Tag: Indian Sweets

Allycaral Kitchen

Authentic Goan Fenori Recipe: A Delightful Sweet Treat from Goa

Tanisha Cardozo

Recipe by Sonika Ramesh Lotlikar

Fenori is a traditional sweet snack beloved in Goan households, celebrated for its delicate layers, crisp texture, and fragrant aroma of cardamom. This recipe combines simple ingredients such as maida (refined flour), homemade ghee, sugar, and elaichi (cardamom) to create a treat that’s both rich in flavor and heritage.

📝 Ingredients

For the Dough:

  • 2 cups maida (all-purpose flour)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp homemade ghee
  • Water (as needed to make a soft dough)

For the Cornflour Paste:

  • ½ cup cornflour
  • 4–5 tbsp ghee (melted)

For the Sugar Mixture:

  • ¾ cup sugar (granulated)
  • ½ tsp elaichi (cardamom powder)

🥣 Instructions

  1. Prepare the Dough:
    In a bowl, combine maida, salt, and ghee. Mix well using your fingers until the mixture becomes crumbly. Gradually add water and knead into a soft, pliable dough. Cover and let it rest for 1 hour.
  2. Prepare the Cornflour Paste:
    Mix cornflour with ghee to form a smooth, spreadable paste. Set aside.
  3. Prepare the Sugar Mix:
    Mix granulated sugar with elaichi powder. Cover and keep aside.
  4. Roll and Layer the Dough:
    After an hour, knead the rested dough and divide it into 6 equal portions. Roll each portion into thin, round sheets (the thinner, the better).
  5. Layer with Paste:
    Take one rolled sheet, apply a thin layer of the cornflour paste, and place the next sheet on top. Repeat this process for all 6 sheets, stacking them one by one with the paste in between.
  6. Roll & Cut:
    Once stacked, roll the layered dough tightly into a cylindrical log. Slice the log into equal-sized discs.
  7. Shape the Fenori:
    Take each disc, cut-side up, and roll it gently into a small round (mini chapati), making sure the swirl pattern is visible.
  8. Fry:
    Deep-fry each rolled Fenori in hot oil on medium flame until golden and crisp. Do not overcrowd the pan.
  9. Add Sugar:
    While still hot, sprinkle the sugar-cardamom mixture on top so it sticks to the surface and melts slightly.
  10. Serve:
    Let them cool down slightly before serving. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Whether served during Diwali, Ganesh Chaturthi, or simply on a cozy evening with tea, Fenori is more than just a snack — it’s a bite of Goa’s culinary tradition, passed down through generations. The sugar and cardamom mixture sprinkled on top adds a delightful fragrance and subtle sweetness that elevates the entire dish.

Today, making Fenori at home is not just a way to enjoy a tasty treat, but also to connect with heritage, honor age-old recipes, and share something joyful with family and friends.

Allycaral Kitchen

Ukdiche Modak: A Sacred Sweet for Ganesh Chaturthi Celebrations

Tanisha Cardozo

Recipe by Sakshi Aiwale

As the beats of dhol echo through the streets and chants of “Ganpati Bappa Morya” fill the air, kitchens across Maharashtra begin their most cherished ritual of Ganesh Chaturthi — making Ukdiche Modak.

A delicacy deeply embedded in Maharashtrian tradition, Ukdiche Modak is a soft, steamed sweet dumpling made as Naivedya (offering) to Lord Ganesha, who is believed to have a special fondness for this treat.

What Makes It Special?

The term “Ukdiche” translates to “steamed,” and Modak means “sweet dumpling.” This divine preparation features a delicate rice flour shell that encases a gooey, flavorful mixture of freshly grated coconut and jaggery, often flavored with cardamom and enriched with poppy seeds or dry fruits.

Making modaks is more than cooking — it’s an act of devotion, a family ritual, and a prayer in the form of food.

🧾 Ingredients (Makes 10–12 Modaks)

For the outer dough:

  • Rice flour – 1 cup
  • Water – 1¼ cups
  • Ghee – 1 tsp
  • Salt – a pinch

For the filling (Saran):

  • Grated fresh coconut – 1 cup
  • Grated jaggery – ¾ cup
  • Cardamom powder – ½ tsp
  • Poppy seeds (optional) – 1 tsp
  • Cashews or raisins (optional) – a few pieces

👩‍🍳 Preparation Steps

Step 1: The Filling (Saran)

  • Heat a pan and toast the grated coconut.
  • Add jaggery and stir until melted and combined.
  • Mix in cardamom and optional ingredients.
  • Cook for 4–5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Step 2: The Dough

  • In a pan, bring water, salt, and ghee to boil.
  • Add rice flour slowly while stirring.
  • Mix well, cover, and steam for 2–3 minutes.
  • Transfer to a plate and knead into a soft, smooth dough while warm.

