Coconut Egg Curry - South Indian Style [Anda Curry]

Who doesn't enjoy a delicious lightly spiced flavorful coconut based egg curry? Egg is one quintessential breakfast food loaded with proteins- liked and consumed by all - good thing being a lot of vegetarians also consume it and are known as Eggetarians 😆  Eggs are the most nutritious food on the planet! There is no doubt about it! On top of everything else, they are also cheap, easy to prepare, go with almost any food and taste awesome.

Egg Curry from coastal southern regions of India is made using garam masala and coconut as its main ingredients. I have tried hard to get that exact taste like my mom's, but its tough 😊  I am close to it and have made my peace with it. ✊

I feel restless when I dont have eggs in my refrigerator. I have to stock it up as soon as I see around dozen left. Boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, puffs, egg burji, omelettes, french toast, cakes etc- thats how Eggs are consumed in a healthy and regular basis in my household. It comes to my rescue when I am short on meat at home or for that matter even veggies. There used to be this famous jingle in India- Sunday ho Ya Monday Roz Kaho Ande 🥚 ... a good one indeed :)

 Back home Eggs are treated like a second class citizen 😂. No kidding, when I am chatting with my Mom and if I ask her- "what did you cook for dinner?" There is a sigh in her tone when she says.. just made some egg curry- followed by WHY that decision was made ---like didn't have time to get chicken OR no good variety of fresh fish was available in the market OR due to bad weather she was not able to go get fresh veggies etc etc. So you see what I am saying- justification on why egg curry was made ... 😛

Where as for me here - Egg curry day is like a celebration :) My son is thrilled as he is an ardent and loyal fan of eggs. My husband is neutral - he doesn't enjoy coconut curries so much ...yeh go figure 🙄 ! and Me- full focus on getting the curry taste right just like my Mom's... so its a fun affair.

As a kid, my sister and Mom loved full boiled eggs in the curry whereas me and my Dad loved fresh broken eggs in the curry. Till this date that has not changed. Separate 2 broken eggs always go in my funky-licious Egg Curry/Anda Curry! 

I do not know anyone around me that dislikes eggs. I have a cousin who couldn't eat it due to allergies and I used to feel so bad for her. While growing up my younger cousins gang loved my version of  Plain Omelette. My mom and aunts used to make us omelette loaded with onion/tomatoes/veggies which most of them did not like it then 😁  The same ones that we relish like crazy on Cruises now- 😎

Anyways, Lets get started with the recipe:

Please feel free to modify ingredient quantity as per your taste for spiciness and thickness of curry!

Ingredients:

4 boiled eggs + 2 fresh eggs

3 tbsp oil

1 big onion finely chopped

1 tomato chopped

1 tsp each ginger and garlic paste

salt as per taste

Masala Paste:

1. 5 cloves
2. 1 cardamom
3. 3-4 black pepper
4. 1/2 inch cinnamon
5. 1/4th tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
6. 1/4th tsp sesame seeds 
7. 1/4th tsp poppy seeds
8. 3 tsp coriander seeds
9. 7-8 red dry chillies [adjust as per your taste]
10. 1/2 cup grated coconut + 3 tsp dry grated coconut
11. handful of cilantro leaves
12. 1/4th tsp turmeric

Preparation:

• Roast ingredients from 1-9 in a tsp of oil for few minutes till its fragrant and put it in a blender.
• In the same pan roast coconut  till it is slight brown in color on low heat and then add it to the blender. Add turmeric , cilantro and make a paste by adding water sparingly. Keep aside.
• In a wide mouth utensil heat oil, add finely chopped onions and saute till light brown. Add ginger garlic paste and saute further till the raw smell goes away. Add tomatoes and cook till everything comes together. 
• Now pour the ground masala paste and mix everything nicely. Bring it to a boil. Let it simmer for few minutes. Adjust water and add salt.
• Add the boiled eggs in the curry. You can lightly score the eggs from top to bottom with a knife or you can even lightly roast it in oil with garam masala powder [or chili pwd and turmeric pwd] before adding to the curry, or cut in halves and slide it in the curry- choice is yours! 
• Once the curry starts to simmer again - slowly break the remaining 2 fresh eggs and slide it in the curry. Leave it alone for 5-8 mins on low-med flame till the eggs are done. You can give it a light handed stir in between.
• Enjoy it with rotis or just plain rice or jeera rice. It super yum!

njoY! happY cookinG!!

