Hello everyone. How are you all? The festive mood is on all
over the world. It starts from Krishna Janmashtami and continues with various
other festivals.
Festivals not only bring joy but also gets all the old
memories live. Krishna janmashtami is one such festival which was celebrated in
a grand way in my Mamama’s place. Mamama used to prepare so many varieties of
savory and sweets. And I used to wait for the pooja to end only to relish the
delicious food mamama made.
Over the years in mom’s house I never got a chance to wait
for it. Not because amma never made such delicious snacks, but because she
never made a custom of making savories
or snacks specially for janmashtami. She had a thought that if any day we
couldn’t make it (whatever the reasons would be) we will end up feeling bad ,
instead just keep a prasadam like sheera
or godu phovu or a plateful of fruits and offer it to god and get
blessed.
Amma would make these delicacies anytime we wanted. There
was no need of any special occasion, just like her I too make it on any day my
daughter M wants to eat it. I have
explained about Krishna janmashtami here in this post. We perform a small pooja
on this day just like we do every year.
Today’s recipe is something which is related to this
festival Ashtami Undo or Kare undo. This laddoo is specially made during this
festival in Mangalore.
Here is what we need for this Laddoo:
1 cup gram flour/ kadalehittu/chane peet
1 cup of Layi pitto / Aralu pudi/( puffed paddy rice powder)
¼ th cup black sesame seeds
¼ th cup cashenuts cut into bits
¼ th tsp cardamom powder/elaichi powder
1 ¼ th cup chikki jaggery/antu bella
1 cup pure ghee + ¼
th cup for sev
Method:
Sieve gram flour and mix ghee little by little to make a
thick paste. This mixture is to make unsalted Sev for the laddoo.
Now take a sev mould and add in the above prepared mixture
in the mould.
Heat 1 cup of ghee and press in the sev from the mould in
the ghee in a circular motion fry it till crisp.
Now remove the sev from ghee and drain on a tissue towel.
Allow it to cool completely.
Once cooled roughly crush them with your hands and make it
into fine pieces and keep aside.
Now remove any dirt if any from puffed paddy rice powder and
add crushed sev,cashewnuts,sesame seeds,elaichi powder mix well and keep it for
later use.
In a big deep bottom vessel add in the chikki jaggery and
water just about less than ¼ th cup and keep it on the stove and keep stirring
for a while. Simmer over medium heat till it starts caramelizing
and forms a ball when you add a drop of syrup in cold water. This should take
4-5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low. When it comes to srting consistency or
laddoo making consistency remove it from flame and add in the paddy rice
mixture little by little and mix well with a clean spoon. (check notes)
Now grease your hands and make small lemon sized laddoos /
balls out of it and store it in a air tight container.
Notes:
1. Try using black sesame seeds for extra aroma and flavour.
2. One can add plain sev, plain boondi or thick bhu for
the laddoos, do not add thin sev.
3. Preferably use chikki jaggery for a better taste not
only that the laddoos will get extra crunchy when this jaggery is used.
4. If pure fresh ghee is used then laddoos can be stored for
more than a month in air tight containers.
Last but not the least wishing all Happy Krishna Janmashtami Stay Blessed.
Happy Cooking,
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