Last Updated on June 4, 2015 by Chef Mireille
Blogging Marathon #18
Theme – Stuffed Foods
Today starts another Blogging Marathon, with the format started last month of 3x a week for 4 weeks. However, this month, I have decided to do a different theme each week. This week’s theme is Stuffed Foods. I have decided to start with a recipe from one of my many cookbooks. This is another one of those cookbooks that I have had for many years, but this is my first time trying a recipe from the book. I’ve certainly been getting my money’s worth out of my cookbook collection recently.
Who doesn’t love sweets…Best of Indian Sweets & Desserts by Aroona Reejhsinghani is a comprehensive cookbook that covers the well known and the lesser known sweets from the different regions of India. The book is divided into 19 sections, according to which state of India the sweet is from, as well as sweets from the Parsi and Sindhi populations. With 200 pages of recipes (no photos), this is a delicious guide to Indian delicacies.
The recipe I have decided to initiate myself into her cookbook with is an Andhra recipe, coming from the region of Andhra Pradesh. For more history about this region (for those interested), see here. Since Telugu is the primary language of this region, I am assuming the recipe name is in that language. Now, on to the delicious recipe.
Since India uses the metric system like England, I used this handy conversion tool to convert the recipe for easy use here in America.
Ingredients:
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour (maida)
- 1 pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons plus 5 tablespoons ghee
- 2 1/4 cups jaggery, grated
- 8 oz. grated coconut, about 3 cups
- 8 oz. besan (chickpea flour), about 1 3/4 cups
- 1 tablespoon cardamom seeds, ground
Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Rub in the 2 tablespoons of ghee and then add enough warm water to form a stiff dough. I used 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon of water. Let the dough rest while you prepare the filling
Heat 5 tablespoons of ghee and fry the besan until a deep golden brown. Remove to a small bowl.
In the same skillet, toast the coconut until golden brown. Mix with the besan and add the cardamom seeds. Mix well.
These italicized instructions below is directly from the cookbook, but it did not work for me, so read below it for my instructions on what worked.
Heat jaggery until it melts. Add the besan mix and cook on low heat until the mixture thickens and leaves the side of a bowl. Cool.
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| My burning pan |
Heat jaggery on a low flame. (It does not melt, as indicated in her recipe. Perhaps it is supposed to be melted with butter, milk or water and she assumes reader will know this.) It will form into kind of a soft dough. At this time, I added the besan-coconut mix and started to mix it together. It did not stick together and the pan was starting to burn.
I then put the whole mixture in a large bowl and started adding water and mixing well, until it stuck together. I added 13 tablespoons of water. Mix really well.
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| Jaggery Filling |
On a lightly floured board, roll out a ball of dough to as close to a circle shape as you can. Put some filling on the inside. Fold over into a crescent shape. Tighten the dough around the filling and trim the edges using a pizza cutter to form a crescent. Seal the perimeter with the tines of a fork.
Heat enough oil to deep fry. Add stuffed pastries and fry until golden brown on both sides.
Drain and serve immediately.
These are so yummy and not overly sweet, they are a perfect tea time snack.
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| Kajji Kayalu |
I have some leftover of this delicious stuffing, which is being saved in the freezer. Maybe I will do a baked version, using puffed pastry. I’m sure that would be just as good. Or maybe use it as a topping over yogurt or granola.
done so great chef… looks tempting kajji kayalu…
Definitely yummy snack.I think the baked version will also work out.I have seen them on a few blogs.
Kajji kayalu looks crunchy and yummy. Lovely snacks.
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Looks awesome Mireille, perfectly done.
WOw Mirelle….kajjikayalu looks awesome
Mireille..wondering why the jaggery did'nt melt…or is it that I am getting it wrong..normally jaggery if put on slow flame should melt..u cud use the MW too and melt it…anyway I like u r version..looks great and surely the baked version too will b awsum:))
Yes Mireilli, Kajjikayalu is in telugu. How wonderful that you were so adventurous to try out this complicated recipe. My Mil makes with different stuffing. I guess the authoress assumed that readers will know.
With the jaggary we get in india, we normally will have to soak in water and boil it to remove impurities. We add just enough to cover and sometimes use a spoon to crush down the jaggary for a quick melt. Once you sieve the impurities, you again have to cook it to get the filling consistency. Guess a hard copy lacks this kind of instructions. If you are interested you can read my post on it sometimes.
I am so glad that you excel yourself every time..thanks..:)
salute your spirit for attempting this Mireille ! having devoured this for years in my growing up years, I still wait for mom to make this for me 🙂 🙂 yes, on a second note, that jaggery needs to be melted with a tsp or two of water to make the filling more pliable !
loved the thought of topping a granola with this stuffing !
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Wish i live near u, super irresistible kajji kayalu..
If you are ever in NY, let me know and I will make a batch just for you 🙂
Looks so inviting, Mir!
I can have this anytime….looks very inviting!!!
Mirelle, you are an inspiration to me. To make something completely out of ur usual type is very adventurous, which i seldom do. Will try to do some here after. and you are the reason for me to do like that ..
Yummy snack with tea
wow Mirielle…we make something similar for the Ganesh festival…will post the recipes and then we can compare :), photos look amazing
Awesome 🙂
whoa !!! they have come out so well. I love them and yours are so tempting. Thanks for linking them to my event 🙂
Addition of few spoons of water would melt jaggery. Though I am from Andhra, I have never tasted kajjikayalu with this filling. They look yum though.
Great job on making kajjikayalu. They look perfect. I've never tried making them myself, but I've enjoyed quite a few while in India.
Done a wonderful job Mirelle,it looks very perfect and tempting.
Your adventurous spirit in trying out various cuisines is really commendable. This is a very traditional South Indian sweet made for festivals and auspicious occasions!
Just woooooow You know In our telugu families many girls do not know how to make Kajjikayalu and you made them regarding Jaggery I agree with Valli. I too make a different stuffing but you made them so perfect loks so delcious.