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Chandrakala
चंद्रकला: round crimped pastries of mawa and nuts, fried and dipped in syrup
Chandrakala is the round, moon-shaped sweet of Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh, made for Holi, Diwali and Chhath and sold by sweet shops in Patna and Varanasi. Two circles of flaky pastry enclose a filling of mawa, nuts and cardamom; the edge is pleated into a rope, then the pastry is fried slowly and dipped in sugar syrup. Its sister suryakala is the same sweet shaped like a sun. The common mistake is syrup that is too thin, which makes the crust soggy within hours; it should reach one-string consistency. Chef's tip: pleat the edge firmly with damp fingertips, because a loose seal is where the filling leaks out in the hot ghee.
- Total time
- 105 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 9 oz plain flour (maida)
- 2 ⅛ oz gheemelted
- ½ cup cold wateras needed
For the filling
- 7 oz mawa (khoya)crumbled
- 2 ⅛ oz powdered sugar
- 1 ⅜ oz almonds and pistachioschopped
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
For the syrup
- 10 ½ oz sugar
- ¾ cup water
- 1 pinch saffron strands (optional)
To fry
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Rub 2 ⅛ oz ghee into 9 oz plain flour (maida) until crumbly, add ½ cup cold water and knead to a stiff dough. Cover and rest 30 minutes.
35 minStep 2: Roast 7 oz mawa (khoya) in a dry pan over low heat for 5–6 minutes until light golden and grainy. Cool, then mix with 2 ⅛ oz powdered sugar, 1 ⅜ oz almonds and pistachios and ½ tsp ground cardamom.
25 minStep 3: Divide the dough into 24 balls and roll into 8 cm circles. Spread 1 tbsp filling on one circle, cover with a second, press the edges together and pleat them into a twisted rope all the way round.
30 minStep 4: Boil 10 ½ oz sugar with ¾ cup water and 1 pinch saffron strands for 6–7 minutes until one-string: a drop pulled between finger and thumb forms a single thread. Keep warm.
8 minStep 5: Heat 3 cups ghee or neutral oil for deep-frying in a kadhai or deep pan, filling it no more than a third of the way, to 300°F; a pinch of dough or batter dropped in should rise slowly with tiny bubbles. Never leave the hot fat unattended.
6 minStep 6: Fry 3–4 at a time over low-medium heat for 8–9 minutes, turning, until crisp and golden. Drain for 1 minute.
30 minStep 7: Dip each warm chandrakala in the warm syrup for 1 minute, turn, lift out and set on a rack to dry. Store airtight for up to a week.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 46 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chandrakala take?
- About 105 minutes in total: 60 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- 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 ghee?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
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