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

Shakkarpare/Ghughuti /शक्करपारे/घुघुती (Wheat Flour Cryspies)

Ghughut /Shakkarpare 

Shakkarpare are made in Uttarakhand for Sankranti, in the month of January along withTil ke laddu.Shakkarpare are known as khajure or ghugute in Kumaon Uttarakhand India. In Maharashtra they are called Shankarpadi. In Kumaon, for small children mothers make varied shapes from the dough along with the regular rectangular shape and fry them, and then they are threaded along with Til laddu and seasonal fruits to make a garland. In the morning of Sankranti children, after taking bath put that garland around their neck and offer Khajure to crow singing "Kale kavva kale ghughutiki mala khale" . After offering to crow they merrily eat them as and when it pleases them. Shakkarpare make very tasty and filling eats along with tea. Since they are made of whole wheat flour and jaggery so are very nutritious also.

Preparation Time: 20 min.

Cooking Time: 30min.

Servings: 10 large servings

IngredientsRequired For Shakkarpare/Khajure

• 250 gm. Wheat flour
• 25 gm. semolina (suji)

• 75 gm. Jaggery

• 1TeaspoonSesame seeds(Til)(black/white any) 

• 1/4 Teaspoon Cardamom Powder

• 50 gm. Clarified butter (Ghee)

• Water for making the dough

• Oil for frying

 Direction for Making Shakkarpare/Khajure

• Take 20 – 30 ml water in a thick bottom pan and heat it.

• Break the jaggery into small pieces and add it to hot water.

• Heat the mixture on low flame with continuous stirring till all jaggery dissolves.

• Remove the pan from gas and allow the mixture to cool.

• Take wheat flour, semolina in a bowl and add sesame seeds, cardamom powder and mix nicely.

• Add ghee in little amounts and mix with fingers thoroughly.

• The mixture should look like bread crumbs.

• Add jaggery syrup in little amounts and knead.

• Add little water in required amount to make the dough.

• The dough should be very firm.

Dough for shakkarpare

• Cover and keep aside for 5- 10 min.

• Heat the oil in a wok on high flame.

• While oil is heating make divide the dough into four equal parts.

• Make a ball out one portion.

Ball of dough for rolling

• Roll the dough to 1-2mm. thick round shape.

Rolled ball of dough ready for cutting

•   Take a knife and cut rectangular/diamond shape pieces from it of the size you want.

Diamond shape shakkarpare cut from rolled ball of dough

• When the oil is smoking hot reduce the flame and put the rectangular dough pieces in it for frying.

Shakkapare being fried

• Fry on low flame with gentle stirring till they are golden brown.
• Take them out on a paper to cool so that excess of oil gets soaked in paper

Shakkarpare Being Cooled on Paper to Soak Excess oil

• Repeat the same with rest of the dough portion.

• Lo! and behold shakkarpare are ready. So why wait, enjoy eating them with family and friends.

Ghughut (Shakkarpare)

Tips:

• Do not keep on boiling the water once the jaggery is dissolved completely.

• Do not fry the shakkarpare to dark color as they have hot oil in them and once taken out will always turn a shade darker.

• Make sure the dough is pliable but firm if it will not be firm shakkarpare will not be crisp and if the dough is not pliable then rolling will not be possible.
• To make Mala (garland) for children shakkarpare should be fried less crisp or hole should be make before frying so that needle with thread can go easily.

Suggested Variations:  

• Instead of whole wheat flour refined flour can be taken .
• You can also try half refined flour and half whole wheat flour for making the dough along with suji.,

• Instead of jaggery sugar can be taken.

• For frying instead of oil ghee (clarified butter) can be taken.

• Poppy seeds can be added to the flour instead of sesame seeds.
  Happy Sankranti and Kale-Kawwa :)