Churma laddoo and more Ganesha neivedhyams.

Having enlisted myself to the Indian Cooking Challenge, has been a thoroughly new experience with experimenting dishes and enjoying what other members have come up with.

When it was agreed that we will try Vinayakar Chathurthi neivedhyams, I was curious. I looked up Tarla Dalal's website and found the Churma laddoo under one Ganapathy Bappa Post. Geeta Narang's microwave version was also there. I suggested it and found there were people interested in trying out this. Srivalli had included it in her options too. So here is Tarla Dalal's version experimented in my kitchen.

Meanwhile yesterday Muskhan and Sadhana of A2Z Vegetarian Cuisine have posted a very delectable Low fat version. I am rearing to try these churma laddus before the microwave version.

Churma Laddu from Tarla Dalal's website:

Cooking Time : 45 mins.

Preparation Time : 15 mins.

Makes 10 laddus.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups (200 grams) whole wheat flour (gehun ka atta), coarsely ground

1/4 cup grated dry coconut (copra)

2 tablespoons sesame seeds (til)

3/4 cup (150 grams) jaggery , grated

2 tablespoons ghee

Other ingredients:

ghee for deep frying

poppy seeds (khus khus) for coating the laddus.

Method

1.Make a stiff dough of the whole wheat flour using 1/2 cup of water. Knead very well.

2.Divide the dough into 8 equal portions.

3.Shape the portions into the shape of your fist and press with your fingers in the centre of each portion to make an indentation.

4.Heat ghee in a large kadhai and deep fry the dough portions on a very slow flame for approximately 25 to 30 minutes until they are golden brown in colour.

5.Drain on absorbent paper and allow them to cool.

6.Pound in a mortar and pestle to coarse pieces. Grind the pieces further in a food processor to get a fine powder (churma).

7.Heat 1 tablespoon of ghee in a pan, add the grated coconut and sesame seeds and saute for about 2 minutes. Remove and keep aside.

8.Heat the jaggery with the remaining tablespoon of ghee and 1 tablespoon of water on a medium flame till the jaggery dissolves. Cool slightly.

9.Mix the ground churma, coconut and sesame seeds with the melted jaggery.

10.Allow the mixture to cool slightly.

11.Divide into 10 portions and shape into rounds. Roll each laddu in poppy seeds.

12.Store the laddus in an air-tight container.

I got 12 laddoos depending on the size.

This was such a delicious sweet though very high in fat. But irresistible.

Next is the maharashtrian Panchkhadya shared by Mints.

Panchkhadya

Ingredients:

1 cup grated dry coconut
4-5 tbsp powdered sugar
2 tbsp poppy seeds
4-5 dried dates (Maharashtrians call it kharik)
1/2 tbsp cardamom powder
4-5 tbsp coarsely powdered mixed nuts (almonds,cashews, pistachios)
pinch of nutmeg powder
Procedure -
1. Dry roast grated coconut on a very light heat and set aside
2. dry roast poppy seeds and grind them coarsely after cooling them for 5 minutes
3. take the seeds off the dried dates and grind them coarsely as well.
4. Mix all these ingredients and nuts powder, cardamom, nutmeg, powdered sugar together and offer to Ganesha as prasad.

This was so easy to make, can make ahead and store too. I might be use this recipe for dry neivedhyams during other poojas too.

Srivalli's Boorelu was the other one I tried. It is a slight variation of the Sukhiyan we make during the Saraswathi pooja. I make the filling with coconut and jaggery alone. Here it was with cooked channa dhal added to the poornam and was equally delicious.

Boorelu ~ Sweet filling dipped in savory batter!

Preparation Time : 15 min

Cooking Time : 30 mins

Soaking Time : 4- 5 hrs

Cuisine : Andhra

Ingredients Needed:

For the outer layer

Black gram dal/ Urad dal - 50 gms

For the Filling:

Bengal gram/Channa dal - 1 cup

Grated Jaggery - 1 cup

Fresh grated Coconut - 1/4 cup (optional)

Cardamom powder - 3/4 teaspoon

Salt to taste ( just about 1/4 teaspoon)

Oil for deep frying

Method to prepare:

Wash and soak Urad dal for 4-5 hrs. ( I usually soak for lesser time, an hour before draining and grinding. That will keep the vadas or sukhiyans not so oily.)

Then drain water from the Urad dal and grind to fine paste adding very little water.

Add salt and leave it aside covered.

For the filling:

Pressure cook the channa dal with just enough water to cover it. Once the dal is well cooked, drain and mash it a bit.

Boil jagerry in warm water and strain to remove impurities.

Allow to boil well and cook the coconut and mashed dhal with the jaggery.

Cook the poornam until it is thick enough to roll small balls out of it.

If you find the purnam is very loose, you can cook this in sim to get a thick paste.

Add cardamom powder. Remove and cool. Divide them into equal balls.

Heat oil in a thick bottomed kadai for frying.Once the oil is hot, turn to sim.

Dip each ball in the urad dhal batter, ensuring that it is well coated on all sides.

Then gently drop them into the hot oil.

Turn and cook on all sides.

Since the filling is dal based, it tends to steep into the oil.

That's why you will see dark spots on the sweets.

Once couple of batches are done, strain the oil to remove the scum.

It hardly takes more than 2-3 mins to get cooked. Drain them on to a kitchen towel.

Offer as neivedhyam and enjoy.

The other dishes in the above pictures will feature in future posts, till then try these out and enjoy yourselves.