With September nearly here, many of us have begun to feel the celebration in the air. Ganesh Chaturthi, Navratri, Durga Pooja, Dussehra, Deepavali - the list of occasions goes on, as long as the conversations when friends and families get together during this time of the year.
The festive season calls for making and distributing sweets. Today, we’ll take a look at some South Indian sweets that you can prepare at home. By the end of this blog, you’ll realise just how popular coconut and jaggery are in South Indian cooking.
Thengai Poli
Have you heard of puran poli, a delicacy from Maharashtra? Thengai poli is almost exactly the same.
The word “thengai” means coconut. This crepe-thin sweet is made with wheat dough flattened into a crepe and layered with a jaggery & coconut filling. You can easily make this at home within less than an hour.
Thengai poli tends to be on the sweeter side, so make sure to tweak the recipe according to your taste preferences.
Karigadabu
Prepared in Karnataka for Ganesh Chaturthi, these half-moon pastries are deep-fried. They too have a filling of coconut along with fried gram, which gives it a nutty-sweet taste.
Making the mixture and filling the casing to make Karigadabu can be a fun activity you do with your family members. That way, you can also prepare a large batch of this sweet, ideal for sharing with your friends or neighbours.
Some people also add dry fruits such as raisins and cashews to make this sweet even more richer.
Palkova
If you like foods that have the consistency of porridge, palkova is going to become an easy favourite.
It is also referred to as Srivilliputhur Palkova because a crucial ingredient is milk from the Srivilliputhur region in Tamil Nadu. Granted that not everyone has access to this, you can just use regular full-cream milk.
Additionally, ghee, sugar, and cardamom are the only other ingredients you need to make palkova at home. It has a deliciously creamy-thick texture.
Mysore Pak
Who’d think that simple ingredients such as roasted chickpea flour, ghee, and sugar could come together to form something so delicious?
From the name itself, you can make out that Mysore pak is a South Indian sweet originating in the city of Mysore in Karnataka. Speaking of Mysore, have you tried our Mysuru specialty kaapi blend yet? The perfect accompaniment to sweets and celebrations.
Come Diwali every year, families indulge in this addictive sweet that melts in your mouth. It has the crumble of a cookie combined with the creaminess of a kulfi. What more could you ask for?
Nei Appam
While the main ingredients of this dish are rice and jaggery, some may agree that the coconut and ghee are the stars of the show. They make each bite of the nei appam a delight that resonates deep in your soul.
Prepared in the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, this sweet is a common presence on the table during Ganesh Chaturthi, Navratri & Karthika Deepam.
The outer layer of nei appam tends to be crispy and nutty, while the insides are airy and soft. It will take you a few hours to make this traditional dish at home, but the wait is absolutely worth it!
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