सिंगल कुमाऊँ का पकवान /Singal A Kumaoni Delicacy (Fried spirals of Samolina / Rice Flour)

A Typical Kumaoni Prasad Thali of Singal,Meethi Puri Ganesha Modak,Puye,Kajoore and Fruits For Diwali

Singal are one of those fried semolina spirals that are part and parcel of Kumaon culture and festivals especially deepawali and Bhaiduj. Though it is very rich in fat and sugar yet the weather and all the waking done in hills it is easily digested and provides the much needed calories. The life style of hills makes sure that all fat and consumed calories are burnt off so no hassle in indulging in such rich delicacies. Singal with Aloo Gutuk and Pahari raita are heavenly combination and the taste of singal made by my granny remain unparalleled till date. I tried to replicate the same but then the recipe may be the same how can I say the Love and care she put for us in it is the same.

Preparation Time: 10 min. (Soaking time not included)

Cooking Time: 60 min

Servings: 6-7 Medium size Singal

Ingredients Required For making Singal:

• 250 gm. Suji / Rice fl our

• 150 gm. Thick Curd

• 100 ml. Milk

• 100 gm. Sugar

• 10 gm. Ghee (Clarified butter)

• 1 Ripe Banana

• 5-6 Green cardamom

• Ghee/ Cooking oil for frying.

Making Rice Flour : 

• Wash rice  and soak it in excess water for one hour.

• Drain all water and dry under sun till rice is completely dry.

• Grind to fine powder.

• Sieve to remove any coarse particles. 

Direct ions For Making Singal:

• Peel green cardamom and pound the seeds of green cardamom coarsely.

• In a bowl take

• Suji / Rice flour

• Sugar

• Thick curd

• 10 gm. Ghee

• Mix them nicely and keep the mixture for at least 60 min. for soaking 

Suji, Curd, Ghee and Sugar added to make the batter for Singal

• The suji / rice flour will become soft and the mixture will become nice and soft.

• Add milk and mix so that the batter is of pourable consistency. If the batter is too thick then add 10-20 ml. milk and mix to bring it to thick but pourable consistency.

Milk added to the batter

Batter ready after mixing the milk to the suji,curd and sugar mixture

Batter consistency should be hick but pourable

• Mash the banana while it is in the peel. This will make mashing banana easy and it will get mashed nicely.

Ripe Banana being mashed with the peel intact

Mashed Banana

• Peel the mashed banana, add the mashed banana and cardamom powder to the suji / rice flour mixture.

Mashed Banana added to the Batter

• Mix nicely and beat it with fingers for 10 min. so that it gets creamy feel.

• Heat ghee / cooking oil in a thick bottom wok till becomes smoking hot.

Batter ready for making Singal

• Fold the fingers and palm to make a cup shape and scoop batter in it.

Batter of singal in the cup of palm

• Pour the batter in a spiral shape in the hot ghee / oil.

Batter being poured to a spiral in smoking hot ghee

• Let it cook on low flame till the color becomes golden yellow turn and cook again till both sides become golden yellow / golden brown.

Singal being fried

• Drain the excess fat with the help of ladle.

• Repeat same with rest of the mixture.

Deepawali treat of Singal,Kheer,Besan Laddu Meethi Puri,Ganesh Modak,Puye 

• Singal are ready to be enjoyed with Aloo Gutuk and raita.

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2012/07/aloo-gutuk-potato-vegetable-kumauni.html

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2012/07/pahari-kheere-ka-raita-cucumber-and.html

Tips:

• Piping bag can be taken for putting the batter as a spirals in the oil for frying.

• Wok with flat bottom is better for frying Singal.
  

• Small grain suji is better for this dish

• Curd should not be too sour.

• Make sure your hand is not too near the ghee while pouring the batter as your fingers may touch the hot ghee and get burnt.

• For frying if ghee is taken then the original taste is guaranteed.

• If rice flour is taken then soaking the batter for 45-60 min. more is the better option.

Suggested Variations:

• 50 gm. Khawa can be added and mixed nicely after adding banana. When Khawa is added it has to be made sure that there are no lumps in the batter.

• Finely cut almond, cashew nuts and raisins can be added to the batter after adding banana

Shakarkandi Gulab Jamun / शकरकंद के गुलाब जामुन (A Delicious Indian Sweet)

Shakarkandi Gulab Jamun

In search of Gulab jamun which are comparatively low on calories and also good in taste I came up with the idea of making Gulab jamun from Shakarkandi (Sweet potato). My friends and husband loved them and were surprised to know that I made the gulab jamun from sweet potatoes. They were soft and juicy and very authentic.

