Coconut Poli ~ How to make Coconut Poli

For Ganesh Chaturthi this year, the new sweet that I decided to make was Coconut Poli. I anyway have to make Dal poli and Kozhukattai, so decided that making Coconut Poli was the best dish to make in the given situation. It turned out so well and I hope Ganeshji was happy with this sweet. 

Exams got over for the kids and they have vacation for the next ten days. I wonder what we are going to plan for their entertainment and keep them occupied, so that they don't get bored and yet learn something new. 

Coconut Poli

Ingredients Needed:

All purpose flour / Maida - 2 cups
Coconut, grated -1 cup
Jaggary - 1 cup
Cardamon powder a pinch
Oil for the dough - 3 tbsp
Oil for cooking 1 tsp for each

How to make the Coconut Poli

For the dough:

In a wide bowl, take the flour, a small pinch of salt, slowly add water to knead to a soft pliable dough. Then add the oil and incorporate well into the dough. Knead till you get the dough soft and non sticky. Cover with a wet muslin cloth and rest for at least 30 mins. For best results you can rest it for atleast an hour or so.

For the stuffing:

Grate the coconut and keep it aside. Melt the jaggary in a pan with just water to cover it. Once it melts, remove the scum and add the grated coconut in and continue cooking with the mix becomes thick to handle and not runny.

Add cardamon powder and switch.

For making the poli.

For step by step pictures refer dal polis

Divide the coconut stuffing into small balls, pinch out small balls of the dough, place the stuffing in the middle and cover on all sides with dough. Flatten using your greased fingers.

Heat a tawa with oil and cook the rolled out polis on both sides.

Serve oil

Mysore Pak (Hard) Recipe | Diwali Sweets

This post is almost a week late in making an appearance. When I think of some of those delicious recipes that are yet to be out, this is fine. I am sure many of you know about the melt in the mouth types of Mysore Pak that's sold in the shops. There is another version of this delicious sweet that's mostly done at home and that's the hard version of Mysore Pak, which has those characteristic honeycomb texture and design. What makes this recipe even more interesting is the fact that you can make this with the leftover sugar from the other sweets.

Imagine after helping Amma so many years in our Deepavali sweets and savories, this simple point somehow missed me. I was so surprised by the innovation our mothers come up with. The sugar syrup that was left out after preparing Kaja, was used to make this Mysore Pak. So you really don't have to worry about the Mysore pak being soft. Harder it is, it's better.

I know the weather right now is not really suitable for sweets, pakodas might be very inviting. It's been pouring non stop for the past week or so. It's been worse today and I came back home early. Riding through the rain, not bothered about getting drenched, enjoying every single moment, makes it so wonderful. Of course one shouldn't think about how unprepared the city is for rains. I wish govt takes some efforts to make things better.

Anyway with the rain lashing at the background, kids studying for their mid terms that's going to start next week, I will leave you with the recipe using leftover Sugar syrup to make Hard Mysore Pak. If you are in mood to savour something that lasts for a while, then this is something that you would choose rather than those melt in the mouth types of Mysore Paks.

This was part of our Deepavali Sweets this year.

Not only has Amma reduced the usage of ghee, she has replaced it with some cooking oil.

For making Mysore Pak, with step by step pictures you can check out the soft version.

Making hard Mysore Pak with leftover sugar syrup after making Kaja.

Mysore Pak (Hard)

Besan / Bengal Gram flour - 1 cup
Sugar - 2 cups
Ghee - 1 cup
Oil - 1/2 cup

Method to prepare:

In a kadai heat ghee and oil together till it is warm. Simmer for couple of minutes.

In another non stick pan, roast the besan on low flame.

Melt the sugar by adding just enough water to cover and remove the impurities.

Continue boiling it for couple of more minutes. Soon you will have a one thread consistency.

Add the besan to the sugar syrup and mix everything together. Then slowly add the ghee oil mix little by little.

Grease a plate or a square tin ready with ghee.

When you are done with all the ghee, continue stirring briskly for another couple of minutes when you see the batter leaving the sides, it means the paak is done.

Immediately pour it on the greased plate. Wait for 10 minutes, before making marks on the top.

Allow it to cool completely before breaking it.

