Sojjappalu / Sojja Poorilu

I chose to post sojjappalu, one of my favorite dishes from Andhra festive foods on this sixth day of BM#6. Let's check what the other marathoners are cooking today.
Sojjappalu or sojja poorilu are one of the easiest and delicious festive dishes that can be prepared and I opt for them when I have to make many dishes on festival days (like on the day of varamahalakshmi vratam). Sojjappalu appear like thick, palm sized patties. Sojjappalu can be loosely translated as pooris stuffed with a sweet, semolina halwa filling accentuated with cardamom flavor.

Ingredients: (For 12 appalu)
1 cup maida / all purpose flour
A pinch of salt
1 cup rava / semolina
1 cup sugar
1 tsp cardamom powder
4 tsp ghee
A few ghee toasted cashews (optional)
Oil / ghee to fry

Method:
* Combine the flour, 2 Tbsp oil and salt in a mixing bowl. Add water as needed and form firm dough (like chaptahi dough). Rest it for an hour or so.
* Heat 2 tsp of ghee in a pan and toast the cashews until golden brown. Remove them with a slotted spoon.
Toast the semolina in the same ghee often stirring, until it starts to change the color.
* Heat 2 cups of water and when it comes to a rolling boil, lower the heat. Slowly add the semolina, stirring continuously to avoid the lumps. Add 2 tsp of ghee and cook covered until the semolina is done. Then add the sugar and cardamom powder. Cook until all the sugar melts, gets incorporated into the mixture and the whole mixture turns into a thick mass. Add cashews and turn off the stove. Let the halwa come to room temperature.
* Divide the dough into 12 equal portions and shape them into balls. Similarly, divide the halwa into 12 equal portions and shape them into balls.

* Dust the work surface with flour if needed. Roll a dough ball into a thin circle of about 4 - 5 inches diameter. Place the halwa ball at the center of the circle and bring the edges of the rolled dough together. Grease your fingers if needed and pat into a circle of 1/4 inches thickness (like that of a athirasam / kajjaya). Appalu are usually about palm sized, thick discs and so don't press them thin as in the case of polis.

* Heat the oil in a frying pan. Pinch a small portion of the dough and drop into the oil to check the readiness. If the dough sizzles and comes to the surface then the oil is ready to fry. Slide the patted dough circle into the hot oil and fry on low flame until golden brown. Repeat the steps with the remaining dough and the filling.

Note:
1. Though traditionally appalu are deep fried, they can also be shallow fried. Or they can be toasted with little oil / ghee as we prepare poli.
2. The mentioned sugar quantity is perfect. If the sugar quantity is reduced, the appams are going to taste very mildly sweet.

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