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Winter
brings lots of cravings for really yummy sweet things, like Cookies, Chcolates Desi
Halway, Panjeeri and and and.
Mama
darling used to make Chick-pea Pieces ( Besan ke Tukray) and Sooji ki Qatliyaan
(Semolina Squares/diamonds) every winter.
The jars
were always filled with these very delish sweet meats, and we used to gobble
them up with every round in the kitchen :)
Abbajan
loved Sooji ki Qatliyaan so these were made quite often ,to our benefit of
course :)
I
remembered the way Mom used to make but was forgetting some steps when she
added sugar to the mixture as it leaves a
bit water too.
I looked
upon some sites in Google, nearly all had the same method, with different
measurements of course, to their own quantity they were making,
I add extra
raisins as that gives a very nice taste.
I liked the
step in a recipe where they added dry
milk powder in it, and made syrup out of the sugar. So I have
taken these two tips from the net, rest is how I had in mind.
Though now I
will not make sugar syrup next time because the crunchy taste comes with the
sugar, the way Mom always did. A try was worth, it turned really nice, but I’d
like the crunch next time, which is called Karrak and tight pieces :)
I add desiccated
coconut too, but here I did not, as they were a gift for a friend,
who avoids coconut. Many add
food color to it, now that’s really not on, it’s no halwa, it’s dry sweet snack
:)
So this is
how you make them:
I use a
measuring cup, so when I mention cup, it’s no tea cup!
½ cup
Ghee(clarified butter)
120 gr
Semolina (Coarse Sooji)
150gr sugar
1 ½ cup
water
120 gr dry
milk powder
1 cup
coarse crushed almonds
2 tbs of
dry raisins
1 tbs of cardamom
seeds
½ tsp of cardamom
powder
Sugar
syrup:
Mix the
sugar-water-cardamom powder and cook till it gets a bit thicker that you can
see two threads forming between your thumb and index finger, let aside to cool
I made a
bit more syrup in case I needed more
after adding coconut and almonds it’s better to have it at hand.
-heat the ghee
in a heavy broad skillet
-add the cardamom
seeds to crackle
.add the
raisins, to puff up
-now add
the semolina and stir evenly so it does not burn at any end
-as it
turns a bit light brownish, add the syrup and mix fast to avoid any lumps
-now
sprinkle the powder, almonds and the coconut and mix fast , it will turn hard
but try not to dry all up, as later the pieces can become hard, so we need to
leave some moisture in it.
-grease a
flat tray or a platter and turn all over onto it, spread with the help of a
spatula and take care NOT to flatten too thin!
This is
important, as too thin pieces will dry out soon as the sugar syrup hardens with
the time.
A bit
thicker pieces will stay chewy.
You can see the difference below:
I cut almonds in halves and just inserted on the top , you can sprinkle crushed pistachios of almonds to your wish : )
Just let it stay for 5 minutes, then cut pieces in diamonds or squares.
They are
actually ready to be split apart,
my hubby tested they while they were still
warm and said,
Heavenly
indeed and another three were gone, till I had to hide them : )
This was
actually the height of praise I got, me happy :D
Keep these
in an air-tight box, as I said they get a bit harder with the time, that is, IF
you have any rest left :P
Enjoy
making them and do share your
experience.
