Rice Chakuli

Rice Chakuli as the name suggests, is a savoury made out of rice. "Chakuli" is the term used in Konkani language. The Tamilians call it "Murukku" and in the North it is known as "Chakli". This item too  can be prepared with different types of flour combination and each one has a taste of its own. The rice Chakuli however is considered to be the traditional one at least where GSB (konkani) community is concerned.

I do admit, that this Rice Chakuli is slightly more laborious than the ones prepared out of Jawar or any other flour. I have not prepared this since quite sometime. However this Diwali I felt it was worth going through all the trouble once in a way for its wonderful taste!

A Chakuli Mould is necessary to make this savoury.

Rice Chakulis

Chakuli mould

Ingredients : 

Raw Rice	2 cups
Udad Dal (Black gram Dal)	1 cup
Jeera	2 tsps
Butter	1 heaped tbsp
Salt	To taste
Water	About ½ cup
Oil for deep frying

Method :

1. Wash and soak rice in water for about 3 hours.
2. Roast Udad Dal (Black gram dal) in a pan on a low flame till golden brown. Takes about 15 - 20 mins.
3. When cooled, powder it and sift it. Separate the coarse powder from the fine one.
4. After three hours of soaking time, grind the soaked rice along with the coarse udad dal powder with enough water and salt. Remove it in a bowl.
5. Now add jeera (cummin), butter and the fine powdered udad dal to the ground mixture. Mix well into a soft dough. If necesary, add a little water. Keep this covered for an hour before making the Chakulis.
6. After an hour, take enough quantitiy of the dough to fill the Chakuli mould.
7. Make at least six chakulis at a time on a sheet of butter paper. 
8. In the meantime, heat oil in a wok/kadai and when the oil is hot enough gently slide the six chakulis one after another in the hot oil and fry till golden brown.
9. Continue in this manner till all the dough has been utilised.
10. Store in an air-tight container when cooled.

Frying time    :  11/2 hours
Makes           :  58 chakulis



Note:

• The quantity of the Chakulis may vary depending upon the size.
• Keeps for almost a month when stored in an air-tight container.

Pepper Tukdi

"Tukdi" is the konkani word for diamond-shaped savoury. It is prepared in different varieties; such as sweet- tukdi, biscuit-tukdi (shankarpali) and each one is equally tasty. My daughter and my husband prefer "Pepper Tukdi" to other varities and hence I always end up preparing this during Diwali.

It is also prepared with wheat flour and semollina (fine sooji) thereby omitting Maida (all purpose flour) all together. The variety is endless.

Pepper-Tukdi

Tukdi-Cuter

Ingredients:

Maida (all purpose flour)	11/2 cup
Wheat flour	11/2 cup
Freshly ground pepper	2 tbsps
Salt	1 tsp
Oil	1 tbsp
Water	About 1 cup
Oil for deep frying

Preparation time : 30 mins
Frying time         : 1 hour



Method:

1. Mix the maida, wheat flour, pepper, salt and oil (1tbsp) in a bowl.
2. Add water to it, a little at a time to form a soft dough.
3. Divide this dough into 20 balls.
4. In the meantime, heat a kadai/wok with oil on a moderate flame.
5. Roll out one ball at a time into chapati of 1/8 inch thickness.
6. Cut each chappati  with the "Tukdi cutter" diagonally so as to get the shape of a diamond.
7. Separate the pieces and deep fry in oil till crisp and golden brown.
8. Continue in this manner for all the 20 balls.
9. Store in an air-tight container.

Note:

• The quantity of pepper can be increased if you need it more spicy.
• If you do not have a "Tukdi-cutter" you can cut it with a knife.
• Keeps for a month when stored in an air-tight container.
• Do not roll out all the dough at one time as the tukdi will not puff-up while frying.

Churm Oondo

Churm Oondo ('Oondo" Konkani word for laddus) is a typical Konkani sweet and this is the second easiest sweet next to "Sheera" that we all learnt from our mothers as we were growing up. The making of these "Oondos" (i.e. binding the mixture in the palm of your hand to form a laddu) can be done at leisure while watching TV (which I generally do). The whole family can also join in for  making these "Oondos" . However, take care to see that the size is uniformly maintained ! Or else you will have a container filled with Mamma Laddu, Pappa Laddu and Baby Laddus! That is how I learnt to prepare them at a very young age during our school vacations. My brothers too would volunteer to help but they would mostly help out in eating instead of making them !!

