recipe prepared during Diwali and Holi festivals. It is popular in Gujarat and Maharashtra. It tastes mildly sweet and is served as a teatime snack. In South India, it is known as sweet maida biscuit. It is usually added in South Indian mixture. I have already shared that recipe HERE. Traditionally shakkarpara is prepared using maida, sugar, ghee and milk or water.

 Today I have shared shankarpali recipe using wheat flour/ atta. I watched few YouTube video recipes and came up with this version. As I wished,  it came out really well. It was super crunchy and mildly sweet in taste. Sendhil and Raksha loved it very much. They started munching even before it cooled down completely. I was very happy that my first recipe for Diwali and it was a big hit with my family.

 There was no big difference in the ingredients and taste of maida Shakkarpara and wheat flour Shakkarpara. Only thing is the color of wheat flour shankarpali is darker than maida ones. People who are looking for snacks and sweets using wheat flour must give this a try. You will love it for sure. For healthier options, you can also use jaggery instead of sugar and bake them instead of frying in oil. Ok, lets see how to make Shakkar para with wheat flour.

Check out my sweet maida biscuits and spicy diamond cuts too.

 

Shakkarpara Recipe Using wheat flour - Wheat flour shankarpali

Shakkarpara Recipe Using wheat flour - Wheat flour shankarpali

Cuisine: North Indian

Category: Sweet

Serves: 1 cup

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 20 Minutes

Total time: 30 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup = 250 ml Wheat flour / Atta - 1 cup Semolina / Sooji / Rava - 1 tbsp ( fine or coarse) Melted ghee - 2 tbsp Sugar - 1/4 cup Water - 1/4 cup (adjust upto 1/3 cup) Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp Cooking oil - to deep fry

HOW TO MAKE SHAKKARPARA WITH WHEAT FLOUR

1. To make Shakkarpara, heat sugar and water in a kadai.
2. After the sugar is melted, switch off the flame.
3. Add ghee, cardamom powder and set aside to cool.
4. Add wheat flour, sooji, a pinch of salt and make a non-sticky dough.
5. Roll to a thick chapathi and cut into squares.
6. Heat oil to deep fry. Drop a batch of Shakkarpara and deep fry till golden in medium flame.
7. After the bubbles cease, remove the Shakkarpara and cool down to become crunchy.
8. Store in a box and enjoy for a week.

SHAKKARPARA WITH WHEAT FLOUR - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

In a kadai, take sugar and add water, ghee. Heat and melt the sugar. No need to bring any consistency. Switch off the flame. Add cardamom powder. Mix well. Let the sugar water cool down completely. Add wheat flour, semolina / sooji, a pinch of salt and mix well. Knead to a smooth, non sticky dough. Roll into thick 1 inch chapathi and trim the cracked edges. Cut into small squares using a knife or a pizza cutter. Finish the entire dough by making shapes. Collect them in a bowl. Heat oil to deep fry. Drop a pinch of dough. If it rises to the top immediately, oil temperature is correct.  Fry the Shakkarpara in batches in low to medium flame till bubbles cease completely. As soon as you put the shakkarpara in oil, do not disturb it for a minute. It will break it you touch it now. Let it cook in low flame. Then flip and toss it gently. Toss it whenever needed for uniform color. Color of wheat flour shankarpali would be darker than maida ones. So do not panic. Try to cook in low flame patiently by tossing it regularly. It helps to get nice golden color as shown in the pictures. But remember to remove them only after the bubbles cease. Remove them in a tissue paper. It tastes soft when hot. But it becomes crunchy once it cools down completely. Deep fry all the Shakkarpara in batches. Cool down and store in a box. It stays good for one week to 10 days. Enjoy !

Note

You can add sugar and water up to 1/3 cup based on the quality of wheat flour because some flour takes more water while kneading the dough. Deep fry shakkarpara only in low to medium flame else the outer layer darkens soon without cooking inside. So the next day it will become soggy and soft. Similarly deep fry all the batches properly. Even if one batch is not fried well, it will spoil the entire sweet. So please fry them patiently.

