MIXED DAL LADDU

A touch of more protein to the already healthy sunnundalu........ Chana dal, moong dal and urad dal  along with jaggery and dried nuts makes these tasty and healthy laddus. For all those fussy and picky little  eaters, these laddus does wonders. Give them one each day and they will be out of their nutritional imbalance.

INGREDIENTS

• Urad dal                   1 cup
• Chana dal                 3/4 cup
• Moong dal                3/4 cup
• Jaggery                     1 cup
• Sugar                        1 cup
• Cardamom                6
• Nuts                           cashes almonds walnuts      
• Ghee                         1+1/2 cups

PROCEDURE

On a slow flame dry roast the dals individually. The dal must be fried from the inside but should not get burnt from outside.

Grate the jaggery or make a fine powder if the jaggery is hard.

Powder the sugar too along with cardamom.

Now grind the dals to fine powder.

Now you can dry roast the nuts and powder them too.

Mix in the dal powder, sugar powder and jaggery powder. 

Add the nuts powder and mix well

Add melted ghee little by little and make laddus.

BANDAR LADDU

Located some 60 Kilometers from Vijayawada, Bandar- also called Mahilipatnam- is a town which is  the capital of Krishna district in Andhra Pradesh.  Bandar is Famous for its sweets and beach. Bandar laddu and Bandar halwa are spellbinding for food lovers. There are only a handful of sweet recipes which get their name from the place where they are originated.......Bandar halwa, bandar laddu, Kakinada Kaja, Aatreyapuram putharekulu, Bombay Halwa, kasi halwa and a few more. The taste, flavor and texture of Bandar laddu is awesome. This melt in mouth sweet is also exported to many countries from bandar and it recently got its Geographical indicator tag. 

Also called Thokkudu laddu, this sweet is prepared with Bengalgram flour, jaggery, ghee and nuts. As the name suggests the sweet is hand pounded in a Rock pestle and mortar.  My Mother in-law is famous for making sweets and especially this one. No one other than her in my Family makes this most delicious preparation. Although the process is time taking and tedious, its worth waiting. Today I experimented making the sweet and I am hopeful my son and husband likes it.

I used half and half of sugar and jaggery. Can also use only sugar or only jaggery. 

INGREDIENTS

• Bengal gram flour                        1 cups
• Sugar                                            1 cup
• Jaggery                                         1/2 cup
• Cardamom powder                       1/4 tsp
• Ghee                                             1/2 cup
• Oil                                                for deep drying
• Nuts                                              chopped cashews, almonds(optional)

PROCEDURE

• Take the besan in a wide bowl, add a spoon full of ghee. Add enough water and make dough which is not too thick or too watery. The consistency should be as shown below.

• Take a chakli or murukulu maker and fill it with the  besan batter

• Heat the oil in a deep vessel and make the chakkiralu. Use the medium hole sized disc while making the chakkiralu. Do not over cook the chakkiralu. They should be cooked from inside but should not change the color. 

•  Once they are cool grind to a very fine powder. Takes about 4-5 minutes to grind in a mixie.

•  Keep the powder aside and make the sugar and jaggery syrup.  Mix the sugar and jaggery with a cup of water and bring it to a boil. The syrup should get the right consistency.  It should attain  a one thread consistency. If the syrup is too thin the laddus will be flat and if the syrup is too thick the mix will be crumbly and the ghee will separate from the mixture. 

• Once the syrup gets the one thread consistency, switch off the flame, add the ground chakkiralu powder, cardamom powder, ghee. Mix well.

•  Transfer the mixture to a traditional  pestle and mortar and start pounding. For a easy version transfer the mixture to a  wet grinder. Grind it till you get a smooth consistency of the mixture. 
• Transfer the mixture to a plate, grease your palm with ghee and make laddus when the mixture is still warm. At this stage you can add the nuts while making laddus. I like the  laddu taste as is, so I skipped the nuts. 
• Enjoy with any savory. 

