Besan Churma
The festive season has begun for almost all Indians since August this year. So how can we forget this delectable sweet “Churma”( powder). This dish which comes from Rajasthan is again an unforgettable one. The word churma means anything which is amorphous or in powder form. Hence my daughter enjoyed this even when she didn’t had teeth. 😀
It is made on a large scale and in many varieties(served in Prasad – Sawa Mani) in “Salasar Balaji ” temple in Rajasthan. Its aroma is enough to draw attention of the people standing in the queue for “Darshan”(to worship). 😀
My mom used to send me this “laddoo ka churma” in a parcel, so that my daughter and I could enjoy it anytime of the day. Since it undergoes baking process, it is absolutely healthy and non-perishable. However ,I can’t guarantee how long it would stay on your counter. 😛 May be one day you open it and found it empty. 😉
INGREDIENTS:
1. Chickpea Flour(besan) – 1 cup
2. Semolina (Sooji)- 1⁄4 cup
3. Milk – 3⁄4 cup
4. Sugar/Powdered sugar/Bura – 1 cup
5. Cardamom powder(elaichi) – 1 tsp
6. Rose water – 2 tbsp (optional)
7. Kewra essence (used in kulfi) – 1 tsp (optional)
8. silvered almonds (badam) – 2 tbsp
9. chopped cashew nuts (kaju) – 2 tbsp
10. Clarified Butter ( Ghee) – 2 + 2 tbsp
11. Turmeric (haldi) – 1⁄4 tsp (optional)
METHOD:
| Preparation time : 20 mins | Cooking time : 15 mins | Serves 3-4 persons at a time|
1. Take a Tureen or a large bowl. Add besan, sooji, turmeric, ghee ( 2 tbsp) and mix well with a spatula or hands.
Now add milk little by little to form a dough of it. We don’t knead the dough too much, since we want to stay it hard.
Preheat the oven to 350 degree F. Alternately you may deep fry these in a deep wok in oil.
When the oven is preheated, make muthias(fist-shaped) out of it or small discs(pedhas) out of it. For making muthia pinch a portion of the dough and press it with your four fingers on your palm.
Arrange these muthias or pedhas on an oven tray lined with foil paper and bake them on the middle rack for 15 mins.
After 10 mins ,check their back, if it has changed color and developed cracks, turn them and let them bake for another 5-8 mins. The time depends on oven to oven.
Take them out when you see that they are baked on both sides well. Transfer them into some other plate to bring them to the room temperature.
Now break them in pieces with hands and pop them in a food -processor or grinder.
Powder them well. Take out this powder and sieve it through a colander in a tureen or a platter. Traditionally , the people use to bake these on cow-dung stove and then break them using a pounder(mortar-pestle).
Grind the pieces left on the top of the colander again and then sieve again. This step is optional though.
Add ghee in the wok(kadhai) again. Add the powdered mix to it and roast it again for 3-4 mins or till you smell the roasted aroma of besan. This step eliminates any rawness if left by any chance and also helps to give it a nice color. stir it continuously on medium- low heat.
Turn off the heat and transfer the mix in a tureen again.
Let it cool a bit ,then add the Boora. Boora is preferable, since it gives a coarse texture to the churma which is desired here. However, you may add powdered sugar too if its not available.You may follow this link for by how to make Bura by Nisha Madhulika.
Now add the cardamom powder and mix it well.
Next add the rose water and kewra essence. This brings an aroma and delicious taste to it. You may go on and add the rose petals too.
In the end add all the nuts and mix everything well with a big spatula. Let it air -dry for half an hour.
Serve your Holy Diety and store it in an air-tight container and enjoy!!
It may be set in the tureen too by pouring ghee first and then lining the churma on it. In Rajasthan, usually a lot of ghee goes in it, but for the diet-conscious ones I have posted this recipe. Believe me it is no less in taste.
[Note: For a healthier version , you may skip the ghee completely in this recipe .]
This is usually prepared as a side with Dal, Baati, Gatte ki sabzi, Hari chutney in Rajasthan.
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🙂