Chandrahaara: The tale of a hearty sweet dish from Karnataka

Chennai

What better way to pay tribute to this young team than write about a dish that draws them to their mothers’ homes on special occasions. The visits to their family homes are a respite from working days and nights, operating, treating, counselling and rescuing people with literally damaged hearts.

The first time I met Dr Satyaki, I was pleasantly surprised to see a handsome, hawk-nosed gentleman, with piercing eyes and a clear dialect. His whole team was impressive, but my favourite was Dr Harsha, a 33-year-old cardiologist whose looks matched his skills and compassion. The doctors ate at erratic times — all depending on the surgeries scheduled. A tough, but rewarding life, and even more so when lives are saved. I persuaded Dr Harsha to share one of his happiest memories and as I had expected, it revolved around food and his family. He recalled the festivals during his childhood when all his family members and relatives would gather in a beautiful old house that his grandfather had built. The huge kitchen’s fireplace would be lit on these special occasions. Food would be cooked in cauldrons over firewood, since gas stoves were not used in those days.

The doctor’s favourite memory from childhood was watching his ajjima (grandma) and amma sit down to fry Karnataka’s iconic sweet, Chandrahaara. The history of this dish, which is his all-time favourite, goes way back in history. The dessert also has a mention in Rig Veda, as a sweet meant for the gods. The name, Chandrahaara, however, was given to the dish only in 1950, when a popular chef Yagnappa was dabbling with the idea of giving a new name to the heritage dish to attract everyone. Then it struck him to name the dish after a 1948 blockbuster film, Chandrahara, that was playing at a nearby theatre. And, voila! The dish was an instant hit and remains so till date, popularly made during festivals, weddings and other celebrations. I dedicate this dish to all the doctorsand their mothers.

Karnataka-style Chandrahaara

Prep time:  40 min

Cooking time:  30 min 

Serves: 10

Ingredients 

Maida: 1 cup

Chiroti rava (sooji): 2 tbsp

Ghee: 4 tbsp

Baking soda: ¼ tsp

Salt: ¼ tsp

Water: 4 tbsp

Full fat milk: ½ litre

Sugar: 1 cup

Khoya: ¼ cup

Almond powder: 1 tbsp

Cardamom powder: 1/4 tsp

Pistachio (chopped): 6

Almonds (chopped): 6

Cashew nuts (chopped): 6

Cloves: 10

Red rice kanda poha: 1 cup

Saffron strands: 1/4 tsp

Oil: 1 small kadhai full (for frying)

Method 

• Add maida/poha in a mixing bowl.
• Add in the sooji and 2 tbsp ghee. 
• Add the mixture baking soda and salt and mix well.
• Add water little by little and knead it well for 10 minutes into a medium-soft dough.
• Cover the dough with a lid or muslin cloth and rest for a half hour.
• Meanwhile, add milk with saffron strands into a heated pan. 
• Allow the milk to boil on medium flame for 3-4 minutes.
• Add sugar to the milk and mix well. Add in khoya on slow fire while stirring continuously for 2-3 minutes. 
• Cook for about 2 minutes until the khoya dissolves. Add in the almond powder. 
• Then add the chopped pistachios, almonds and cashews. Mix well and transfer into a bowl. 
• Knead the resting dough again for a minute before rolling lemon-sized portions of the dough and rolling into flat-rounds of equal size. Roll out the portioned dough into flat pooris with a rolling pin. 
• Apply ghee on top of the poori and fold it into a quarter. Insert a clove in the centre to hold the folds together. 
• Using a toothpick, make tiny depressions on the surface of the quarter so it cooks well on the inside. 
• Add the triangular pieces one after another into a kadhai with heated oil. Make sure they do not touch each other. 
• Fry them until cooked and golden brown. 
• Remove the fried triangles onto a plate. 
• To serve, take the fried triangles in a cup and pour over a ladle full of the sweetened milk. 
• Sprinkle cardamom powder on top before serving.

Kitchen Tips

• The more you knead the dough, the better the texture of the sweet.
• You can use Amul Mithai Mate instead of fresh milk and khoya, if short of time. 
• You can choose to refrigerate the sweetened milk if you want to serve the dessert chilled. 

— Chef Ramaa Shanker is the author of 'Festive Offerings to the Gods: Divine Soul Recipes'

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