KOVAKAJJIKAYAYALU

One of the sweets which reminds me of my childhood days. One of my aunt in vijayawada used to make these mouthwatering yummy double layer delights very often. Filled with coconut and jaggery laddoo, covered with kova the procedure for the recipe is elaborate in those good old days. But no one want to spend hours before the hot stove. Now a days you get the ready made kova and you can make these kovakajjokayalu in less than an hour. Give then a sure try.

INGREDIENTS
FOR THE OUTER LAYER

1. Kova                           250 Grams(unsweetened)
2. Sugar                          150 Grams
3. Cardamom powder     1tsp

FOR THE COCONUT LADDU

1. Grated coconut             2cups
2. Jaggery                         1+1/2 cups
3. Cardamom powder       1tsp
4. Ghee                             2 Tsp

PROCEDURE

• Heat a pan and add the grated kova, sugar. When the mixture loosens add the ghee and cardamom powder. If the kova is too thick try adding a couple of spoons of milk. Mix well till the kova forms a lump.
• Keep the kova aside.
• For the coconut filling, add the fresh grated coconut, jaggery, cardamom powder, ghee in a thick bottom pan. Keeping the flame low keep stirring till the mixture becomes thick and you are able to make balls.
• Now make balls with the coconut mixture.
• Make kova balls double the size of the coconut balls.
• Flatten the kova ball and keep the coconut mixture inside it, close it again and make a smooth round. 
• Serve with coffee and snacks.

BADUSHA

Badusha is one such recipes which needs perfection. No matter you are cooking for years together and you can do any dish, I am sure you don't get this sweet perfect when you make it for the first time. If you get it perfect sure you are a chef. I have tried it for many times with many different combinations till I achieved soft, light, mouth melting and juicy badushas. Now I am sure I can make them at any time and get the same perfect badushas. Go through my recipe.

INGREDIENTS

• Maida                     3cups
• Ghee                      4Tsp
• Sugar                     1Tsp
• Baking soda           1/4tsp
• Baking powder      1/4 tsp
• Curd                      1 cup
• Sugar                     2 cups
• Water                     1/2cup
• Cardamom             1 tsp(powder)
• Lemon juice           1 tsp
• Oil                         for deep frying

PROCEDURE

In a large bowl add the curd (curd used must be sour), 1 Tsp of sugar, baking powder, baking soda, ghee.

Mix well till a smooth mixture is formed.

Add the maida little by little and mix till you get a crumbling mixture.

Do not knead the dough as you don't want the gluten to be formed.

Make a lump and set side for 30 minutes.

(Add a liitle bit of water if the mixture doesn't form a lump.)

Mean while make the sugar syrup of 1 thread consistency.

Add the cardamom and lemon juice and switch off the flame.

Lemon juice will not solidify the sugar syrup.

Take a lemon size ball of the maida and make into a perfect round.

Flatten the ball a little bit and make a  dent in the middle.

Make all the Badushas.

Heat oil and once the oil is heated completely keep the flame low.

Now drop the badushas into the oil.

Fry for 12 to 15 minutes on very low flame.(Keep the flame low all through frying or else the badushas will remain raw inside.)

When the badushas are fried completely and turn golden brown add them to the sugar syrup.

Soak the badushas for 15 minutes.

Remove onto a plate and let dry.

GODHUMARAVVA PAYASAM

A sweet - perfect for any occasion. Made with broken wheat and jaggery this is perfect on fasting days. More over  this is even more healthy than the traditional paravannam. Give it a sure try in these festival days.

INGREDIENTS

• Broken wheat              1 cup
• Water                           2+1/2 cups
• Milk                            1/2 cup
• Ghee                           2 Tsp
• Cashews                     10
• Raisins                        10
• Cardamom                   1tsp(powder)

PROCEDURE

Cook the wheat with water and when it is completely cooked add the milk.

When the payasam becomes thick add the cardamom and switch off the flame.

Adjust milk according to the payasam consistency you desire.

Fry the cashews and raisins in ghee and add to the Payasam.

Serve hot.

CHIROTI

 A simple sweet, but you need a lot of practice. If you have ever tried the kajalu recipe then I am sure you can make them in the first attempt itself. When made with perfection and love these just melts away in your mouth. 

