Ring in Christmas spirit with traditional sweets

Chennai

Achu Murukku Or Rose Cookies

Ingredients 

Maida: 1 cup

Rice flour: ¼ cup

Powdered sugar: ¼ cup

Coconut milk: 1 cup

Sesame seeds: 1 tsp

Salt: to taste

Oil: for deep frying

Method: 

• Treat the mould if it is made of iron or aluminium by soaking it in rice cooked starch water overnight, and then immersed in heated oil. If the mould is non-stick, you can use it as it is. 
• In a mixing bowl, take maida, rice flour and powdered sugar. Add in salt, sesame seeds and milk well. 
• Add in the coconut milk and mix well. It should form a slightly thin batter. Add water if it is too thick. Set aside. 
• Heat the oil and dip the mould in it till hot. Immediately dip the mould in the batter so that 3/4th of the mould is immersed in the batter and will stick to the mould.
• Now carefully dip the mould in preheated oil. Leave for a few seconds. Make sure to dip the mould in preheated oil each time before dipping in the batter. 
• Shake the mould for the murukku to release from mould. Use a fork if necessary to pull it out.  Fry till golden. Turn over and cook till golden on both sides. 
• Remove onto a tissue paper. Cool down and store.

Munthiri Kothu

Ingredients 

Whole green gram: ½ cup

Jaggery: 1/3 cup

Coconut: ½ cup grated

Cardamom: 1 pod

Oil: to deep fry

Homemade rice flour: 1/3 cup

Salt: to taste

Method:

• Soak jaggery in warm water and crush it well. Heat it up until it is slightly thick. Strain and keep aside. 
• Dry roast green gram till golden brown. Cool down and transfer to a mixer. Grind it to a coarse mixture. Set aside. 
• Dry roast coconut until golden brown. Set aside to cool. 
• Take a mixing bowl and combine both the mixtures along with cardamom powder. 
• Take jaggery syrup in a pan and heat it up. When its thick with a honey-like consistency, add green gram and coconut mixture. Turn off the heat and slowly mix it up. 
• Keep mixing till the jaggery syrup is coated well. When still warm, make small lemon-sized balls. Set aside for at least 30 minutes. 
• Meanwhile, make the outer coating batter by mixing rice flour, turmeric powder, salt and water in a mixing bowl. Form a smooth batter, slightly thinner than idli batter consistency. 
• Dip the prepared balls in the batter, and drop carefully into hot oil. You can combine 2-3 balls to get a bunch. 
• Fry till golden and remove onto a tissue paper.

Kulkul

Ingredients 

Wheat flour: 1 cup

Powdered sugar: 1/8 cup

Butter: 1 ½ tbsp (at room temperature)

Fresh coconut milk: 1/3 cup

Salt: to taste 

Method

• In a mixing bowl add flour, powdered sugar, salt and butter. Mix butter with flour and crumble it well. Then add coconut milk little by little.
• Gather and add coconut milk. If even after adding 1/3 cup coconut milk if it’s little crumbly then add extra 1 or 2 tbsp, but not more than that. Knead to form a soft dough. Keep covered for 15 mins.
• Pinch a small portion and roll it. Repeat to finish dough and set in a plate.
• Now take a fork and grease with butter. Take a ball, place it on the fork, gently flatten it and then roll. 
• Similarly finish all the rolled balls. Heat oil in a pan and drop them one by one, gently. 
• Fry until golden brown. Remove and drain excess oil on a tissue paper. Cool down and store in an airtight container.

Dhol dhol or dodol (Black rice halwa)

Ingredients 

Black puttu rice flour: 1 kg

Sugar: 1 kg

Almonds: 300 gm 

Cashew nuts: 200 gm

Roasted fine semolina: 1 cup

Ghee: ½ kg

Thick coconut milk: 5 cups

Method 

• Boil the sugar and coconut milk in a fairly big vessel till it forms a thick syrup. 
• Mix the rice flour and semolina together and add to the syrup a little at a time and mix well. 
• Add the ghee, cashew nuts and almonds. 
• Keep stirring on low heat till the mixture is thick and leaves the sides of the pan. 
• Remove from heat and transfer the mixture onto a greased plate. 
• Cut into squares when cold and serve.

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