Your feedback is important to me. If you have tried any recipes from Pinch of Swad, feel free to share with us.

You may also like Egg Biryani, Halloween Pizza Mummies, Chicken biryani

Health Benefits:

Incredibly nutritious food! In fact, eggs are pretty much the perfect food. They contain a little bit of almost every nutrient you need. Whole eggs are among the most nutritious foods on the planet, containing a little bit of almost every nutrient you need. Omega-3 enriched and/or pastured eggs are even healthier. Eggs are high in cholesterol, but eating eggs does not adversely affect cholesterol in the blood for the majority of people. Eating eggs consistently leads to elevated levels of HDL (the "good") cholesterol, which is linked to a lower risk of many diseases. Eggs are among the best dietary sources of choline, a nutrient that is incredibly important but most people aren’t getting enough of.

Source: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-proven-health-benefits-of-eggs#section11

Set Dosa with Saagu

Dosa is a versatile dish. Set Dosa with Saagu dish is like a couple made in heaven. They complement each other just perfectly. Set dosa is very spongy and soft in texture and is also known as Aval Dosa or Poha Dosa. The batter you get and the method to cook/roast is just like how we make the pancakes. While Saagu is a mixture of vegetables cooked in a thick textured curry where a blend of some interesting spices come together. It is one yummy curry!

Set dosa is similar to mushti pola (another Konkani style dosas) which is very soft and fluffy and has grated coconut ingredient in it. At home, my mom made it once in a while, as everyone loved Plain Dosas. My husband loves this combo so much that I am forced to make it and I prefer to have it for dinner instead of breakfast. It fits perfectly in the dinner menu. Filling and Yumilicious!!

So let us take a look at the Set Dosa Recipe and Saagu Recipe as well.

Set Dosa
Ingredients:

• 2 cups rice ( I use basmati because that is my staple rice)
• 1 cup parboiled rice of any kind
• 3/4 cup urad dal
• 3/4 cup thin poha (flattened rice)
• 1 tsp methi seeds
• salt as per taste
• 1/2 - 1tsp sugar (optional)
• oil for frying

Preparation:

 

• Soak all the ingredients (preferably separately) except salt and sugar (duhh :)) for 6-8 hours or overnight. Drain the water and transfer to the blender.
• Blend urad dal first by adding just enough water till it is immersed. Make a smooth paste and transfer it into a big bowl.
• Then in 2 parts add rice and soaked poha, grind and transfer to the urad dal paste. Mix everything nicely.
• Make the batter of pouring consistency not too thick nor running. Keep it in a warm place to ferment for good 8-12 hours.
• Just before you are ready to make set dosas, add salt and sugar to the batter. Mix properly.Pre-heat a tawa till it's really hot, pour 2 ladles of batter (do not spread the batter like we do for plain dosas) and leave it to cook gradually over medium heat. 
• Drizzle some oil along the edges and let it cook for 2 more minutes or till nicely roasted. You will notice bubbles formation on it(see pictures) just like pancakes.
• Flip the set dosa over (this is optional) and let it cook further for less than a minute or so till it is slightly roasted. 
• Serve hot with Coriander Chutney and Saagu or Sambar etc.

Saagu:

Ingredients:

• 2-3 cups cubed mixed vegetables (carrots, beans, peas, potatoes, capsicum)
• 1 onion chopped roughly (or cubed)
• few curry leaves
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tbsp oil
• chopped coriander leaves for garnish

For the wet masala:

• 2 tbsp grated coconut
• 2 inch piece of ginger
• 1-2 tbsp coriander leaves
• 3-4 green chillis

For the dry masala:

• 1 tbsp poppy seeds
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1″ cinnamon stick
• 2 cloves
• 1 1/2 tbsps roasted channa dal

Preparation:

• In a blender make a smooth paste by adding the ingredients under wet masala. Keep aside.
• Then in a coffee grinder(maybe), make the powder using ingredients under dry masala. 
• Heat oil in a pressure cooker, add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add the onions and curry leaves and saute till transparent, just for a couple of minutes.
• Add the mixed vegetables and combine well. Add salt and turmeric pwd and cook on medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Pour the wet ground masala paste, powdered dry spices masala and mix everything quickly. Add 1-1 1/2 cups of water, stir everything and pressure cook for 1 whistle, then simmer the gas and cook for 6-7 minutes. *
• Switch off the gas, and wait for the steam to be released.  Open the lid and your hot saagu is ready to be devoured. 
• Garnish it with cilantro leaves and serve with set dosa, poori, roti etc.