INGREDIENTS

• Maida                            3 cups
• Sugar                            2 cups
• Ghee                             3+2 Tsp
• Rice flour                     3 Tsp
• Water                           as required
• Oil                               for deep frying
• Cardamom                  1 Tsp(powder)

PROCEDURE

In a bowl,  mix in the maida and 3 tablespoons of ghee. Mix well till a crumbling mixture is formed.

Now add water little by little and make a thick dough just like the puri dough.

Cover and let rest for an hour.

Mix in the rice flour and the remaining ghee and make a thick paste.

Take a big golf ball size dough and roll it into very thin and large chapati.

Roll one more chapati of the same size.

Smear the rice flour paste on one chapati and place the second on it.

Smear some more paste on the top layer and now roll the two chapatis like a mat.

Cut into half inch pieces.

Now roll each piece into round discs.

Deep fry the discs on a medium flame.

Take a very large open pan and add the sugar and water. We will add the fried chiroti and mix them in the same pan so use a large pan.

Make a thick sugar syrup with 2 cups of sugar. Add water just enough to cover the sugar and boil the syrup till you get the ball consistency. 

Add the cardamom powder and switch off the flame

Gently drop the fried chiroti into the sugar syrup. Keep stirring gently till the sugar is well coated and the sugar  begins to solidify.

Remove onto a large plate and let cool.

Serve with a hot cup of coffee. 

RAVVA LADDU 2

A simple ravva laddu  recipe with additional taste enhancers- Cashew powder and Milk powder. Give it a  try and sure your kids will love it.

INGREDIENTS

• Suji                      1cup
• Sugar                   1/2 cup
• Ghee                   3 Tsp
• Cardamom           1/2tsp
• Cashew powder   2 Tsp
• Milk powder        2 Tsp
• Nuts                    2 Tsp
• Milk                     2-3 Tsp

PROCEDURE

Heat the ghee and fry the nuts and set aside.

In the same ghee fry the suji on a very low flame for about 10 to 12 minutes till the raw flavor is gone.

Add the cashew powder  and fry for two more minutes.

Powder the sugar.

Mix in the sugar and milk powder.

When the suji cools a little bit add the sugar and milk powder, fried nuts.

Add a little bit of milk and make the balls.

Don't add too much milk  because the mixture may turn too runny very easily.

PURNALU IN PANIYARAM PAN

Here is the recipe which every sweet lover and diet cautious person should try. Unlike the  traditional festive recipe which is deep fried I made these in paniyaram pan with little bit of oil, reducing the calories. Give it a sure try and enjoy……... HAPPY VARALAKSHMI VRATHAM 

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE STUFFING

• Chana dal                              2cup
• Grated jaggery                      1 cup
• Cardamom powder                1 Tsp

FOR THE OUTER COVERING

• Urad dal                                1 cup
• Rice                                       2cups
• Salt                                        a pinch

PROCEDURE

Soak the rice and dal for 8 to 10 hours and grind them to a fine paste.

Add salt and leave for 4 to 5 hours.

Soak the chana dal too for 4 to 5 hours.

Cook the dal till it is soft but not mushy.

Lay the dal on a paper towel to remove excess water.

Grind to a fine paste but not runny. Add the grated or powdered jaggery, elaichi powder.

Mix well and make small balls. Make the poornalu immediately or else the stuffing becomes runny.

If you are not able to make the balls, cook the stuffing for 10 minutes on a slow flame.

Cool and make the balls.

Heat the paniyaram pan and add some oil in each hole.

Dip the stuffing balls in outer batter and drop them in the paniyaram pan.

Close the lid and cook on a very slow flame.

When the bottom turns golden brown turn the other side and cook with some more oil.

When the poornalu are cooked completely serve hot…….Don't forget the ghee with a  hole in the middle. 