Try this yummy shakkarpara with wheat flour, you will love it !

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Thattai Murukku Recipe – Thattai Recipe - Thattu Vadai Recipe

Thattai @ thattu vadai @ thattai murukku @ elladai @ nippattu  @ chekkalu ( ppaahh, so many names 😃) is one of my most favorite South Indian snacks recipe. Usually thattai is prepared with rice flour, urad dal flour, butter or oil. But nowadays in many snack shops, thattu vadai is prepared using maida/ all purpose flour, pottukadalai maavu (fried gram dal flour), vanaspathi and cooking soda to make it white, crispy and melt in mouth. But I followed a traditional Tamil style thattai recipe from one of my old cookbooks. It comes out golden brown in color and tastes crispy, slightly hard just like the way it should be. 

Traditionally thattu vadai is prepared using homemade processed rice flour but today I have shared the same recipe using store bought idiyappam flour to ease the job. In my family, we don’t have the practice of making thattai for Krishna jayanthi. But many people make elladai / thattai for this festival. So I thought of sharing this easy, crispy thattu vadai recipe with you all as my Gokulashtami special recipe. Lets see how to make Tamilnadu style thattai recipe with step by step pictures.  

Check out my other Gokulashtami recipes in THIS LINK.

Thattai recipe / Thattu vadai Recipe

How to make thattai / thattu vadai with store bought rice flour, urad dal flour and butter

Cuisine: South Indian

Category: Snacks

Serves: 25 nos

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 5 Minutes

Total time: 15 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup = 250ml Idiyappam flour - 1 cup Roasted urad dal flour - 3 tsp / 1 tbsp Melted butter - 1 tbsp Soaked chana dal or fried gram dal/ pottukadalai - 1 tbsp Red chilli powder - 1 tsp Asafetida / Hing - 1/4 tsp Black sesame seeds - 1 tsp Chopped curry leaves - 2 tsp Salt & water - as needed Cooking oil -  to deep fry

HOW TO MAKE THATTAI

1. In a wide bowl, mix all the ingredients, butter.
2. Mix well. Add water gradually and make a smooth dough.
3. Take a big gooseberry sized ball. Pat in a greased zip lock cover.
4. Prick with a toothpick. Arrange the thattai in a cloth and rest for 10 minutes.
5. Deep fry both sides till bubbles cease. Remove and drain in a tissue paper.
6. Store in a box after it cools down. Stays crispy for one to 2 weeks.

THATTAI MURUKKU RECIPE - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

Wash and soak 1 tbsp chana dal in required water for an hour. In a wide bowl, take the rice flour, roasted urad dal flour, salt, sesame seeds, hing, chopped curry leaves, soaked & drained chana dal or fried gram dal. Add melted butter and mix well. Make sure butter is mixed well with the flour. Add water gradually and make a smooth, non- sticky dough.  Make big gooseberry sized balls and keep it covered with a wet cloth till use.   Take 2 zip lock covers or any thick sheets. Grease with oil and place a dough ball over one sheet. Cover with another sheet. Take a small bowl and press the dough to make a flat and thin circle. To make crispy thattai, pat it thin. You can cut the thattai into perfect round shapes with the bowl if you like. Shape all the balls into thin circles.  Carefully remove the thattai. If the thattai breaks while patting or removing it, dough is dry. So sprinkle little water to the dough and then make shapes. Remove the thattai from Zip lock cover and arrange them in a cotton cloth to absorb extra moisture. Let it rest for 10 minutes. Heat oil to deep fry. Drop a pinch of dough into hot oil. If it rises to the top immediately, oil temperature is right. Now keep the flame medium and drop the thattai. Cook both the sides till bubbles cease and becomes golden brown. Drain in a tissue and store in an air tight box after it cools down.Stays good for 2 weeks !

