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Bellam gavvalu
Shell-shaped dough in jaggery syrup
బెల్లం గవ్వలు: shell-shaped fried dough tossed in thick jaggery syrup for Sankranti
In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Sankranti is a three-day harvest festival of muggulu (rangoli) in front of every door, haridasu singers in the lanes and tins of fried sweets, and gavvalu are among the first to be made. Small pieces of dough are rolled over a ridged gavvala board or the back of a fork so they curl into little shells (gavvalu means cowrie shells), fried crisp, then tossed in jaggery syrup until each one is glazed with a dry, sugary crust. Common mistake: syrup that is not cooked far enough; it must reach the hard-ball stage, when a drop in water rolls into a firm ball, or the shells turn sticky instead of crisp-coated. Chef's tip: keep tossing after adding the shells until the syrup turns opaque and dry; that is the moment to tip them out.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the shells
- 9 oz plain flour (maida)
- 1 pinch salt
- 3 tbsp vegetable oilhot
- ½ cup water
- 2 ½ cups oil for deep-frying
For the syrup
- 7 oz jaggerygrated
- ¼ cup water
- ½ tsp ground green cardamom
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Mix 9 oz plain flour (maida) and 1 pinch salt, pour over 3 tbsp vegetable oil and rub it in. Add ½ cup water little by little and knead to a firm, smooth dough. Cover and rest 15 minutes.
18 minStep 2: Pinch off chickpea-sized pieces. Press each one with your thumb onto a gavvala board or the back of a fork and roll it forward so it curls into a ridged shell.
25 minStep 3: Heat 2 ½ cups oil for deep-frying to a medium heat (about 350°F) and fry the shells in batches for 4–5 minutes, stirring, until crisp and light golden. Drain on paper.
12 minStep 4: In a wide pan, melt 7 oz jaggery with ¼ cup water over a medium heat and strain if gritty. Boil, stirring, for 6–8 minutes until thick and bubbling.
8 minStep 5: Drop a little syrup into cold water: it should gather into a firm ball. If it spreads, cook on and test again.
2 minStep 6: Turn the heat to low, add ½ tsp ground green cardamom and the fried shells and toss continuously for 2–3 minutes until the syrup turns opaque and dry and coats every shell.
3 minStep 7: Spread on a plate and separate any clumps as they cool. Store airtight for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 310 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 48 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bellam gavvalu take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour (maida)?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of jaggery?
- Dark brown or muscovado sugar, same amount.
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