ANNAVARAM PRASADAM

Annavaram Satyanarayana swami temple, located in east godavari district in Andhra pradesh is as famous as the tirumala tirupathi devastanam. And the prasadam served in the temple is also as famous as the tirupathi laddoo. Many of them who do not prefer broken wheat recipes in any form will certainly fall for this prasadam. Made with cracked wheat and jaggery this sweet tastes awesome and one will certainly crave for more. Moreover this is certainly healthy as it is made with cracked wheat and jaggery which are high in fiber and iron respectively.

INGREDIENTS

Cracked wheat                 1 cup
Water                               3 cups
Jaggery                            1 cup
Sugar                               3 Tsp(optional)
Ghee                                4 Tsp
Nuts                                 1/4 cup(your choice)
Cardamom powder          1 tsp

PROCEDURE

Fry the nuts in the ghee and keep aside.
Usually broken wheat which is very thick is used. I prefer bulgur wheat #3.
Cook the wheat in 3 cups of water. I generally pressure cook the wheat ravva. Keep it aside.
Alternatively you can soak the ravva for few hours and cook.
Heat a thick bottom pan and add the jaggery and sugar, a half cup of water. When the jaggery is completely melted and comes to a boil add the cooked ravva.
Cook on a very slow flame. Cover and cook for 20 minutes by mixing intermittently.
Now remove the lid and let the whole halwa form a lump.
Add the nuts along with the ghee and cardamom powder.
Mix well and offer the prasadam to God and serve hot.

SWEET BOONDI

Today I tried to make boondi laddu, but it became a big flop. Every thing went fine until my son started his mischief in the kitchen and the sugar syrup became hard and I ended up with sweet boondi. Finally for those who want to enjoy the boondi laddu but do not know the right consistency of the sugar syrup this is the easy and best way to enjoy the boondi laddu taste. No perfection or experience is needed. Check my procedure.

INGREDIENTS

Chick pea flour                   2 cups
Oil                                       to deep fry
Sugar                                  1 cup
Cardamom powder             1 tsp
Ghee                                   1 Tsp
Nuts                                    3 Tsp

PROCEDURE

Mix water in chick pea flour and make a thin batter like the dosa batter.
The batter should not be too thick or too thin. When you pour the batter in a perforated ladle it should fall into the oil on its own and if the batter is too thin it absorbs too much of oil.
Leave the batter aside and fry the nuts in ghee and set the aside.
Heat oil for deep frying.
By holding the perforated ladle just above the heated oil, pour some batter on it. If the batter falls into the oil it is well and good or else use a small spoon and tap the ladle so that the batter easily falls into the oil.
Now fry till the boondi is crisp and fully cooked from the inside.
Complete the whole boondi in the same procedure.
Now make a thick sugar syrup(vunda pakam) with one cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of water.
(When a little bit of syrup is poured in water it should form a ball.)
Now switch off the flame and add the boondi, cardamom powder, fried nuts in the syrup.
Mix well for 2-3 minutes.
The sugar coats on boondi and forms a white layer while you are mixing itself.
Serve the sweet boondi with any snack.

MINI KAJALU

Kajalu………the very name itself is mouth watering. This famous traditional recipe from Andhra is so delicious that you cannot confine yourself by eating one or two. There are two different types of kajalu. The one that has the sugar syrup coating on the out side and these are available every where through out Andhra. The second type has sugar syrup inside and outside the kajalu. The second one is famously known by the name “Kakinada Kajalu”. The crispy outer shell with the juicy center makes you irresistible and crave for more. I don’t know the procedure for kakinada kajalu, so I confine myself to making the normal kajalu. The right consistency of the sugar syrup is important for making crispy and juicy kajalu.    
INGREDIENTS

• Maida                       2 cups
• Salt                          a pinch
• Oil/ghee                  4 Tsp
• Water                      to make the dough
• Baking soda              a pinch
• Sugar                        2 cups
• Water                      1/2 cup
• Cardamom powder   1/4 tsp
• Oil                             for deep frying
• Ghee                        2 Tsp
• Rice flour                 2 Tsp

