Kajjikayalu

While chatting casually a couple of days ago, my sister Siri had mentioned that she had a large quantity of endu kobbari / dried coconut shells and was thinking of making kajjikayalu. Though she got the recipe from me, she requested to post it for future references and so here it is.
Kajjikayalu are a part of Andhra 'pindivantalu' - the festive dishes, besides many other mouthwatering sweets and savories like bobbattlu, boorelu, ariselu, ladlu, garelu, pulihora, janthikalu, aavadalu and many many more. :) These half moon shaped, crisply fried shells with a sweet filling inside are a true treat for anyone's taste buds. There are several fillings to go inside the shells but today I am posting the version of coconut - sugar filling accentuated by the aromatic cardamom. Though they fall under the sweet category, kajjikayalu are not overtly sweet as typical Indian mithais do since the outer shell is not sweeter. One can hence enjoy at least a couple at a time. I have thrown diet rules off the window and have been enjoying 3 - 4 per day. :)

Recipe Source: My mother
Time needed: About an hour
Quantity: 25

Ingredients to make kajjikayalu:
For the outer shell:
2 cups maida
a pinch of salt
For the filling:
2 cups grated copra / endu kobbari
1 cup sugar
1 tsp cardamom powder
To fry:
2 -3 cups of oil

Making kajjikayalu:
* Combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Gradually add water and make a thick dough like poori or chapathi dough. (I used about 1 cup minus 3 Tbsp of water.). Let it rest for about 30 minutes.
* Place the coconut, sugar and cardamom in a food processor or blender on pulse mode and run for a few seconds to end up with a slightly homogeneous mixture. This filling can be prepared in advance.



* Heat the oil in a banali / kadai. If you don't own one, any deep bottomed nonstick pan would also work. To know whether the oil is hot enough, put a pinch of dough into the hot oil. If it sizzles and comes to surface immediately, then it is ready.
* Meanwhile, divide the dough and shape into small balls. Roll each ball into a thin poori, slightly bigger than the circumference of kajjikaya mould. Spread the rolled out poori on the greased mould.

* Place a couple of tablespoons of the filling in it. Take care that the filling is in the center and not along the edges. If the filling is on edges, you can not seal them.

* Fold the mould and press it firmly so that the filling doesn't come out during the frying process. Trim off the extra dough, outside the mould and put it back into the dough container.

* Now open the mould, gently lift off the kajjikaya and place it on a plate.

* Prepare at least 4 -6 of these and start frying. When frying the first batch, you can prepare the shells for the next batches. Also remember to grease the mould each time you use it, to avoid the shell sticking to it.

* Deep fry the kajjikayalu on low flame till they turn golden brown and crisp. Fry as many kajjikayalu as your kadai can fit without overcrowding. Frying on low flame is crucial in this recipe to achieve the crispiness of the outer shell of kajjikayaku. If fried on higher flame, they brown quickly and the shell would be softer as a roti or poori.

Note:
1. Kajjikaya mould is the gadget needed for this recipe. It is foldable in half and in helps in getting the needed semi circular shape of a kajjikaya and also helps in sealing the edges.
2. If you don't own a mould, place the filling on one half of the rolled out dough. Wet your fingers with water and run around the edges. Fold the other half over the filling so that it is semi circular in shape and seal the edges firmly. If the edges are not sealed properly, the filling would spill out into the hot oil.

3. If the outer shell of the fried kajjikaya seems to be softer, put it back to the hot oil, and fry on low flame till it turns crisp. Using low flame is the key to success in this particular recipe.

They are going to my CFK - Festive Foods, an event originally started by Sharmi.

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