Diwali is just around the corner and I’m sure friends that you are all getting ready to welcome Goddess Laxmi into your homes to celebrate the festival. Today’s recipe Somaas is once again a traditional recipe from my Grandmother’s kitchen which is an absolute must apart from the Adhirasams she makes for Diwali. She usually clubs making this and Baadusha on the same day as both take some time to cook and more care is needed. Individual sweets such as this, adhirasam, baadusha and Lavang latikas fills a thaali tray perfectly and make it look over laden when you distribute for friends and neighbors.
It is very unfortunate that over the last few years, to be exact, right from the time when the private television channels invaded our space we are spending the festival along with the idiot box rather than with our relatives and friends. We lock ourselves inside our homes like willing jailbirds and surf the channels from the day’s start to end. I loved the festival time when there was no TV. We would get up early in the morning, have ganga snanam, get dressed in our “Pattu Pavaadai”, eat a sweet first after worshipping God and Grandma would get busy arranging the sweets and savories in the tray and it would be my duty to take the tray and distribute to our neighbors.
You know what, it was considered an insult if the festival thaali was sent to our neighbor by a maid servant instead of a family member but now-a-days you order a gift online and it is getting delivered by an unknown person and this is considered trendy and making a fashion statement. I personally feel that a sense of belonging is lost now than when compared to the yester years. But in spite of all this the very word “Diwali” never fails to make a person excited. Let us all enjoy this season of festivity with our friends and relatives rather than with the idiot box.
For the Stuffing:
In a bowl mix together maida, salt, ghee and using water make a soft dough and keep aside after covering with a damp cloth.
For the stuffing: Dry roast roasted gram dal, copra and poppy seeds one after the other separately over low flame taking care not to change the color. Let it cool. In a mixer powder this coarsely using the pulse mode. Transfer to a bowl.
Chop cashew nuts into very small pieces and dry roast again taking care not to burn it and transfer to the same bowl. Add sugar and cardamom powder and mix well and keep it aside.
Now take a small lemon size ball from the dough and roll it into a poori. Place a spoon of stuffing in the middle. Keep a cup of water and dip your finger in the water and run it all around the corner.
Bring one half over the other and press it well so that it does not come apart. You can cut it using a samosa cutter or press the edges with a fork as I did to ensure that the edges stay in place.
Heat oil in a kadai and when it is hot bring the flame to medium and slip 2 to 3 somaas into the oil at a time and cook well till it golden in color. Drain on a kitchen paper and store it in a tight container after it comes to room temperature.
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This is off to Diwali Special ~ Sweets & Savories
Krithi & Denny’s Serve it ~ Festival Potluck
Pari’s Only Sweets & Desserts hosted by Gayathri
Siri’s Healing Foods ~ Coconut hosted by Sukanya.
Labels: Coconut, Deep Fried Delights, Desserts, Indian Sweets