You may also like Idli Sambar, Rava Thalipeeth (Rava Bhakri), Tomato Omelette(Besan Chilla), Tomato Poori

njoY!! happY cookinG!!

Notes:* You can cook it in a regular pan too. First, cook the vegetables till 3/4th done, then add all the masalas, water and cook till done.

Health Benefits:
Dosa is a great source of complete protein for vegetarians as it is made of rice batter and urad dal (black gram lentil) Dosa contains healthy carbs which provide our body with the energy needed to carry out different functions. It is a good option for people on a weight loss diet as well. Cutting out carbs from your diet can make you lethargic, low on energy and also lead to depression in some cases. Protein is another essential nutrient required by our body. It keeps us full for longer as it slowly releases energy and also helps make our hair, bones, and muscles stronger. Lentils used in the Dosa helps us with that. It is a low-calorie dish. Saagu is a dish with healthy vegetables providing all adequate nutreints, minerals, and vitamins.

Saagu recipe adapted from Sailus Kitchen.

Vada Pav - Street Food from Mumbai- Indian Burger

India's very own street side vegetable burger! You cannot go to Mumbai and NOT have VADA PAV- its a mortal sin if you do that ...lol

VADA PAV

This snack is synonymous with the city of Mumbai, with almost every resident, from factory workers to college students to Bollywood stars, to Visitors are unabashed in declaring their love for it. This street side business has given life to hundreds and thousands of families. A Vada Pav cart owner may be a millionaire for all we know. It is a meal of a poor and snack of the rich. Fills every one's tummy with yumminess!

Vada Pav is a crispy, flavorful sandwich that is consumed in millions across India’s financial capital and largest metropolis every single day. It's made with potato as filling for the vada which is dipped in chickpea flour batter and deep fried. It is then kept in between pav[bread roll] and served with various spicy and tangy dry/wet chutney and fried green chillies. There was a time when I used to ask for extra dry chutney from the vendor. I then brought the leftover chutney home and ate with my roti... its super yummy!

I lived with my aunt in Mumbai for a couple of years when I started work. There used to be a cart by the gate outside the colony which was taken care by a lady who was a widow. She made such excellent Vadas- the taste still lingers on my tongue. To relish hot Vadas which is made in front of you has its own bliss.
Now when I think of it, during shopping breaks I preferred to have Pav Bhaji , Chatpata mumbai special sandwiches or Cheese loaded Sandwiches :) wonder why?

One will find a thela of Vada Pav outside every train station - I am sure thats the hottest spot that is there for a great business! Tired commuters who are always in a hurry to reach somewhere take a quick break indulging in a flavorful Vada Pav which will keep them full till next pang of hunger :)
Mumbai and Vada Pav are inseparable!


Thanks to my aunt who happens to be a great cook and my goto chef :) Its her recipe that I am sharing here.

So without any further delay lets check the recipe:

We will need following: please dont lose interest looking at the ingredients, :) it just has few steps but can be done in fairly good amount of time.

Ingredients:

Dipping Batter

• 1/2 cup besan / chickpea flour
• 1 tbsp rice flour [for crispness]
• big pinch turmeric powder 
• 1 tsp chili pwd
• salt to taste 
• A pinch baking soda 
• water

In a mixing bowl, add all the above ingredients except water.
give it a toss - let everything mix.
Add water slowly taking breaks while you whisk the batter together. Let there be no lumps and get medium consistency batter. I dont like it too thick. Now let the batter rest for 15 plus minutes atleast while you get other things lined up.

