Candied Apple Fritters

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  Howz it going for you guys?  I have been super lazy to cook.  I have also started another walking regime which makes me very reluctant to cook, fearing I will be overdoing the calories.  None of this works though.  I walk and then eat well too.  I use all this as just an excuse not to cook.  Anyways, here is a very tasty apply recipe for you which I made when my guard was down and I craved sugar.



  I have never had apple fritters before yesterday. Today,  I am in love.  To begin with I had some apples which were sure to rot if it sat any longer in the nice glass dish I had it displayed on the kitchen counter.  My friend J called me last week and told me she was making apple scallops.  I decided to try it myself but then got the idea of fritters and then candying it and decided candied sounds like fun. A lot of recipes online suggest we make the batter with eggs, however, since we make banana fritters without it I went along with out eggs.  It came out well, if I may say so myself. 




  Making it candied was not the easiest process but if you are serving it for dessert for a party the effort is worth your while. However, if you are trying to cut down on sugar stop with the fritters and enjoy them as they are.   


Ingredients:
Red Delicious Apples                   - 4 cut into chunks or thin if you like it nicely cooked
Corn Starch                                 - 1 Tbspn
All purpose flour                          - 1/2 cup
Water                                          - to make a loose batter to dip and fry the apples
Salt                                              - to taste
Oil                                               - for deep frying

Sugar Coating
Sugar                     - 1/2 cup
Water                    - 3 Tbspn

Method:
1. Slice apples, dust with corn starch and set aside
2. Dip in batter and deep fry to golden brown and drain on a kitchen towel (paper napkin)

Coating
1. Heat the water and add sugar a little at a time dissolving after each addition
2. Bring the syrup to a golden brown color
3. Dip in ice cold water holding the apples on a fork and let it be for a few seconds allowing the sugar to solidify
4. Drain water by holding it vertically on a paper towel and set on the serving dish
5. Follow this with all the apple pieces and then sprinkle with sesame seeds
6. The sugar will become hard quickly so work in small batches
7. If sugar syrup solidifies re heat on low flame stirring continuously. 

Contributor: Sunitha 

Boondi Ladoo/Bundi Laddu - Being Festive

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Hope you all are having a wonderful day,wherever you are. I thought it's not fair if we don't share the second sweet I prepared for Diwali, before the festival is over. So here is the boondi ladoo, my most favorite of all ladoos.We would love to say that again, Happy Diwali and we love you all !

I was in Middle School when I first had home-made Boondi ladoos.  My  Iyengar girl friend, (J), used to bring stuff like this to school all the time, and it was from here that I first had  ladoos.  Most of my class mates looked forward to being invited to her house for any celebration  because we knew there  would be all these delicious, juicy sweets to gobble up.  Other than ladoos, her mother could make Kerala Jilebi(Jangiri), pedas and a host of savory snacks.  My visit to her place was always memorable and quite productive.  I could eat all the home-made sweets I wanted,  and also borrow seedlings of "kanakambaram" for my garden.   Oh yes! Her mother was a great cook and an even better gardener.  I had the orange kanakambaram for a long, long time in my garden thanks to J!  My inspiration to make ladoos at home is J’s mom, but who would have imagined it would take X years to actually try it at home!

  When I was pregnant with my son, my second child, I craved ladoos to no end.  There was not a place I could buy good ones  where I stayed, and I decided to go all the way and fry it myself.  Being huge with a belly, it was not easy, but I persisted.  I know how this might sound foolish, and I don’t recommend pregnant women trying to fry and burn their belly  unless you can be careful and get it done.  I tell you what, when desire strikes no bump is a hurdle ;)

  Now for a couple of years, I have been making ladoos on and off. I am glad to present to you a fool proof recipe.   

Disclaimer: You don’t  have to be pregnant to try this for the first time ;)

May the festival of lights brings you all the happiness in the world !



These ladoos are so delicious and exactly like the store bought one, except for their shape ;-)



This for you all,with good wishes and love, from us !