Notes: We had about 1 cup of sugar leftover, we added 1 more cup which needed to be cooked for removing impurities.

Mini Kaja ~ Andhra Sweets | Diwali Sweets | Step by Step Recipes

After a week long holidays on account of Deepavali, the school reopened today for the boys. For Konda the school was closed because of the rains. Whatever was the reason, it so happened that all of them had a long vacation and it was tough for them to get back to school. Anyway one fun part was the fact that the boys were asked to wear colour dress, meaning non uniform. I remember my own childhood, when we all used to go to school in our Deepavali dress and used to check out everybody's new dress. Somehow the feeling is not the same now. It used to be a single dress for us, and we used to make sure we had the best accessories and enjoyed the day to the core.

Somehow I feel that kids these days don't really give much importance to what a festival dress would mean. Each of them get about 3 - 4 dresses and that really makes it very regular. At least the feeling that it's a new dress makes them very excited. Another thing that I noticed on the Diwali eve on the roads, was the fact that almost everybody were seen in new cloths. It was rather interesting factor. What with the insistent rains, it was a scene with everybody trying to cover themselves best.

Another interesting topic will be the movies that get released for the Diwali. Two high budget movies got released and we are waiting for the reviews to come in. Hubby dear is waiting for the booking to be opened, which may not be for another two weeks or so. We are not movie buffs but try to watch movies if they turn out to be interesting.

Coming to the recipe for today, it's another Kaja recipe on showcase. Rather it's the old recipe in new form. Couple of months back, when we eat at Hotel Bliss in Tirupati, I was served a sweet that I don't eat. I requested for a replacement and I was happy to see this treat being offered. It was a kaja in mini version, hot from the pan and such a delight to eat. Ever since then I was telling Amma about it and finally when she made her regular Kajas, I told her that I ought to make a mini version of the kajas, as I had to take for my colleagues.

Taking these mini Kajas were good as nobody has to share or break this delicious sweet. Just pop into your month to enjoy!

The recipe is very much the same as the Bombay Kaja. Only difference is the way you make it. Unlike the Andhra Kaja, where about 3 -4 layers are stacked and then rolled out, this is made with a single layer rolled out and then made.

Mini Kaja
Same as how Bombay Kaja is made.

Ingredients Needed

Maida - 1 & 3/4 cup
Baking Soda - a pinch
Ghee (solid and firm) - 1 tbsp

For Pathir

Rice flour - 2 tbsp
Ghee - 2 tbsp

Oil for deep frying

For Syrup

Sugar - 1 & 1/4 cup
Water - just enough to cover the sugar

How to make Mini :

For the dough:

Sieve the maida with baking soda in a wide bowl. Add the ghee and rub well. Slowly add water and knead to a stiff dough. Let it rest for a while with a wet cloth. By the time we got back to the dough, it was almost 15 - 20 mins.

For the pathir:

In a bowl, add the rice flour and ghee, beat well. When you add more ghee it becomes more flaky.

For the Sugar:

Add the sugar with just enough water to cover. Heat it till the sugar melts. If there are any impurities, remove. Then continue cooking to rolling boil. After 5 -7 mins, take a drop and check if it's reached 1 thread consistency. When you touch between thumb and index finger, you should get a single thread. Switch off the flame.

Rolling out the dough

Divide the dough into equal balls. Take one ball, cover the rest with wet cloth.

Dust the dough well and using a rolling pin, roll out to a medium thickness discs the size of a regular chapati. Spread the pathir all over the surface. Then starting from one side, roll inside as you get a rope. Press well to make sure the rope doesn't get off.

Then cut into small pieces. Again press these small pieces into a slight longer size using a rolling pin, as shown in the picture.

Have everything ready for frying together.

Heat a kadai with oil. When the oil gets hot, simmer. Add the rolled out kaja and cook on both sides.

When it turns colour and cooked on both sides, drain using a spatula and put into the sugar syrup. Let it be for 5 mins, remove to another plate.

Notes:

This variety of Kaja doesn't require resting time. Make the kajas into small shape so that it's easy to make and giveaway.

If you add little more ghee for the pathir, the kajas will be more flaky.

If the sugar syrup gets thick, you can add little more water, bring to boil. Make sure the syrup is thick.

Andhra Special Kaja
Bombay Kaja