Note

Prick the thattai with a fork without fail. It prevents the thattai from puffing up. Oil temperature should be perfect. If the oil is too hot, thattai becomes golden brown without cooking properly. Cook slowly in medium flame. Remove the thattai only after the bubbles cease completely else it will become chewy. Pat it thin and even else it won’t cook perfect. To make crispy thattu vadai, pat it thin.

Try this crunchy thattai murukku and enjoy !

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Chiroti Rava Kesari Bath Recipe – Chiroti Rava Recipes

Kesari bath is one of the most popular sweets and breakfast recipe in Karnataka. It can be prepared using chiroti rava / fine rava or coarse upma rava/ Bombay rava. I have already shared a rava kesari bath recipe using Bombay rava (Sooji, Semolina, Upma rava). Today I have shared Karnataka hotel style chiroti rava kesari bath recipe learning from my School moms friend Tara. 

Recently I tasted Chow chow bath from a popular restaurant here in Bangalore. They served Pineapple kesari bath and uppittu recipes along with coconut chutney. In that, I found Kesari bath with Pine apple is prepared using chiroti rava and rava uppittu with upma rava. So I too prepared the same at home and made chow chow bhath for our weekend breakfast. It came out really well equal to hotel taste.

 I am planning to make a post about chow chow bath this weekend. Before that, I wanted to share kesari bhath and uppittu recipes. Recently I posted rava uppittu recipe. Today lets see how to make Karnataka style chiroti rava kesari bath with step by step pictures and video !

Soon I will try to share banana kesari bath recipe that is prepared as prasadam for Sathya Narayana Pooja and Varamahalakshmi festival. Now don’t forget to check my fool proof recipe of Rava kesari for beginners and my collection

 of 12 Kesari varieties !

Chiroti Rava Kesari Bath Recipe - Karnataka Rava Kesari

Karnataka style rava kesari using chiroti rava / fine rava

Cuisine: Karnataka

Category: Sweet

Serves: 4

Prep time: 5 Minutes

Cook time: 15 Minutes

Total time: 20 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup = 250ml Chiroti rava / Fine semolina/ Fine sooji – 1/2 cup Sugar – 1 cup Water – 2 cups (1:4 rava & water ratio) Cooking oil – 2 tbsp ( Use refined oil) Melted Ghee – 1/2 cup Cardamom powder or pineapple essence – 1/2 tsp Cloves – 2 nos Cashews and dry grapes - Few Yellow food color - A pinch Salt - A pinch Pineapple pieces - 1/4 cup ( Mix with 1 tbsp sugar), optional.

HOW TO  MAKE KESARI BATH

1. In a kadai, heat 1 tbsp ghee. Roast cashews, dry grapes and cloves till golden.
2. Add fine rava and roast for 5 minutes.
3. Boil water adding food color. Add to the rava in low flame. Mix without lumps.
4. Cover cook for 5 minutes. Add sugar and mix without lumps.
5. Add 1tbsp ghee at regular intervals. Mix till kesari becomes non-sticky like halwa and release ghee in sides. Remove from kadai.
6. Transfer to a bowl. Scoop with a ladle. Serve hot or warm for best taste !

