Chandrakala Sweet

Chandrakala is round shaped gujiya with juicy, syrupy center and stuffed with mawa / khoya & dry fruits. In some regions it is also known as Suryakala. It is really unique because the outer covering is little crispy yet covered with sugar syrup and the inner past is sweet moist and juicy. Mouth melting, I hope You all will like my recipe and appreciate it.

Ingredients:

• All purpose flour ( maida )- 3 cups
• Clarified butter -1/3 cup
• Sugar - 2 cups( sugar syrup )
• Powdered Sugar -3/4 cup ( stuffing )
• Mawa /Khoya (dehydrated milk )- 250 gm
• Almonds -2 tbsp
• Cashews- 2 tbsp
• Raisins - 3 tbsp
• Cardamoms - 7-8 Crushed

Method:

1. Knead the dough

In a wide bowl, take maida, cooking soda and a pinch of salt. Add melted butter and make a crumbly mixture. Fat should be well distributed with the flour.

Add enough water to make a soft, non-sticky pliable dough. Knead the dough well for five minutes. Keep covered for 30 minutes.

  

 2. Prepare the stuffing

In the mean time, make the stuffing. Take the sugarless khova in a bowl in room temperature. Mix well to break the lumps and set aside. 

Dry roast the nuts in high flame for 2 minutes. Color of the nuts should not change. Powder the roasted nuts along with sugar.

Mix this powder and khova to make a thick stuffing. Set aside.

3. Make the chandrakala

After 30 minutes , make small lemon sized balls out of the dough.Roll the dough into a small poori of palm size. Make it thick in the center and thin in the corners.

Keep 2 tsp of stuffing in the center and fold it like a half moon.

Seal the edges by dipping your finger with water. Once it is sealed completely, do the spirals. While making the spiral shape, if your fingers are sticking to the dough, dip ur finger in maida and proceed.

You may get some excess dough. Pinch the excess dough and set aside.Fold the corner. Please refer the below picture and video for reference. This is chandrakala/Half moon shaped sweet.

 

For suryakala, divide the lemon sized ball into two and roll it to two small pooris. Place the stuffing in one poori and cover it with another poori.

Seal the edges with water as mentioned above.Twist the corners and make spirals.Refer the video below.

4. Fry the prepared chandrakala

Arrange the prepared suryakala and chandrakala in a plate. Cover it with a wet cloth till u deep fry. Heat oil in a kadai for deep frying. Deep fry them in batches till they turn golden brown on both sides. Drain in a tissue.

5. Coat the chanderakala with sugar syrup.

Now Prepare sugar syrup of one string consistency. Dip suryakala and chandrakala into the sugar syrup for 10 minutes till the next batch is ready.It will get a nice shine. After sometime sugar will be coated on top of it.

Note:

• Make the dough non-sticky and pliable. Add water accordingly. Most important thing is dough should be non-sticky.
• Another important point is “Rolling”. Roll the dough like a thick poori. It should be thick in the centre and slightly thin in the corners. If u make it very thin , stuffing will ooze out in the oil while deep frying and the oil becomes a waste. 
• Please be careful. I had experienced this. If u make it too thick, it takes more time to cook and spiral corners may not be cooked properly. To avoid this disaster, first make one chandrakala & suryakala, deep fry in little oil. 
• If u get it right, proceed making the remaining ones. Else adjust the rolling and try again. This will surely help.
• Suppose if the stuffing ooze out in oil, immediately switch off the stove and remove the sweet. Strain the oil and reuse it.
• If u want white sugar coating like badusha, make one string consistency. If u just want a shiny look, make half string consistency and dip the sweets.
• Dipping 10 – 15 minutes is enough. This sweet will taste crisp even after dipping in the sugar syrup if u eat on the same day. But the consistency of syrup should be right. The next day it tasted soft outside..
• Store in a box only after the sweet cools down completely.