Crispy Kajjikayalu - kayi kadubu - Karanji - Sweet Somas

Karjikaya is an authentic Sweet deeply Fried Andhra Empanada, filled with sugar, fried gram, cashews,almonds and pumpkin seeds.Karjikaya is made during special occasions like Vinayaka chaturthi,deepavali, varalakshmi vratham and ugadi.When you have a bite of it, its crunchiness of deep fried somas with sweet  its filling, tastes divine.we will learn to make step wise pictures of kajjikayalu.

                        Kajjikayalu - Karanji - Karjikai

Prep Time : 30 minutes. 

Cook Time : 15 minutes .                  
Recipe Category:Andhra Recipes

yields : 15 - 17.

Recipe Cuisine:Indian

Ingredients

Outer Cover

All Purpose Flour/Maida - 1  cup.

Rava - 2 tbsp.

Melted Butter - 1 tbsp.

salt - pinch.

Stuffing

Fried Gram(Chutney dal)/Putnala Pappu - 1/2 cup.

Sugar - 1/2 cup.

Cashews - 12.

Almonds - 12.

Pumpkin seeds - 12.(optional)

Grind fried Gram seperately in a mixie,then sugar seperately.Then pulse it again both to gether for proper mixing.Then add finely chopped cashews,almonds and pumpkin seeds to it and mix well. Now filling is ready.

 Method

• Mix Maida,Rava,Melted Butter and salt well. Then add water little by little to make a tight dough.Dough should be tight like puri dough.
• Let it rest for 1/2 an hour.
• Make small lemon sized balls, and make thin puri's using rolling pin, as shown in the picture. 

• Then use kozhukkatai mould and place rolled dough on top of the mould.

• Spoon it with filling, then press the mould. Remove the remaining dough, from the top of mould. 

• if you don't have mould after rolling the dough, smear some water, at the edges of the cirle, then spoon with filling on one side of the puri's, then bring edges together. Seal it properly by folding the edges as shown in the picture or make an impression at the corners,using the fork as shown in the picture.

• Then deep fry it in a medium flame, till it turns crisp and crunchy at the edges, and also in Golden brown colour, as shown in the picture.

• Drain it using slotted spoon and place it over a kitchen towel. After it cools down store it in a air tight container for a week to 10 days.

 
Notes

• Dough should be firm and tight.
• Make thin puri's while rolling, to get crunchy karanji.
• Adding pumpkin seeds is optional.
• Adding Rava  and butter gives crispness to outer layer.
• Deep fry in a medium flame, and karanji should not be crowded while frying.
• Make sure to seal karanji's properly while frying else it spoil the oil .