KESARI BATH - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

In a bowl, boil 2 cups of water adding 2 pinches of yellow food color. Let the water roll boil in medium flame. If you are using pineapple pieces or pineapple crush, you should add in this water. But soak the pineapple pieces in 1 tbsp sugar for 10 minutes before adding to water.   At the same time, take a good non-stick kadai. Add 1tbsp ghee. Roast the cashews, dry grapes and cloves. Add rava to it and roast in medium flame. Keep mixing the rava to avoid getting burnt. (Some people remove the roasted cashews +dry grapes in a plate and add at the end. But I add rava directly just like hotel ones.) Lower the flame completely or switch it off. Add the hot water carefully to the roasted rava. It splashes. So please be careful. Mix quickly without forming lumps.  Switch on the stove and increase the flame to medium. Keep mixing till all the water is absorbed by the rava. It becomes thick. Cover the kadai with a lid. Cook for 5 minutes in low flame. After the rava is cooked well and soft, add sugar to it. Mix well. Sugar melts and kesari becomes watery. Mix in low to medium flame till thick. Mix 1/2 cup melted ghee + 2 tbsp cooking oil (use flavorless oil like refined oil) in a bowl. Add 1tbsp of ghee to the kesari mixture. Mix till ghee is absorbed by the kesari. Again add 1tbsp and stir till its absorbed. Repeat the same till all the ghee is used.  Stir in low to medium flame. Do not cook in high flame as the kesari may turn chewy and hard. By this time, kesari becomes non-sticky like halwa. It leaves the sides and bottom of kadai completely, add the remaining ghee if any.  Keep cooking in low to medium flame. Kesari starts to release ghee in the corners slightly. Touch the kesari and check if its non-sticky. Remove in a bowl. It falls easily without any traces in the kadai. This kesari bath would be goey in consistency when hot. But it becomes slightly thick and scoop-able when warm. Pictures are taken after its warm. Scoop with a ghee greased ladle and serve hot in a bowl or plate. Enjoy !  PS : You can reheat it anytime before serving.For this, take a kadai and heat the required amount of kesari in medium flame. Do not add water or ghee. Just keep mixing. It will become hot and starts to release the ghee. Remove and serve hot. You can also reheat in microwave by keeping in high power for one to 2 minutes. Mix it once in the middle.

Note

Add 3/4 cup of sugar for mild sweet taste. Please do not reduce the quantity of ghee and oil. It helps to give softness to the kesari. If needed, you should add 1 to 2 tbsp more than the mentioned quantity.  In hotels, they usually add more vanaspati and less ghee. But its not healthy.  Addition of cooking oil helps to maintain the texture of kesari else it will harden as it cools down. But you can skip and add more ghee if you like.  Do not use ground nut oil or any other oil with strong smell. Use odorless and colorless oil. Refined oil is the best. If adding pineapple pieces, mix with some sugar. Let it soak. for 15 minutes. Add the pineapple pieces to the water. Boil till its cooked. Then add the water to the kesari. For beginners, please check my kesari bath recipe using Bombay rava. I have mentioned an easy, fool proof method.

Easy, yummy Karnataka style Chiroti rava kesari is ready to serve. Tastes delicious !!

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Mawa Ladoo Recipe In Microwave – Khoya Laddu Recipe

My regular readers are well known of my Thursday Guru pooja and Friday Lakshmi pooja. For pooja neivedyam/prasad, I keep trying varieties of sweets. It may be traditional or unusual sweets, I am trying it every week. Last week I tried South Indian style easy peanut ladoo for my Thursday pooja. So this week I thought of trying some North Indian sweets. 

I prepared this easy, yummy mawa ladoo / khoya laddu in microwave following Nisha Madhulika’s recipe. Though its my first attempt, it came out really well. Its so easy and quick to make. Fuss free recipe ! Usually North Indians make Sooji khoya laddu, besan khoya ladoo, khoya coconut laddu and khoya dry fruits laddu. Apart from these laddu varieties, many of you would have tried khoya burfi or gulab jamun with khoya. Do try this khoya ladoo for a change. I am sure you will love it. Its tastes is similar to doodh peda. Ok, lets see how to make mawa ladoo recipe with step by step pictures. 

Mawa ladoo recipe / Khoya laddu in microwave

Mawa ladoo recipe in microwave

Cuisine: North Indian

Category: Sweets

Serves: 5 

Prep time: 2 Minutes

Cook time: 2 Minutes

Total time: 4 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup - 250ml Unsweetened khoya / Mawa - 1/2 cup Powdered sugar - 1/4 cup Cardamom powder - 1/8 tsp Cashew nuts - few(roasted), Optional

HOW TO MAKE MAWA LADOO / KHOYA LADOO

1. In a microwave bowl, take the khoya/ mawa.
2. Crumble it slightly. Microwave in high power for 1 minute.
3. Remove the bowl and stir it well.
4. Microwave again for one minute. Remove, stir well and let it cool down.
5. Add powdered sugar and cardamom powder. Shape into ladoo.
6. Finish it within a day or two !