PROCEDURE
In a large bowl add the maida, salt, 4Tsp of oil/ghee and baking soda. Mix well until a crumbling mixture is formed. Now add just enough water to make a dough. Make the stiff and soft dough. Knead the dough for 10 minutes and rest it for 20 minutes.
Add 2 cups of sugar and 1/2 cup of water in a large pan and make a sugar syrup of 1 thread consistency. When you touch the syrup in-between your fingers you should see a thread of sugar syrup. 
Make a rice flour and ghee paste and set aside.
Take small portions of the dough and roll them into 6inch dia chapathi.
Take one chapathi and smear the rice flour- ghee paste. Lay one more chapathi on it and roll them like a log or mat. You can paste the ends using little water.
Cut the log into 1 inch pieces. Press the pieces gently along the width.
Deep fry the pieces on a medium high flame  till golden brown color.
Immediately transfer them into the sugar syrup. Soak them for 10 minutes and take them onto a plate. Serve after an hour.

 TIPS

• Adding oil while making the dough makes the kajalu crisp and crunchy.
• Don’t rest the dough for longer time.
• The dough should be like the puri dough.
• Make larger chapathi and you get bigger kajalu.
• I used two chapathies one over the other. You can use three or even one chapathi.
• Making the sugar syrup and kajalu should be done simultaneously.
• If the sugar syrup is made before hand, add a few drops of lemon in it so that the syrup do not crystallize  

                       

SWEET PARATHA

A simple kids favorite which can be made every time you make chapati or roti. Don't assume that I mixed sugar while making the dough. The procedure is simple. The secret is, think of the aloo paratha.....replace aloo stuffing with sugar. Are you confused......check the procedure. 

INGREDIENTS

• Wheat flour                  1 cup (makes  3 medium Parathas)
• Water                           for making the dough
• Salt                              a pinch
• Ghee                            4-5 Tsp
• Sugar                           2 Tsp for each paratha

PROCEDURE

Add salt to the flour. Add water little by little and make the dough- same as the chapati dough.
Smear some ghee on top of the dough.

Rest the dough for at least 3-4 hours.

Divide the dough into 3 parts.

Using a rolling pin and dry flour roll the dough into thin roti.

Smear a table spoon of ghee on the roti.  Now sprinkle 2 table spoons  of sugar on the roti.

If the sugar is too corse grind it to a rough powder.

Be liberal in using the sugar and ghee.

Now roll the roti like a mat.

Again roll it to form spiral. (You can also fold it like a triangle, like the normal chapati)

Now using the rolling pin make a thin paratha.

Heat a pan and fry the sweet paratha with ghee.

Enjoy it, as is or with fresh cream(meegada) from the milk. 

PURNAM BOORELU

A very traditional telugu recipe which is made for special occasions such as pooja, festivals and marriages. A very special naivedyam to Goddess Lakshmi is purnam boorelu. The light crunchy outer layer with sweet filling make this Andhra sweet a traditional delicacy. A few simple ingredients and a simple procedure but many don't dare to do these as a simple mistake in making the stuffing can end up in complete failure. Here I give a procedure which you cannot go wrong any time. Make this special naivedyam for this Dussara.

INGREDIENTS

Urad dal                   1 cup
Rice                          2 cups
Salt                            a pinch
Oil                            for deep frying

for the filling

Chana dal                  2 cups
Jaggery                      1+1/4 cup(grated)
Elachi powder           1 tsp

PROCEDURE

Soak the dal and rice for at least 4 hours and grind to a thick Batter. Much thicker than the dosa batter. Add a pinch of salt. If possible let it rest for 5 to 6 hours. If for naivedyam you don't get that much time, so add a pinch of baking soda. If you use a wet grinder for making the batter you need not use the soda.
Th general and traditional way for making the filling is cooking the dal in a pressure cooker and grinding it along with the jaggery. But this can be tricky as the filling can quickly turn into a runny batter if correct amount of water is not used or if you over cook the dal.
I give a very simple and never go wrong procedure for making the filling.
Soak the dal for at least 4 hours and then wash it throughly. Cook the dal with 3 cups of water on high flame for 10 to 12 minutes without the lid. Check if the dal is cooked. Now remove the water and lay the dal on kitchen towel and let it completely dry.
After an hour or so grind the dal in a mixer. Add the grated jaggery and pulse the mixer so that a thick paste is formed. Add the cardamom powder and the filling is now ready.
Divide the filling into equal size balls.
Dip these balls into the urad dal and rice batter and deep fry them on medium flame. Make sure that the outer layer completely covers the filling. Use a large spoon to gently drop the purnalu into the hot oil.
Offer them as naivedyam and serve with hot ghee on the top.

