Ganesh Chaturthi / Vinayam Chaturthi or Pillayar chaturthi is the time when mnay sweets and snacks are prepared in offering as neivediyam to Lord Ganesh . No doubt the modakam bopth seet and salt version is the primary neivediyam but along with the modakam , many savouries are offereed , one such is the somas/ or karanji .

One great homely sweet but called by so many names according to the regions from where they come, yet all agree that Ganesh Chaturthi is incomplete without this scrumptious traditional sweet, besides the ultimate modaks also called kozhakkatais in Tamilnadu, Mothagam in some other parts , again a simple but tasty steamed sweet dumpling made of coconut, jaggery and delicately infused with cardamom , all encased in a thin outer covering made of rice four.
Surely Ganeshji couldn't be pampered more.!

Coming to the simple recipe of Somas , Karanji or Karchikai .

Ingredients:

For the outer cover

1 cup all purpose flour/maida

1/4 cup chiroti rava or fine rava/semolina/sooji, roasted.

1 1/2 tbsp hot melted ghee.

pinch of salt

warm milk to make the dough .

Filling Ingredients

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup dry coconut powder.

pinch of cardamom powder

1/4 cup white sesame seeds

2 tsp poppy seeds/khus khus

2 tbsp of assorted nuts like cashews, almonds, pistachios and some raisins.

Method:

Prepare the dough for the outer cover by making little tight dough with the ingredients given above for the outer cover.

Use hot ghee to make the dough for good taste or hot oil if you wish to avoid ghee, use warm milk to bind the dough, cover and keep aside for around 15 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile the filling ingredients like coconut powder, sesame seeds , poppy seeds should be roasted seperately and powdered , roast the nuts too lightly and powder them coarsely, chop the raisins to small pieces. Mix all the filling ingredients well.

After 15 or 20 minutes take the dough, knead well for few minutes and it will be soft and pliable.

Pinch off small balls and make portions of the filling for each of the small poori.

Take one small ball, no need to dust the poori as it will not stick , make a small poori shape, not too thin or too thick. Place a small portion of the filling along one side, along one half of the poori like a semi circle. cover with the other half to make a semi circle to make both ends sealed well, use a fork to make the marks and it will seal the ends well or else the filling ingredients will spill into the hot oil during frying.

I prefer to use the fork to make the marks to seal the ends, some people use a small mix of maida and water to make a sealing paste and apply on the ends and seal, I find it messy and cumbersome, Fork works well, or else best is to get the karchikai moulds , to get perfect shapes. You just need to place the poori over the mould and then press the mould, excess portion of dough may be removed to get the perfect semi circle.Prepare few karchikais ready before frying.

Keep the oil to heat well, test by dropping a small bit of the dough to see whether it comes up sizzling well, then drop the prepared karchikais into the oil one by one slowly, keep the flame on a medium now, to prevent quick browning.

It has to cook well and also the outer cover has to become crispy, so flip them over both sides to get even browning, drain in a colander and store only when completely cooled.Stays good for a week .

These karchikais are so addictive being mildly sweet and the crisp flaky exterior gives a great crunch, you may not be able to store any as they get over as fast as you make them !

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