METHOD - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

Take the mawa/ khoya and measure 1/2 cup from it. Keep it in a microwave safe bowl. Crumble slightly. Cover the bowl with a microwave safe plate. Microwave in high power ( 800w) for one minute.  Remove the bowl and stir the khoya with a spoon. Again cover it and microwave for one more minute in high power. Remove the bowl and mix well. Khoya may be golden brown in color slightly. Do not panic. But make sure its not burnt. Transfer the khoya to a plate immediately and let it cool down completely. In the mean time, take the sugar and 2 cardamom seeds in a mixie jar. Grind to smooth powder. Set aside. Take the khoya and crumble it finely with your fingers. Add the powdered sugar to it and mix well. Check for taste and add more sugar if needed.  If using roasted cashews, add at this stage. I din't use it. Take a portion of the khoya, roll tightly and make ladoo. Shape the laddu and serve immediately. Store in a box and enjoy for one or two days. This ladoo stays good for 2 days. It tastes more like doodh peda.  I decorated the ladoo by keeping a color dot and melon seed on top. Enjoy !

Note

Make sure not to burn the khoya while you microwave. If the power of microwave is more ( 900W or more) reduce the cooking time to 1 minute 30 seconds. Over cooking makes the khoya hard and chewy. Adjust the quantity of powdered sugar based on your taste. I feel 2:1 ratio of khoya and sugar is sufficient.

Do try this easy, yummy khoya ladoo and share your feedback with me !!

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Maida Halwa Recipe - How To Make Maida Halwa With Video

 

Maida halwa recipe with step by step pictures. I tried this easy, Instant maida halwa recipe from Aval Vikatan’s 30 vagai kalyana samayal supplementary book. This halwa is titled as Karandi halwa in that book. I followed the same recipe but tweaked the method slightly to make pieces like the maida halwa I tasted in sweet shops. Maida/ All purpose flour, sugar and ghee are the major ingredients. 

Basically I am a big fan of Kerala maida halwa. But Kerala halwa ingredients and method of preparation is different from this easy maida halwa. For this halwa, we don’t have to ferment the maida milk. It can be prepared instantly like Corn flour halwa / Karachi halwa but it takes 20 to 30 minutes to reach the final stage. We need to stir constantly but its worth the effort. If you want to make chewy and hard halwa, you need to cook the halwa for more time, may be one hour. I removed the halwa as soon as it started to ooze out the ghee in the corners. 

Beginners can easily try this recipe as there are less chances of going wrong. I have also taken a video for clear understanding. Please watch it below.  Friends, do try this easy maida flour halwa during this summer vacation. You don’t have to wait for Diwali. You will love its taste. For variations, you can use jaggery instead of sugar but taste and texture would be completely different.

If you feel this halwa is unhealthy, just think about eating parotta, jalebi or samosa made of maida. You won’t feel guilty. After all, we are making it once or twice in a year. So Its not a sin. Eat this halwa and do some workouts.  If you still feel bad,  you can try my Instant wheat flour halwa.

Lets see how to make this easy, yummy, maida flour ka halwa with step by step pictures and video.

Check out my easy Tirunelveli halwa using wheat flour.

Maida Halwa Recipe

Maida halwa recipe - Easy, Instant halwa with maida, sugar and ghee

Cuisine: Indian

Category: Sweets

Serves: 10

Prep time: 5 Minutes

Cook time: 20 Minutes

Total time: 25 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup = 240ml Maida / All Purpose flour – 1/2 cup Water – 1.5 cups Yellow Food color – a pinch Sugar - 1 cup Melted Ghee – 1/2 cup Cooking oil – 3 tbsp (Use flavorless oil) Cardamom powder – 1/2 tsp Chopped nuts – 2 tbsp (Use cashews, melon seeds)

METHOD

1. Mix maida, water and food color without lumps. Set aside.
2. Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a non-stick kadai. Roast cashews till golden.
3. Add maida water and mix in low flame till thick.
4. Add sugar, mix till it dissolves.
5. Add 1 tbsp of ghee + oil at regular intervals. Mix well.
6. At one stage, halwa starts to ooze out ghee in the corners.
7. Add cardamom powder, nuts. Mix well and transfer to a pan.
8. Cut into pieces when warm. Serve & enjoy !
9. For chewy halwa, cook for more time in high flame.

