This Year, Celebrate Christmas With These 3 South Indian Delicacies - Recipes Inside

Growing up in South India, Christmas was a big part of my childhood memories. Whether it was the Christmas celebration at school where we would go back home with a delicious slice of plum cake or neighbours, who shared Christmas goodies with us. While a rich plum cake loaded with nuts and dry fruits was the Christmas treat we looked forward to, there are also traditional goodies. One of those delicacies is kulkuls (also known as kidyo), which is made with maida flour, milk, and sometimes eggs and deep fried. We round up a few fascinating Christmas recipes that you can try at home this Christmas:

Also Read: Here Are 5 Healthy Christmas Treats That Even Santa Would Swap His Cookies For

Recipe 1. Kul Kuls:

Ingredients

• 1 cup maida
• 1/3 cup rava
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp clarified butter
• 1/3 cup fresh coconut milk
• 1/4 tbsp salt

Method

• Add flour, rava, powdered sugar, salt, and butter to a mixing bowl and crumble it well.
• Add the coconut milk gradually and knead the dough
• Cover with a clean damp kitchen napkin and leave it aside for 30 minutes.
• Pinch a small portion and roll it into a small ball. Repeat to finish the dough and keep it aside on a plate.
• Use a fork or kul kul roller and grease it with butter. Take a ball place it on the fork, and Start rolling from one end to the other to form a curl. Seal the edges very lightly.
• Place it on a tray lined with parchment paper. Repeat for the rest.
• Heat oil in a pan and drop one by one. You can fry them in batches but do not overcrowd the pan.
• Fry until golden brown. Remove and drain in the kitchen towel. The kulkuls turn crisp once it cools.
• Store in an airtight container.

Healthier Version Of Kul Kuls:

Wheat flour version: While the maida version is more scrumptious, you can try a healthier version with wheat flour:

Ingredients

• 1 cup wheat flour
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp clarified butter
• 1/3 cup Luke warm milk
• A pinch of baking soda
• 1/4 salt

Method

• Add wheat flour, powdered sugar, salt, baking soda & butter to a mixing bowl (one ingredient at a time) and crumble well.
• Add milk gradually. Knead to form a soft dough.
• Cover with a clean damp kitchen napkin and leave it aside for 15 minutes.
• Pinch a small portion and roll it into a small ball. Repeat to finish the dough and keep it aside on a plate.
• Use a fork or kul kul roller and grease it with butter. Take a ball place it on the fork, and Start rolling from one end to the other to form a curl. Seal the edges very lightly.
• Place it on a tray lined with parchment paper. Repeat for the rest.
• Heat oil in a pan and drop one by one. You can fry them in batches but do not overcrowd the pan.
• Fry until golden brown. Remove and drain in the kitchen towel. The kulkuls turn crisp once it cools.
• Store in an airtight container.

Also Read: Christmas 2023: 28 Best Restaurant Offers To Elevate Your Celebrations In Delhi-NCR

Recipe 2. Plum Cake Without Alcohol:

Recipe Courtesy - Mrs. Binu Philip

While it's customary to soak fruits and nuts in a cake mix with spirits, in many plum cakes, this version is a no-alcohol version that's equally delicious. I tried this when I was in Aluva (near Kochi)

Ingredients:

• Flour 250 gm
• Butter 250 gm at room temperature
• Eggs 5 nos.
• Sugar 250 gm + 100 gm
• Salt: a pinch
• Baking powder: 1 tsp
• Vanilla essence - ½ tsp
• Spice mix 1/2 tsp (powdered and sieved - cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, and shah jeera)
• Dry fruits 50 gm each (raisins, chopped dates, broken cashew). If you wish to add more fruits, add a mix of not more than 20 gm.

Method:

• Caramelise the sugar (100 gm) and keep aside to cool
• Soak the dry fruits except cashews in orange juice for 2 hours
• Mix the flour, baking powder, spice mix, and salt. Sieve the mixture.
• Whisk together the butter and 250 gm of powdered sugar until it turns fluffy and pale yellow.
• Separate the egg yolks from the whites. Add the yolks one by one to the butter and sugar and mix well to make sure they are combined.
• At this point add the vanilla essence and the caramelised sugar syrup (room temperature) to the batter
• Drain the dry fruits and coat them with two or three tablespoons of sifted flour mix. Add the cashews, and gently fold the dry fruits into the cake batter. Fold the remaining sifted flour mix into the batter.
• Beat the egg whites in a clean bowl to stiff peaks and fold them gently into the cake batter
• Transfer the batter to a 7-inch baking tray and bake.
• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees centigrade
• Bake for 45 to 50 minutes at 160 degrees.

Also Read: Christmas 2023: 10 Timeless Goan Recipes For A Christmas Feast Like Never Before

Recipe 3. Thoothukudi Noi Inippu /Coconut Rava Burfi:

This is a popular Christmas treat in Southern Tamil Nadu. You will enjoy the gooey consistency of this sweet that combines coconut and rava.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Rava
• 1 cup Grated Coconut
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1/2 cup Water
• 4 tbsp Ghee
• 3/4 tbsp Rose essence (optional) or rose water
• 1/2 tbsp Cardamom Powder
• 2 tbsp Pistachios and Almonds
• Pinch of salt

Method:

• Add a spoonful of ghee to a pan, add rava, and roast on low heat for 2-3 minutes until slightly brown.
• Transfer this to a bowl and let it cool.
• Add a spoonful of ghee to the same pan and add the grated coconut. Roast the coconut on a low heat for 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let it cool.
• Add 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water in a pan, and mix well until the sugar melts. Either add Cardamom powder or rose essence and mix. Sugar syrup should reach a 1-string consistency.
• Add the roasted rava and coconut to the sugar syrup. Stir well with no lumps. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Add a pinch of salt to balance the sweetness.
• Add 2 tbsp of ghee and keep stirring until the sweet mixture thickens.
• When the mixture starts sliding off the pan, turn off the heat.
• Transfer the mixture to a greased tray Level the mixture on the tray. Now sprinkle the chopped pistachio & almonds.
• Allow it to cool for 20-30 mins. Cut into diamond or square shapes and serve.

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