Khoya is not available in many places, as a result of which we are unable to enjoy this lovely dessert. Also some people do not make them due to high calories in Khoya or suspecting the purity of Khoya available in market.One solution to all problems. Make Shakarkandi (Sweet potato) Gulab Jamun. They are low in calories as compared to Khoya gulab jamun, being tuber based have their natural sweetness thus require comparatively less sugar, have good dietary fibers and also the cost involved in making these gulab jamun is less. So why delay? Make this healthier version of gulab jamun and satiate your urge to eat this Indian delicacy.
These gulab jamuns are not harmful for heart patients also if fried in oil especially in Rrice bran oil / Olive oil.

Preparation Time: 30 min.

Cooking Time: 45 min (Soaking time included).

Servings: 20 Medium Size Gulab jamun.

Ingredients Required for Making Shakarkandi Ke Gulab Jamun:

• 150 gm. Sugar

• 250 ml. Water

• 4-5 Green cardamom

• 150 gm. Shakarkandi (Sweet Potato)/ 3 medium size Shakarkandi

• 4 Level Teaspoon Maida (Refined flour) (Approximately 25 gm.)

• 3 Level Teaspoon Suji (Semolina) (Approximately 25 gm.)

• 1 Small pinch of Eating Soda

• Ghee / Oil for frying

Directions For Making Gulab jamun:

• Heat water in a pan and add sugar to it.

• Dissolve the sugar by continuous stirring while the water is heating on low flame.

• When the sugar has dissolved bring the flame to high and let the sugar solution boil for 10 min.

• Switch off the gas and cover the container with sugar syrup.

• Do not thicken the syrup too much as while soaking fried gulab jamun it has to be heated as a result it will become thick.

• Boil Shakarkandi and let it cool.

• Peel the boiled Shakarkandi and mash to smoothness.

Boiled and peeled Shakarkandi

Shakarkandi Mashed for Gulab jamun

• Mix eating soda and maida and sieve the mixture through a sieve to make sure even mixing of soda and eating soda.

• Mix maida-eating soda mixture and suji with mashed boiled sweet potatoes.

• Mix all ingredients with continuous mashing and kneading till a uniform soft dough is formed.

•  At least 5 min. continuous mashing and kneading is required to make the dough.

Shakarkandi (Sweet Potato) dough for Gulab Jamun

• While the dough of Shakarkandi is being made heat oil / ghee in a wok.

• Make 20-25 medium size balls from the dough.

Dough balls ready for frying

• Make sure the balls do not have any cracks in them the surface of the dough ball should be smooth.

• The oil will become hot by the time balls of dough are made.

• Put only one piece of dough to check temperature of oil, if it becomes brown then the oil is too hot so switch off the gas and allow it to cool for 2-3 min. it should start floating on the oil but not become brown immediately.

• The correct temperature to fry is when the ball of dough is when the balls start frying and start gaining pinkish brown color slowly.

Balls of Shakarkandi added to hot oil and being fried on low flame

• Fry the dough balls on low flame with constant stirring and turning over.

• In 10 min. the balls will gain golden brown color and in 12-13 min. they will turn darker brown. 

Ready for being pricked with tooth pick and put in sugar syrup for soaking

• Take the dough balls out from wok after 12-13 min. of frying and immediately prick holes on two three places with tooth pick and put in hot sugar syrup.

Poking the hot fried dough balls with tooth pick before putting in sugar syrup

• Turn them over two three times while soaking in sugar syrup.

• If the sugar syrup becomes cold while the fried dough balls are soaking in it, heat it along with fried dough balls soaking in it for 2-3 min. on low flame. Do not boil. 

Fried Sweet potato dough balls soaking in Hot sugar syrup

• After 15 min. of soaking in hot sugar syrup the fried balls will become soft and juicy.

Shakarkandi Gulab Jamun

This is how they should look from Inside

• Repeat till all dough balls are fried and are soaking in sugar syrup.

• Add ground cardamom powder and serve hot.

Shakarkandi Gulab Jamun

Tips:

• While making balls from dough apply some oil on your palm.
  

• It is preferable that the smaller grain semolina is taken but in the absence of fine grain semolina any variety of semolina (Suji) will do.

• If the sweet potatoes have been over boiled and have soaked more water while boiling then increase the amount of semolina (Suji) by one teaspoon.

• Unlike Khoya gulab jamun the sugar syrup is comparatively thin so the sugar: water is also less than the one we make for Khoya gulab jamun.

• The sugar syrup should not be at room temperature while putting the hot fried dough balls for soaking.

• Once the fried dough balls are in the sugar syrup it should never be boiled just heated as the soaking takes best when the sugar syrup if hot.

• Frying should be done at low heat / flame only.

• Turning and stirring while frying should be done carefully so as not to break the dough balls.

• Pre heat the oil because the dough has soda in it and cannot be kept for long after making.

• While making sugar syrup the peels of cardamom can be added to bring flavor in the syrup.

Suggested Variations:

• Green cardamom can be replaced with rose water or Kewadajal.

• The balls can be stuffed with Pieces of almonds/cashew/raisin.