TIPS
If the outer layer batter is runny or you are not able to coat the filling with the batter add some rice flour to the batter.
If the filling is runny keep it on the stove for 10 to 15 minutes. Keep stirring. When the mixture thickens   remove on to a greased plate and let cool. By now the batter will thicken and you can easily make the purnam boorelu.

KOBBARI BOBBATLU

INGREDIENTS

Grated coconut                  2 cups
Grated jaggery                   2 cups
Cardamom powder            1 Tsp
Maida                                 2 cups
Ghee                                  1/4 cup
Water                                 as needed

PROCEDURE

Add  2 tablespoons of ghee in maida and mix well.
Add required amount of water and make a dough. Let rest for 15-30minutes.

In a thick bottom pan mix in the grated coconut, jaggery. Add 2-3 Tsp of water.
Now switch on the stove and let the mixture form a thick lump.
Add the cardamom powder and a tablespoon of ghee.
The mixture should leave the sides of the pan.
Let the mixture cool. Now coconut halwa is ready. This is the bobbattu filling.

Take small amount of maida dough and make a small patty. Fill with small amount of coconut halwa.
Cover and again roll into a small disc. See the detailed procedure for rolling here
Use ghee to make the bobbattu.
Heat tava and roast the kobbari bobbatlu  on both side with ghee.
Serve hot.

GODHUMA PINDI HALWA-2

I have already post the recipe for godhuma pindi halwa. Today I give another procedure for making the halwa. Unlike the other recipe, this is very simple and you will never go wrong in making the halwa.
Of course the earlier one tastes awesome, but this one also taste good. There is no much pre preparation for this procedure.

INGREDIENTS

Wheat flour               2 cups
Water                        5 cups
Ghee                         1+1/2 cup
Sugar                         1/2 cup
Jaggery                      1 cup(grated)
Elachi powder            1 Tsp
Nuts                           your choice

PROCEDURE

Heat the whole ghee in a thick bottom pan or a non stick pan.
Fry the nuts, remove them from ghee and set aside.
In the same ghee add the wheat flour. Fry on a very slow flame till you feel a nice aroma.
Now add the water, sugar, jaggery.
Mix well. Since the flour is fried in ghee you will not get any lumps.
Keep on stirring till a thick paste is formed.
Now lower the flame and keep a lid on the pan.
Let cook till ghee oozes out of the halwa.(It may take about 15 minute)
Stir intermittently.
When the halwa reaches the completion point add the nuts, cardamom powder.
Mix well and dish out the sweet.

SOOJI HALWA

A simple sweet which do not need any introduction. A very popular prasad for any festival in many homes is sooji halwa.....popularly known as ravva kesari. No much preparation or no much ingredients or no much effort is needed. Use ghee liberally and this one trick makes your dish turn awesome. Never go wrong from now on.

INGREDIENTS

• Ravva/ sooji                1 cup
• Water                          2+1/4 cups
• Sugar                          1 cup
• Ghee                           1/4 cup+ 2 Tsp.
• Cardamom powder     1 tsp.
• Nuts                            2-3 Tsp

PROCEDURE

Heat 2 Tsp of ghee in the pan and fry the nuts and set aside.

In the same ghee Add the ravva and fry on a slow flame.

A nice aroma and a golden brown color are the indications that the ravva is fried.

Now add the water. 

You can also add saffron or a little bit of food color at this point.

Cook till the ravva absorbs all the water. 

Add the sugar. Use less or more sugar to suite your taste.

Cook till the halwa starts to thicken.

Add the ghee, little by little, keep stirring.

The whole procedure must be done on a medium flame.

Now decrease the flame and keep a lid on the halwa.