Step 3: Shaping the Modaks

  • Grease palms with ghee.
  • Form small cups from dough balls.
  • Fill with 1–2 tsp of filling, pinch to close at the top in a modak shape.

Step 4: Steaming

  • Place on a greased plate or banana leaf in a steamer.
  • Steam for 10–12 minutes.
  • Brush with ghee before serving.

🍽️ Serving the Modaks

Serve warm after offering them to Lord Ganesha. The soft rice shell and warm, melt-in-the-mouth filling make it a divine experience. Best enjoyed fresh with family during the pooja.

🌸 More Than Just a Sweet

Ukdiche Modak is a culinary embodiment of faith and celebration. It connects generations through the shared joy of preparation and prayer. During Ganesh Chaturthi, the aroma of steamed modaks becomes a signal of joy, togetherness, and blessings.

May your modaks be soft, your fillings be sweet, and your home be filled with the divine presence of Bappa this festive season.

Allycaral Kitchen

Bengali Dish: Jolbhora Sandesh — The Sweet That Hides a Surprise

Tanisha Cardozo

Recipe by Sonali Roy

✨ What is Jolbhora Sandesh?
 Literally translating to “water-filled sweet,” Jolbhora Sandesh is one of Bengal’s most iconic and delicately crafted desserts. It’s made from chhena (curdled milk), molded into flower or dome shapes, and subtly hides a drop of notun gur (liquid date palm jaggery) or sugar syrup at its core.

The magic of Jolbhora lies in the surprise—the moment you bite in and find a burst of sweetness inside an otherwise dry-looking sweet.

🕰️ History of Jolbhora Sandesh
 This delicate sweet hails from Chandannagar, a charming riverside town near Kolkata, once a French colony. Jolbhora Sandesh emerged during the early 19th century, an era known for Bengal’s cultural renaissance.

The Bhunia Mistanna Bhandar, a legendary sweet shop in Chandannagar, is often credited with creating the original Jolbhora. Originally introduced as a wedding gift sweet, it was designed to delight and surprise with its hidden liquid core.

In colonial Bengal, even sweets became an arena for artistic rivalry. Jolbhora required incredible skill—the chhena had to be kneaded and shaped with precision, then filled without breaking structure. The final product had to hold its shape while containing a drop of liquid within—a feat of technique and timing.

🍽️ Jolbhora Sandesh Recipe

Ingredients:

  • Full-fat milk – 1.5 liters
  • Lemon juice – 2 tbsp (to curdle)
  • Powdered sugar – 3 tbsp
  • Cardamom powder – ½ tsp
  • Notun gur (or sugar syrup) – for filling
  • Rose water (optional)

Instructions:

  1. Boil milk and curdle it with lemon juice. Strain the chhena in a muslin cloth, rinse under cold water, and hang to drain.
  2. Once crumbly, knead it with sugar and cardamom until soft and smooth.
  3. Cook lightly on low heat to make it slightly thick but pliable.
  4. Shape into small rounds, press a dent, add a drop of notun gur, and seal with more chhena.
  5. Chill for a few hours. Garnish with silver foil or rose petals.

🌍 Cultural Highlights of Chandannagar
 Located on the banks of the Hooghly River, Chandannagar is unlike any other town in Bengal. Its blend of French colonial architecture, riverside promenades, and serene atmosphere gives it a distinct European flavor.

Its food culture, like its history, is a fusion—Jolbhora Sandesh is a perfect representation of that harmony between Bengali soul and French finesse.

🌸 The Essence of Jolbhora
 Jolbhora Sandesh isn’t just a sweet—it’s a symbol of artistic innovation, culinary heritage, and emotional nostalgia. What began as a surprise dessert in a small riverside town has now become a treasured element of Bengal’s identity.

Whether you’re tasting it for the first time or rediscovering an old favorite, Jolbhora is a gentle reminder that the best things in life are often hidden inside.