Kajjikayalu/Karjikayalu/Karanji – Is an old and popular Rayalaseema Recipe, traditionally made during Diwali and Dussehra festivals. This is a sweet stuffed deep fried snack. This delicious sweet is made of semolina shell stuffed with roasted chanadal (pappulu / putnalu/ dhalia / fried gram) and jaggery powder. I have so many memories from my childhood with this sweet, my grandma used to make this yummy sweet. Back then she was well known for making festive sweets and savory snacks that are very special and hard to make. Most of them were my favorites. My grandma passed on all that knowledge to my mom and aunts, from my mom I learned about all the traditions and traditional food, now it’s my turn to pass on at least some of that knowledge to my daughter. In a way We all are big foodies and I got that palate for taste since childhood, it grew even more as I grow up and making varieties of foods on my own.

Though Andhra cuisine is reputed for its fiery hot chillis and spicy food, it also offers some popular traditional sweets, for the sweet-toothed, like Bhakshyalu, Kudumulu, arisellu, Garelu, sunni undalu, Nuvvula Kajjikayalu, etc. Pappula Kajjikayalu is one such traditional sweet.

We all feel like munching on yummy and delicious traditional sweets and savories at home during festive season, that brings out our inner child with so many memories. So, today I am presenting this traditional, simple, yet easy to make sweet “Pappula Kajjikayalu” recipe in Rayalaseema style. These are called in different names in different regions and made with different fillings as well. But here I am using “Roasted Chana Dal (Pappulu)” mixed with jaggery and little dry coconut and nuts.

Kajjikayalu can be eaten anytime of the day and makes a great tea time snack or an after lunch/dinner dessert. Kajjikaya is similar to the popular Maharastrian sweet ‘Karanji’ which is prepared using mawa (khoya /thickened milk) instead of roasted chickpea/chanadal powder.

Checkout the complete recipe and try this traditional sweet treat today at your home. Let us all go back to our grandma’s kitchen and truly, each and every bite brings you a sweet happiness! Enjoy…!!!

How to make Kajjikayalu

PREP TIME: 20 MINS COOK TIME: 20 -30 MINS TOTAL TIME: 50 MINS COURSE: SWEETS / DESSERTS CUISINE: SOUTH INDIAN YIELDS : 25

Ingredients

1 cup – 235 ml

semolina or chiroti rava or bhakshala rava or pheni rava – 1 cup
roasted chanada or roasted chickpea/pappulu/putnalu – 1 cup
jaggery – 3/4 cup to 1 cup
grated dried coconut – 1 tbsp
cashews or chironji
oil – for deep fry
ghee – 1-2 tsp

Instructions

Dough:

In a mixing bowl, add semolina rava, pinch of salt and 2 tsp oil. Mix well and make a stiff dough adding around 1/4 cup of water.
Cover the dough with wet cloth and rest it for 3-4 hours.
After 4 hrs., clean up a small surface on the counter or floor, put 1 tsp of ghee on the counter top. Place the dough on ghee, pound it with a stone or pestle for a few times while tossing and folding. (alternatively you can cut the dough in pieces, and grind the dough, knead and then rest it for 20 mins). This helps the dough become soft and pliable and you get the good quality and texture to kajjikayalu.
Divide the dough into equal parts and cover them with a lid or cloth to prevent from drying. Keep aside.

Stuffing:

Grind pappulu/dhalia/roasted chickpea and jaggery into a smooth powder. Taste and adjust the jaggery.
Transfer the pappula podi into a bowl, add dry coconut, 2 tsp melted ghee, and your favorite nuts. (if using cashew, roast it in ghee)

Preparation:

Roll each dough ball with the rolling pin into a thin circular poori.
Roll 5-6 pooris and keep them in a plate or place rolled pooris on a slightly wet cloth..
Take the rolled out dough onto your open palm, scoop 1-2 tbsp of the filling in the center of the poori, join the edges to make semi circle kajjikaya. (refer video for better understanding).
Also refer the video for more ways to seal. You may also use karanji maker.
You will have to make a few and fry them simultaneously to prevent breakage or drying up. Or you can cover them with a cloth or lid to prevent from drying.
Heat the oil on medium heat in a wide kadai, when it is hot enough add 3-4 kajjikayalu to the oil and fry them on medium low heat until the oil stops sizzling. They should be white in color. Do not brown them.
Store them in an air tight container. They will be fresh for 2 weeks.

Tips

Adjust the sweetness of the stuffing by tasting.
Make sure kajjikayalu are white in color by frying them on medium low heat.
Using semolina

Step by step photo instructions

Dough:

In a mixing bowl, add semolina rava, pinch of salt and 2 tsp oil. Mix well and make a stiff dough adding around 1/4 cup of water.
Cover the dough with wet cloth and rest it for 3-4 hours.

After 4 hrs., clean up a small surface on the counter or floor, put 1 tsp of ghee on the counter top. Place the dough on ghee, pound it with a stone or pestle for a few times while tossing and folding. (alternatively you can cut the dough in pieces, and grind the dough, knead and then rest it for 20 mins). This helps the dough become soft and pliable and you get the good quality and texture to kajjikayalu.
Divide the dough into equal parts and cover them with a lid or cloth to prevent from drying. Keep aside.

Stuffing:

Grind pappulu/dhalia/roasted chickpea and jaggery into a smooth powder. Taste and adjust the jaggery.

Transfer the pappula podi into a bowl, add dry coconut, 2 tsp melted ghee, and your favorite nuts. (if using cashew, roast it in ghee)

Preparation:

Roll each dough ball with the rolling pin into a thin circular poori.

Roll 5-6 pooris and keep them in a plate or place rolled pooris on a slightly wet cloth..

Take the rolled out dough onto your open palm, scoop 1-2 tbsp of the filling in the center of the poori, join the edges to make semi circle kajjikaya. (refer video for better understanding).

Also refer the video for more ways to seal. You may also use karanji maker.

You will have to make a few and fry them simultaneously to prevent breakage or drying up. Or you can cover them with a cloth.

Heat the oil on medium heat in a wide kadai, when it is hot enough add 3-4 kajjikayalu to the oil and fry them on medium low heat until the oil stops sizzling. They should be white in color. Do not brown them.