Cook for 3-4 minutes and now you see the ghee oozing out.

Add the fried nuts and cardamom powder.

Transfer into a platter.

Let it cool a bit before serving.

Can be served with any appetizer or with any breakfast.

RAVA LADOO

The only simple sweet that is kids favorite is Rava ladoo.  As a kid I remember my Grand Mother making these ladoos when ever I went to her place during holidays. This is one of the simplest sweets and you can make it in a jiffy. There are two different ways of making these. The first one is very simple and uses milk to make the ladoos, but these cannot be stored for a longer time. The second one is also simple and the laddos can be stored for a longer time. Sugar syrup is used in the second method instead of milk. I will give both the versions. Choose the easy one for you.
INGREDIENTS

• Sooji/semolina          1 cup
• Sugar                          1 cup
• Milk                             2 Tsp.(for the 1st method
• Water                          1/2 cup(for the 2nd method)
• Ghee                            3 Tsp.
• Nuts                              3 Tsp.
• Cardamom powder    1/2 tsp.

PROCEDURE
METHOD 1
Heat ghee in a pan add the nuts of your choice, fry them and remove them into a bowl. In the same pan add the sooji and fry it on a very slow flame till a nice aroma is felt and sooji turns slightly golden brown.
Slightly cool it and add the sugar, cardamom and fried nuts.
Now add milk little by little and roll the ladoos.
METHOD 2
Heat ghee in a pan add the nuts of your choice, fry them and remove them into a bowl. In the same pan add the sooji and fry it on a very slow flame till a nice aroma is felt and sooji turns slightly golden brown.
Heat another pan and add the sugar and water. Let the sugar melt and come to a boil. Now switch off the flame and add the fried sooji, cardamom and nuts.
Transfer it onto a plate. Let the mixture cool and make the ladoos.

BELLAM BOONDI

Bellam boondi is a most popular Andhra sweet. Also called as “Boondi mithai” in some parts, this is one  sweet which is loved by all the kids. Crispy boondi coated with jaggery makes you crave for more and more. Its ease of making, made it a holiday sweet in most of the Andhra homes. Bellam boondi and boondi mixture(savory) is a perfect combination as an evening snack. Unlike the Boondi laddoo which needs some practice, this bellam boondi does not involve any practice. More over, jaggery is healthy compared to sugar. It can be stored for a couple of weeks, so my Mom used to make this during our summer holidays when we were kids. You will certainly be astonished by the taste. The only difficulty in making this is, having the boondi ladle(large perforated ladle used to make boondi). If you have one of them, then you are ready to go. You can also try using a big perforated ladle or skimmer(I have used one of the plastic perforated ladles’). 
INGREDIENTS

• Gram flour/ basen           1 cup
• Rice flour                           1/4 cup
• Cooking soda                    a pinch(Can replace soda by a couple of spoons of hot oil) 
• Oil                                       for deep frying
• Grated  Jaggery              1 cup
• Ghee                                  1 Tsp.
• Cardamom powder       1 tsp.

PROCEDURE
Mix in the gram flour, rice flour, cooking soda and sieve them. Add water little by little to the flours and make a  batter slightly thinner than the  bajji batter.(not too thick, nor too thin).
Heat oil in a wide pan. Take the perforated ladle and pour some of the batter into it. Hold the ladle just few inches away from the hot oil.
Just tap the edges of the ladle with a spoon. The batter will fall into the oil like small balls. Make sure not to over crowd the oil.
Fry till the boondi turns golden and crisp.
Remove onto a paper towel. Make all of the boondi and set aside.
Now heat a cup of water and add the jaggery into it. Make a thick syrup. You should get the ball consistency(vundapakam in Telugu).
Switch off the flame and add the ghee, cardamom powder and boondi into it. Mix well and pour every thing onto a plate.
Let it set for 20 minutes. You can break it into pieces once it is set.
(OR)You can make into laddus when it is still warm
Enjoy it with a cup of tea.