METHOD - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

In a wide bowl, take maida, water and food color. Whisk without lumps. Set aside. Mix melted ghee + oil in a bowl and keep it ready. In a good non-stick kadai, heat 1 tbsp ghee+oil and roast the cashews till golden. Add maida water and mix well without lumps. Mix till thick in low flame. Add sugar and mix in medium flame till sugar dissolves completely. Add 1 tbsp ghee+oil and mix till it gets absorbed by the halwa. As soon as you add the ghee, it becomes easier to stir the halwa. But when the ghee is absorbed by the halwa, it thickens and you feel difficult to mix it. So add 1 tbsp of ghee+oil mixture again. Repeat the same process till all the ghee+oil is added to the halwa. By now halwa leaves the sides of pan, rotates with the ladle. It would become non-sticky and shiny. Increase the flame to high. Keep mixing till halwa starts to ooze out ghee in the sides of pan. Touch the halwa to see its completely non-sticky. It takes 20 to 25 minutes to reach this stage. If not, add little more ghee or oil and stir for few more minutes. Do not remove the halwa till it starts to ooze the ghee. I have marked with arrows in the below picture. Patience is important here. Please watch the video for better understanding. At this stage, reduce the flame to low. Add cardamom powder and melon seeds. Stir till all the nuts spreads well. Switch off the flame. Transfer the halwa into a ghee greased bowl. I used my square shaped cake pan. Press it well with a ladle. Let the halwa set for an hour and becomes warm. Invert in a plate. Now mark shapes with a ghee greased knife. Make pieces and serve. This halwa stays good for a week without refrigeration. Enjoy ! NOTE : If you want to make chewy halwa, Cook for more time in high flame  till all the ghee comes out from the halwa. Set for one day. It tastes chewy and hard the next day.

Note

Do not reduce the quantity of sugar. Halwa tastes like porridge and you won’t get the proper consistency. If you are sweet toothed, you can increase the quantity of 2.25 cups. Similarly do not reduce the quantity of ghee because halwa sticks to your tongue while you eat. Addition of cooking oil helps the halwa to ooze out ghee quickly. So do not skip it. You can use coconut oil instead of cooking oil if you like. If you don’t want to make pieces, you can just scoop the halwa with a ladle and serve it. This is called as Karandi halwa in Tamil.

Try this easy, yummy maida halwa at home and enjoy your special occasions !

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Chettinad Kalkandu Vadai Recipe - Sweet Medhu Vada / Sweet ulundhu vadai With Video

Kalkandu Vadai (Sugar candy vada) is a Chettinad Special Sweet Medhu Vada Recipe/ sweet ulundhu vadai made especially for Diwali and Thirukarthigai Deepam festivals. Recently we had a 2 days trip to Karaikudi, Chettinad just to explore its food and other specialties. We relished an elaborate, traditional Chettinad lunch at “The Bangala” and had a pleasant stay at “Chidambara Vilas” heritage hotel. In this trip, I got a chance to taste most of the Chettinad special delicacies like Kandarappam, Vellai paniyaram with kara chutney, Thalicha idiyappam, Kosumalli, Kondakadalai Mandi, Getti kuzhambu, Paruppu urundai kulambu, More kulambu, Milagu kulambu, Payasam, some poriyal , pachadi and kootu varieties. 

We bought all the Chettinad specialty snacks from Soundaram Aachi stores. I also bought a kg of white raw rice / Maavu arisi and murukku press near Koppudai amman temple street for making Chettinad thenkuzhal by enquiring the staffs in Soundaram aachi kadai. I visited the antique stores to buy some props for blog but I din’t buy anything as I found them too costly and not worthy for its price. Finally I bought 2 Chettinad Cotton sarees as well. Totally it was a memorable one to cherish for years. Soon I will try to make a separate post about our trip in detail with all the pictures. 