Ingredients:

Besan/Gram flour- 1 1/2 cup
Rice flour- 1 Tbsp
Baking soda- a pinch
Oil- for deep frying

For the sugar syrup:

Sugar- 2 cups
Water- 1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp
Cardamom powder- 1/2 tsp
Cloves, crushed- 6-7
Cashews and raisins- lightly fried in ghee(optional)- 2 Tbsp each

You need a boondi strainer/a strainer with holes for making the boondis

Method:

1.Make a medium thick batter with the flours, water and soda. The consistency should be lighter than of idli batter.If it is too watery you will get boondis with a tail. If it is too thick it will not come through the strainer.So adjust it if required after you try the first time, by adding the flour or water.
2.Heat oil in a deep frying pan.Keep the heat on medium and by holding the strainer over the oil, pour a ladle full of batter onto the strainer.Make circular motions with the bottom of the ladle, just like you do when you make a dosa.The flour will drop into the oil and get fried.
3.It doesn't take long for the boondi to get fried. Also you don't have to fry the boondis till they turn brown, as you do for making mixture and other snacks.As soon as you stop pouring the batter stir the boondis well, so that they don't cluster together and burn. (it's always nice to have an extra pair of hands at this time, but I did it all myself this time !)
4.Drain them on a paper towel. Also it's wise to use a big strainer to take them out from oil, since the boondis are small but large in number.
5.Make the sugar syrup by mixing the sugar and water in a thick bottom vessel and boiling it to one string consistency.This doesn't take long if you add only this much of water.
6.When it has reached one string cosistency, add the cloves and cardamom and also the cashews and raisins. Mix well.
7.Throw in the fried boondis into this syrup and mix everything well.
8.Let it cool for a while so that you can handle it without burning your hands.
9.Make balls out of this before it gets completely cool.
10.Let the ladoos cool completely before you store them.

Do you think that it's a lot of work? But believe me, it's all worth it :-)
Once again we wish you all a very Happy Diwali/Deepawali !!



Sending this to the event "The 30 best recipes of 2010" at Chacko's Kitchen.Thanks Susan and Abraham for hosting such a wonderful event !

Contributor: Namitha

Pista Burfi and Happy Deepawali !

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Happy Deepawali!!!!!!!!!  How are your Deepawali preparations going?   I am sure you all have filled your boxes of sweets and other goodies to share with friends and family.  In this joyful festival of lights, we join to wish you all a very happy and safe Deepawali.

  Growing up in Central Travancore, Kerala, I grew up without any firecrackers and lighting of lights as part of the festivities for Deepawali.  But you better believe sweets were always a part of our Deepawali, and I continue to keep that  tradition alive.    Every Deepawali I make some for my family. 

  My most favorite Deepawalis were celebrated while I was in Hyderabad - hours together with firecrackers, partying, sweets, the works!  If you are from that part of the world, I want to tell you a special thanks for giving such great memories.

Sunitha and I wish all our friends and readers a Deepawali full of fun !!



I didn't use any food colors,that's why the color is not great



But it tastes wonderful and my lil one finished at least half a dozen pieces while I was clicking away :-)



Ingredients:

Unsalted Pistachios, blanched - 1 cup
Sugar- 1/2 cup
water- 2-3 Tbsp
Cardamom powder- 1/2 tsp
Ghee- 1 to 2 Tbsp

Method:

1.Blanch the pistachios by soaking them in hot water for about a minute and washing in cold water,slip out the skin.
2.Dry them on a paper towel. Grind to a fine paste, without adding any water.. (I like it to be a bit coarse)
3.Prepare a cookie sheet or a plate greased with ghee.
4.Heat the sugar in a wide, preferably non-stick pan after adding 2 Tbsp of water, just enough to wet the sugar.(The more the water the more time it will take !)
5.Let it boil and come to one string consistency.If you think that you have overdone, add a little more water and do it again.If you add this amount I've mentioned it won't take long after it starts boiling.
6.Add the ground pistachios and stir well.
7.Slowly add the ghee and stir in to incorporate.If you are using a non-stick pan you need to add only 1 Tbsp ghee.
8.When the mixture starts leaving the sides add the cardamom powder and mix well.
9.Switch off the heat and spread the mixture onto the greased plate or baking sheet.Use a greased spoon /rolling pin to even the surface.
10.Let it cool a bit and cut into desired shapes. Cool them completely before storing in an airtight container.

Happy Deepawali one again !!



Notes:

1.The amount of sugar is to our liking.(In fact I added a little less than 1/2 cup!)It was perfect for us.If you like your sweets to be extra sweet you might
want to add a little more sugar.
2.If you want to add green color, add it to the sugar syrup, before adding the pistachios.
3.If you have edible silver foil/varak spread it onto the top after you even the surface.

Contributor: Namitha