"ChurmOondo" apart from being tasty and easy to prepare, the ingredients needed for preparing them, are generally readily available in most homes.

This is also the second item from my "Diwali Sweets" platter. The third being Chocolate Fudge; the recipe for which has already been posted earlier in my blog.

Ingredients :

Wheat flour	2 cups
Besan (gram flour)	4 tbsps
Ghee (clarified butter)	4 tbsps
Raisins	2 tbsps
Cashew nut bits	2 tbsps
Cardamom powder	1 tsp
Powdered sugar	11/2 cups

Method:

1. Wash & fry the raisins and the cashew nuts bits in a little ghee.
2. Pour the remaining ghee in  frying pan, add besan (gram flour) and stir constantly on a medium fire till it gives a nice flavour, but take care to see that it does not turn brown.
3. Add the wheat flour and stir as before till the mixture becomes light brown in colour.
4. Remove from flame and allow it to cool down.
5. When it has cooled down, add powdered sugar, cardamom powder, fried raisins and nuts and mix well.
6. Take some of this powder in the hollow of the palm, press gently and prepare oondos or laddus or balls.
7. In this manner prepare all the laddus and store it in an airtight container.

Makes : 32 laddus

Note :

• The amount of  ghee can be varied. However, if lesser quantity is used, then the laddus will crumble easily. If more ghee is used, then the laddus will be more firm. So the quantity of the ghee can be used according to ones' choice.
• These last for a month when stored in an air-tight container.

Naan-Katai (Indian cookies)

This is my first post after Diwali, you will notice that my blog has got a face-lift. The feed back that I got from time to time from some of you has compelled me to make these changes. My son-in-law was kind enough to help me with these changes. I have changed the colour of the background; I have added a search box wherein you can type the title of any of my recipes to find them quickly and finally buttons for easy and quick sharing on facebook and twitter. Looking forward to more constructive criticism and feed back from you all.

And now that Diwali is over, I am sure all of you have had your fill of Diwali sweets. But as they say, if one has a sweet tooth, one just needs an excuse to have them more! Diwali or no Diwali ! So here is my first Diwali sweet recipe. This one is very easy to prepare and very tasty too. You will just love it. Try it out and see for yourself.

Ingredients:

1 cup - Sifted maida (all purpose flour) or self raising flour
1 tsp -  Baking powder
½ cup - Sifted gram four
½ cup - powdered sugar
½ cup - Ghee (clarified butter)
2tsps - Cardamom powder (freshly ground)
½ tsp - Cinnamon powder (freshly ground)

Garnish:
1tsp - Cardamom powder
1tbsp - Powdered Pistachio nuts


Method:

1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees Centigrade.
2. Combine all the above ingredients (except garnish) in a bowl and knead it well with your hand for 10 minutes.
3. Then divide this into 32 small balls. Roll each ball between two palms till they are smooth (no cracks should appear) and slightly flatten them with your thumb in the cente. Place them on the greased baking tray with an inch space between each.
4. Press a little garnish on top of each flattened ball. Bake on middle rack for 20 minutes.
5. Cool on wire rack.
6. When cooled, store it in an air-tight container.

Preparation time: 20 mins

Baking time       : 20 mins

Note:

• If self-raising flour is used, then omit baking powder.
• It is advisable to sift both the flours together with baking powder (if added) before combining with all the other ingredients.
• Will last for a month if stored in an air-tight container.

Happy Diwali

Diwali also known as the "Festival of Lights" is round the corner and every home is buzzing with activities like spring cleaning, renovating, decorating, preparing sweets or shopping for new clothes and fire crackers and diyas. One can feel the excitement of the festive spirit in the air. All the shops are well lit and decorated offering large discounts to attract customers.

The excitement is contagious because, every year during Diwali once the cleaning and preparation of sweets are completed, I say to myself that from next year I am not going to prepare so many items as it is very exhausting. But as Diwali approaches I seem to get a burst of energy and the process of preparation starts. This time too, I prepared five different varieties – two savories and three sweets and hence I did not find to time to post new recipes in my blog. I shall make up for it after Diwali.

Here’s wishing all my readers and their families a very Happy and a prosperous Diwali.

Watch out for the recipes of these Diwali sweets in my next post.