Kakinada Kajalu

Kakinada is a place in Andhrapradesh and is famous for this sweet kaaja.
This is a traditional sweet from Andhra Pradesh. It is served on marriage feasts and also prepared during festive seasons. This recipe results in about 20-25 kajalu ...


Ingredients : 

Refined Wheat Flour 1&1/2 cup 
Rice flour 2 tablespoons 
Sugar 2 cups 
Butter 5 tablespoons 
Baking Soda 1 pinch Clarified Butter (Ghee) for deep frying 


Method : 

Step 1:Mix flour, 2 tablespoons of butter and baking soda along with a little water to make a soft dough(similar in consistency to that of chapati). Keep aside for fifteen minutes. 

Step 2:After setting aside the dough for fifteen minutes, knead the dough ball until soft(for about ten minutes). 

Step 3:Now, divide dough into lime sized balls. Keep aside. 

Step 4:In a small bowl, mix well, 3 tablespoons of softened butter and rice flour. 

Step 5:Roll out each lime sized dough ball, like you would, a chapati. 

Step 6:Now, spread 1 teaspoon of rice flour and butter mix from step 4 over the top surface of the chapati and roll it up closely(forgive the analogy, but it is similar to rolling up a carpet). 

Step 7: Now, cut this rolled chapati (along its length) into 1 inch wide pieces. 

Step 8: Take each piece and stretch it, now, along its width to about 1.5 inches. 

Step 9: Do similarly for the rest of the dough balls.

Meanwhile, heat sugar with 1 cup of water, until sugar dissolves and syrup looks thick. To test whether the syrup is ready, take a drop between your fingers. It should feel sticky and stretch a little. Remove syrup from heat. 
Heat ghee in a thick bottomed pan, on medium heat, until it is hot. (It should not be smoky hot). Add a batch of kajas and fry over low heat until golden yellow. 

Remove from heat and immediately add to the syrup. Stir gently a few times so that the kajas are well coated with syrup and leave in the syrup until the next batch of kajas are ready to go into the syrup. 
At this stage remove the previous batch of kajas and place them on a plate to cool. 

Storage Tips : 

Kajas taste fresh for up to two or three days. 
Store in a plastic container in a cool, dry place. 

Note: You may adjust the consistency of syrup according to your taste. You may also use cooking oil to deep fry the kajas, though, they will taste much inferior to those fried in clarified butter.

 

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