Preparation time : 3 hours + 20 mins
Makes : 20 approx
Ingredients :
For kaja :
Maida (or) all purpose flour : 1 1/2 cup
Besan / chickpea flour / gram flour : 1 Tbsp
Baking soda : 2 generous pinches
Ghee : 1 Tbsp
Water : as needed
For sugar syrup :
Sugar : 1 cup
Water : 1/2 cup
Ilachi (or) Cardamom powder : 1/4 Tbsp
Method :
Take all purpose flour in a bowl, mix baking soda and besan very well with it.
Make a well in middle, add melted ghee and just mix once.
Add water and make a soft dough .
(water will be around 50 % of flour that means if you are using one cup of flour add 50 % of cup i.e half cup of water)
It should be soft and sticking to hands.
So grease your hands with ghee and, knead it for 15 minutes.
(lift the dough with your hands from the bowl and throw it into the bowl from top or simply saying man handle the dough ;) )
Cover it fully with wet cloth or wet tissue.
Rest it for three hours.(Don't skip this step, if you skip this step your kaja's don't get those pores and they will be like hard biscuits)
Just before making kaja's
Make sugar syrup, take a pan add sugar and water into it.
Boil it till you get one thread consistency.
(see down for what is one thread consistency)
(Add one Tbsp of lemon juice , so that it won't solidify)
Add cardamom powder.
Keep this aside.
Again knead the dough for 5 more mins.
(lift the dough from the bowl and throw it into the bowl from top or simply saying man handle the dough again ;) )
Take a plate and sprinkle little flour all over it.
(If you don't do this they will get stuck to the plate)
Dust the surface with little flour.
Roll the dough with your hands into a big log.
Pat the log a bit to get a rectangle shape.
Cut it into 2 cms pieces.
Take one by one press them once and put them in plate.
Heat up the oil.
When the oil temperature is ready (medium high), start frying kaja's in batches until golden brown. While dropping the kaja's in oil the temperature should be hot, then reduce the flame to medium and fry until dark brown. Check the temperature from time to time and also for every batch.
Remove them one by one and immediately drop them into prepared sugar syrup.
Let them immerse in sugar syrup, press each khaja into syrup and hold for 30 seconds.
(while doing this, put oil in low flame, so that other khaja's don't get burnt).
If you don't press and hold for 30 seconds for each and every kaja then they won't absorb syrup which is very important part of kakinada kaja and they will be like hard biscuits.
Then let them soak for 30 minutes and then remove from the syrup.
Add little melted ghee around one table spoon , add some powdered sugar around 2 Tbsp and mix it good so that each kaja gets that coating of powdered sugar.
Let it cool down completely before storing.
Store them in a box.
Shelf life : Stay fresh for 10 days out side ... can be refrigerated for more shelf life
Enjoy your dish :)
Thank you, do post your comments !!!
One thread consistency :
While the syrup is boiling keep testing it for its consistency. To do this, dip a spoon or spatula in the syrup and lift it out. Allow to cool for a few seconds as it will be very hot at first. Now touch the syrup with a clean forefinger , and then touch your thumb and forefinger together and pull apart gently. Keep boiling the syrup gently till you reach the consistency called for in the recipe.
Stages progress fairly quickly after a point, so check frequently.
One - thread consistency is when a single thread is formed ( and does not break) when your forefinger and you thumb are pulled apart gently.
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