Vinayaka Chavithi Special...Kajjikayalu

Hi to all my dear blog friends,readers,each and every one.After a short break,me very hardly posting this recipe for the coming Festival Vinayaka Chavithi i.e;on 19-09-2012.

I never expected there will be no time at all for me to step in to my blog to post the recipes before coming back from Torrance to India;myself I am being very busy with my boy and naughty girl.Sending my boy to school.Concentrating him towards his studies & helping his home work.Cooking food & the day is overall not sufficient with my girl too.Time was running like anything for me.when I get time there will be no power to post :)

Anyhow friends,today I am sharing very happily about the recipe "Kajjikayalu" for the Vinayaka Chavithi Festival.Hope you may all enjoy and here it goes all about the recipe.

Ingredients:

• Maida/All Purpose flour- 500gms
• Salt to taste
• Ghee- 4 to 5 tbsps
• Oil for deep frying

For the Filling:

• 1/4 dry coconut finely grated-1/4 cup
• 1 cup sooji/semolina-1 cup; you can use Putnala Pappu/Roasted chick peas or khus-khus/poppy seeds in place of Sooji
• Sugar- 1cup
•  Cardamom powder-1tsp
•  Finely chopped cashewnuts-3tbsps

Cooking Process:

• Mix the maida with salt, 2-3 tbsps ghee and enough water to make a pliable dough, not too soft. Divide the dough and shape into small balls  Keep aside covered for half an hour.

• Meanwhile, heat a pan, add 1 tbsp ghee and add the grated coconut ; roast over medium flame for a few minutes, (approx 3-4 mts.)
•  Remove and keep aside. If using fresh coconut, roast the coconut till golden brown. Ensure that its well roasted, it takes longer time to roast than dry coconut.
•  In the same pan, add 1 tbsp ghee and add the sooji and roast over medium flame till it turns light pink, approx 7-8 mts. Remove, cool and keep aside.
•  Powder the sugar and mix with the roasted sooji, grated coconut, cardamom powder and cashewnuts. The filling is ready. Keep aside.
•  Now, roll each ball with the rolling pin into a thin puri.
•  Spread a tablespoon of the filling on one half of the rolled out dough. Wet your finger and run it along the edges of the spread out dough with water and fold over to the opposite end, enclosing the stuffing to form a semi-circle shaped kajjikaya.
•  Press the ends firmly so that the filling doesn't comes out during the deep frying process and twist the edges around the kajjikaya.Prepare these with fillings and keep it ready for frying.
•  Heat enough oil in a wide vessel to deep fry the stuffed kajjikayalu. Drop 3-4 kajjikayalu into the oil slowly and deep fry them till golden brown, turning them carefully to the other side so that it cooks on all sides. Deep fry on medium heat and not piping hot oil.
•  Cool and store in air tight containers. Kajjikayalu remain fresh for atleast a week and can be stored for 3-4 weeks.

Yummy & Tasty Kajjikayalu is ready !!

Divya's Cooking Journey wishes you all my dear Family members ,Friends ,blog readers & every one with a Very Happy Vinayaka Chavithi!!