Chavde (Mande)– Ganesh Chaturthi Special

We celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi in the month of September for the year 2012.

Ganesha Chaturthi, the great Ganesha festival, also known as ‘Vinayak Chaturthi’ or ‘Vinayaka Chavithi’ is celebrated by Hindus around the world as the birthday of Lord Ganesha. It is observed during the Hindu month of Bhadra (mid-August to mid-September) and the grandest and most elaborate of them, especially in the western India state of Maharashtra, lasts for 10 days, ending on the day of ‘Ananta Chaturdashi’.(Source:http://hinduism.about.com/od/festivalsholidays/a/ganeshchaturthi.htm)

I’m not a priest or a saint, so for me in simple terms, Ganesh Chaturthi is Lord Ganesha’s birthday and like any other festival I get yummy treats. I will be making modakams, kozhukattais, vada on the day of the festival. So when Avant Garde Cookies first week’s theme was to cook recipes for Ganesh Chaturthi, I started out on a search to find some new recipes that are not from my region. During the search I stumbled on “Chavde” (Recipe source: Holycowvegan ), I learnt that this crunchy, tasty treat is specially made on Ganesh Chaturthi in Maharastrian or Konkani homes. Chavde or Mande is a delicacy that’s crunchy, flaky, flat puri like base sprinkled with sesame-cardamom-sugar (I dint use sesame as kiddo is allergic, instead used cashewnuts) mixture that tastes so divine.

Knowing my kid’s magnetic attraction towards plain puris I was right on spot that this treat would disappear very soon. I made this sweet in under an hour after I had everything set up on my counter as this one does require you to act fast from one step to another. Without much delay, here is the recipe for the yummiest treat dedicated to the birthday boy.

Step-by-Step Pictorial:

In a bowl, mix all-purpose flour, salt, butter, and water. Knead into a soft dough. The dough should be elastic and pliable but not stick to your fingers. Use water as you knead, do not add all the water at once. Place the dough in an air-tight container and leave it aside for at least 15 to 20 minutes.

Mix all the ingredients for the stuffing (powdered sugar, coconut flakes, cashew nut powder, cardamom powder) in a separate bowl until well combined. Divide the dough into 10 pieces.

Roll each piece into a smooth ball and roll them into a thin disc about 1/4 inch thick and about 6 inches in diameter. Heat oil in a wide vessel for deep frying. Make sure the oil temperature is about 350 F. Before beginning to fry the discs, have your station ready for folding the discs. Have a plate ready with paper towel to drain excess oil, have another paper towel to blot the oil from top of the fried disc. Have the bowl of sugar mixture by its side. And finally the cooling wrack in the end. Carefully transfer the rolled disc to the hot oil. Fry each side for about 15 seconds and the bubbles begin to die down. Make sure you don’t take out the discs too quickly as they may not be cooked properly. Also make sure that you don’t fry them too long, then you won’t be able to fold them.

Place the disc on a plate covered with kitchen towel to drain excess oil. Blot the top of the disc with the second paper towel. Quickly add a tablespoon of sugar mixture over one half. Fold the other half to cover the sugar mixture. Now add another tablespoon of sugar mixture on one half of this semi-circle. Fold the other half of this semi circle to form a layered cone. Set it aside on wire rack to cool completely. Once cool you’ll have an absolutely crispy chavdes ready to be devoured. Enjoy!!!

Check out what other cookies in the group are cooking—Anusha, Radhika,Kavi, Priya Sreeram,Roshni, Priya Mahadevan, and Veena.

Also linking this entry to Priti’s “Festive Food – Ganesh Chathurthi” event.

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