Kusli ~ Chhattisgarh Cuisine

I came across "kusli" among a list of Chhattisgarh recipes, while searching online. The name intrigued me and when I explored a little further, it turned out to be what we call kajjjikayalu in Telugu. These crescent shaped, crispy shells with a sweet filling are prepared through out India and known by different regional names such as kajjikayalu, karjikayi or gujiya. I am guessing the sweet filling that goes into these shells are unique region-wise. Gujiyas usually contain a mawa filling, while the south Indian ones usually have a coconut-sugar or ground roasted chickpea-sugar filling. Now these kuslis have a semolina-almond filling which was quite new to me and I had to try them for that reason alone. The cardamom flavored filling was very delicious and the crisp kuslis were a delight as expected.

Ingredients: (Yield 12 kuslis)

1 & 1/4 cup all-purpose flour / maida

1 tbsp oil

a pinch of salt

1/4 cup ground almonds

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup semolina (I used fine semolina.)

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp cardamom powder

3 tbsp coconut flakes

Oil to fry

Method:

* Combine the flour, 1 tbsp oil and salt in a mixing bowl. Gradually add water and make a thick dough like poori or chapathi dough. Let it rest for about 30 minutes.

* Combine ground almonds, sugar, semolina, raisins, coconut and ground cardamom in a bowl and mix well. This is our filling and keep it aside.

* Heat the oil in a small sized wok / kadai. If you don't own one, any deep bottomed nonstick pan would also work. To test whether the oil is hot enough for frying, put a pinch of dough into the hot oil. If it sizzles and comes to surface immediately, then it is ready to fry the kusli.
* Meanwhile, divide the dough into 12 portions and shape them into small balls. Roll each ball into a thin circle, slightly bigger than the circumference of the mould. Place the rolled out dough circle 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, they cannot be sealed.
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.

* Fold the mould and press it very 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. 
* Slowly open the mould and gently lift off the kusli and place it aside. Repeat the process with the remaining dough and the filling. And remember to grease the mould each time it is used, to prevent them sticking to the mould.

* 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 them on low flame until they turn golden brown and crisp. Fry as many kusli as your pan can fit without overcrowding. Frying on low flame is crucial in this recipe to achieve the crispiness of the outer shell. If fried on higher flame, they brown quickly and the shell would be softer as a poori.

Check here to know what other marathoners are cooking.

Comments

An InLinkz Link-up