After this trip, I got tempted to try some Chettinad recipes in my kitchen and share with my readers. So I bought “100 Chettinad recipes cookbook “ and started trying them one by one. Last week Sendhil’s friends visited us. Luckily I came to know that they are from Chettinad . I became very happy and passed this book to her to know the authenticity of the recipes given in the book. Thanks a lot Mrs. Inba Venkatesh. She explained each and every recipe along with few corrections. She told me to try this Kalkandu vada as its one of the most special snacks recipe of Chettinad. So I tried this recipe referring the cookbook and few Youtube videos. Even though its my first attempt, it came out really well. I am very happy with the result. It tasted crispy outside and very soft inside. Its so easy to make too. Lets see how to make Chettinad special Kalkandu vadai with step by step pictures.

Check out my other Chettinad recipes in this LINK.

Kalkandu Vadai Recipe - Sweet Medhu Vada

Kalkandu vadai - Sweet medhu vada made with urad dal and sugar candy.

Cuisine: South Indian

Category: Sweet

Serves: 6

Prep time: 60 Minutes

Cook time: 10 Minutes

Total time: 70 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup = 250ml White round Urad dal - 1/2 cup Raw rice - 1 tbsp Sugar candy / Kalkandu - 1/3 cup ( I used diamond kalkandu) Salt - A pinch Cooking oil - to deep fry vada

HOW TO MAKE SWEET ULUNDHU VADAI - METHOD

1. Wash and soak urad dal and rice in a bowl adding water for one hour.
2. In a mixie jar, grind sugar candy to smooth powder. 
3. To this powder, add the soaked dal +rice by draining the water completely.
4. Grind to a smooth paste without adding water.
5. Add salt to the batter, mix well and keep aside.
6. Heat oil and make vada. Deep fry both sides till golden.
7. Remove and enjoy hot !

METHOD - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

Wash and soak urad dal and raw rice in a bowl adding enough water. Soak for one hour.  In a big mixie jar, powder the sugar candy/ kakandu smoothly. Alternatively you can use sugar instead of sugar candy. Take the soaked dal+rice and drain the water completely. Add the soaked dal+ rice to mixie jar. Grind to a smooth paste without adding water. Powdered kalkandu helps to grind the dal smooth without water.  So do not add water, just wipe the sides of mixie jar and grind continously to make a smooth batter.  Transfer the batter to a bowl, add salt just before making vada. Mix well with a spoon to prevent batter becoming watery.Keep aside. Add 1/2 cup of water to the mixie jar and grind it to wash the jar. Transfer to another bowl and use this water for dipping your hands while shaping the vada. If you fry the vada later, you can refrigerate the batter till use.  Heat oil in a kadai and when it gets heated , drop a pinch of batter to check the heat of oil. If the batter rises to the top immediately, oil temperature is correct. Now lower the flame to medium and drop the vada.  Dip your fingers in water and take a small portion of batter from one corner of the bowl. Make a ball, flatten it slightly and make a hole in the center. Turn your hand upside down. Drop the vada in oil by slightly tilting your fingers. Make 2 to 3 vada per batch. Cook in medium flame by flipping it whenever needed. Cook till golden brown on both the sides.  Do not cook these vada in high flame because vada turns black quickly because of sugar candy.So cook patiently in low to medium flame. .Remove the vada in a tisue paper and serve hot. You can refrigerate the remaining batter for 2 days and make vada at your will. Enjoy ! This vada stays good for 2 to 3 days.

Note

If you don't have sugar candy, you can use sugar. Never use water for grinding the batter. Cook in low to medium flame patiently. If the vada absorbs more oil, add 1 to 2 tsp of rice flour to the batter. Do not add salt while grinding the batter. It makes the batter watery.

Try this easy, yummy, sweet urad dal vada / Kalkandu and enjoy !

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