SOJJAPPALU

Sojjappalu- a traditional Andhra sweet made for many festivals. Also called the sweet puri, this recipe is surely one of the best traditional sweets. Puri is filled with the kesari(suji halwa) and then deep fried to golden perfection. One cannot stop eating one. You will want to have one after another. Give it a try for the next special occasion.
INGREDIENTS

• Maida                     2 cups
• Salt                         a pinch
• Ghee                      2 Tsp.
• Water                     to make the dough

for the filling

• Sooji                      1 cup
• Sugar                     1+1/2 cup
• Ghee                       4 Tsp.
• Dry fruits               2 Tsp.
• Water                     2+1/2 cups

oil for deep frying the sojjappalu
PROCEDURE
Add ghee and salt to the maida and mix well. Add enough water and make a soft dough, just like the puri dough.
Let the dough rest for about 30 minutes.
Mean while make the sooji halwa.
Heat ghee in a pan and add the dry fruits. Fry them and remove them into a bowl.
In the same ghee fry the sooji for a minute and add the water. When all the water is absorbed by the sooji add the sugar.
Cook on a medium flame till the halwa is thick.
Add the fried nuts and remove onto a plate.
Let the mixture cool. The halwa becomes even more thicker after cooling.
Heat a deep frying pan and add enough oil to fry the sojjappalu.
Take a small portion of the dough and gently press it on a banana leaf or polythene cover. Use oil or ghee so that the dough do not stick on to the hand or the cover. Make a small sized puri.
Take a lemon sized ball of halwa and fill the puri with the halwa and bring all the edges of the puri together so that the halwa is fully covered.(just the way you make  aloo paratha)
Again make the ball into a flat thick disk.
Make all of the sojjappalu and deep fry them on a medium high flame till they are golden brown and crisp on the out.
Remove them onto a paper towel to remove excess oil.
Enjoy them hot or cold.
TIPS

• The halwa should be covered fully with the maida layer, otherwise the halwa will come out while frying.
• Add more sugar to suite your taste.
• If you are making a big batch of sojjappalu, make sure you cover them before they are fried, otherwise the maida layer will dry up.
• Use as much of oil or ghee while pressing the sojjappalu, so that they remain soft ever after a day or two.
• You can also try frying the sojjappalu on  a tawa with little ghee or oil. 

VENNUNDALU (SWEET)

Vennundalu…….this reminds me Bandar road in Vijayawada. A sweet shop in Vijayawada makes the perfect tempting vennundalu. I don’t know weather this sweet is made every where in Andhra, but this  is very popular  in Vijayawada and Guntur. As the name itself suggests….vennundalu……these small marble sized balls just melt away in your mouth. The are so light and soft that you will keep on munching one after another.
Most of the sweets(specially the deep fried sweets) are made with maida. But this sweet is made with the rice flour. Here I have used a combination of rice flour and maida.  I have made the cube shaped vennundalu, as available in sweet shops in Vijayawada. The shape doesn’t matter, you can make them round too. Try this simple and delicious sweet for the next festival.  
INGREDIENTS

• Rice flour                        2 cups
• Maida                              1/2 cup
• Butter                              1/4 cup
• Cooking soda                 a pinch
• Oil                                    for deep frying
• Water                            to make the dough
• Sugar                            2 cups
• Water                            1 cup(for syrup)

PROCEDURE
Mix the rice flour, maida, cooking soda, butter. Mix all the ingredients till the butter is well incorporated with the flours.
Now add just enough water and make a stiff dough. Knead for 10 minutes and set aside. Let the dough rest for 20 –30 minutes.
Now make small balls out of the dough. Alternately you can roll small amount of dough into a long thin cylindrical strip and cut it with a knife.
Now make a sugar syrup with 2 cups of sugar and 1 cup of water. The syrup should be of 2 thread consistency.
Heat oil in the pan and deep fry the dough balls. Fry them on a medium flame to golden brown color.
Drop the fried balls into the sugar syrup. Wait for 2 minutes and remove them onto a plate.
Once cooled you can store them in an air tight container.
TIPS

• Usually the recipe is made only with the rice flour without maida. You can try it.
• Don’t compromise with the butter. Use butter liberally to get mouth melting vennundalu.