For Dry Red Chutney 

• 4-5 cloves garlic fried in oil
• 1 tbsp red chili powder [adjust as you like]
• 1/2 cup peanuts slow roasted
• 1/2 cup boondi [ either store bought or while you make vadas, try to do some boondi with besan batter and use that]
• Salt to taste  

Grind coarsely all the above ingredients and your red dry chutney is ready!! Can be made before and kept. Also this can be used as a condiment and can reside happily in your kitchen pantry for other purposes :)

Red Dry Chutney

Vada Stuffing and Frying

• 3 med size boiled and mashed potatoes 
• 1 tbsp oil 
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds 
• pinch asafoetida (hing)
• 10 curry leaves 
• 1 tbsp of green paste [For me this is the USP of any Vada: 1/2 inch ginger, 3-4 garlic, 2-3 green chili , 1 cup cilantro ground to paste]
• 1 small onion finely chopped
• 1/4 th tsp turmeric powder 
• salt to taste 
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice 
• 1 tbsp chopped Coriander leaves for garnish 
• oil for frying

Preparation:

• Heat oil in a pan on a medium heat. 
• Add mustard seeds, as it splutters- add asafoetida, curry leaves 
• Add onion and saute for 2-3 minutes till translucent. And turmeric pwd, green paste. Stir for a minute.
• Add salt, then boiled potatoes. Mix every everything nicely.
• Add lemon juice, coriander leaves and mix well. Try not to add water, if need be add very little so that potatoes gets nicely mixed with the seasoning. Stuffing is ready. 
• Let it cool a little.
• Take small portion of stuffing and roll it in the shape of ball [makes around 8 balls] - as seen in the pic

For Frying

• Heat the oil and always fry the Vadas on medium heat. 
• Stir the dipping batter that has been resting well. 
• Dip the potato ball (Vada) in the batter. Coat the batter from all sides hold it on top of the batter bowl till excess batter drops down then slowly slide it in the oil and fry it from all the sides until you see nice fried orange color on it probably couple of minutes on each sides. 
• Using a slotted spoon take out the Vadas and place on paper towel to drain out excess oil

Serving:

Take a Pav, slice it in the center, slather dry red chutney, place your Vada and couple fried chillies with it. 

You may also like Misal Pav, Ragi Rotti, Pav Bhaji

Thank you for visiting my page. 

njoY cookinG! 

Ingredients you may shop for:

Shepuchi Bhaji (Stir fried Dill leaves dish)

Shepuchi bhaji is a well known Maharashtrian dish. Very popular food amongst villagers and farmers. It falls under the category of either you Love it or Hate it, more or less like Karela (bitter gourd). It has a cult followers of its own if you ask me heheh and I am one of them. I can polish off my plate when I get served these cult vegetable curries like karela, shepu(dill), bitter beans etc. My husband is just the opposite, he doesn't like it at all. One other reason I look forward to make it as I make it once in a while :)

It is used as a herb in western countries. Dill has been used for culinary and medicinal purposes for hundreds of years. Apart from giving a strong, tangy, appetizing flavor and taste, it possesses plenty of medicinal properties. It is very good for health and has a pretty green color on it. Used these days for garnish, flavoring and for styling food plates to present on Internet handles, it is has multipurpose value- so Dill ain't going anywhere soon :)

I have enjoyed it so much while growing up- eating it with jowar bhakri or rice bhakri elevates its taste 10 folds more. I sill get all nostalgic when I visit my hometown in Belgaum and step into our family friends home, that aroma always lingers in their house. Have you ever experienced that? Every house has its own typical aroma and energy around it.

Anyways coming back to Shepu- my moms fav dish is shepu Idlis...well that is one thing which I am not a great fan of maybe because we add loads of jaggery in it... my tastebuds go crazy where ever it finds spice. Even now when I visit home there is a list of things that I want from my moms kitchen and Shepuchi, methichi bhajis are one of them. I am actually drooling as I am writing this as its dinner time and I cant wait to get my hands on it :)

Lets check the simple recipe:

Ingredients: 

• 2 bunch of Dill leaves (about 21/2 cups of chopped dill)
• 4-5 garlic pods chopped (large in size)
• 3 green chillies slit
• 1 onion med size chopped
• 1/4th cup toor dal soaked for 30 mins (or split yellow moong dal)
• 1 tbsp grated coconut for garnish
• 1/4th tsp jaggery 
• 3 tbsp oil
• salt to taste

Preparation:

• Clean and wash Dill leaves for a couple of times. It is usually muddy by the roots, so clean it nicely.
• Chop the leaves and keep aside.
• Soak the toor dal in little water for about 30 minutes and drain the water.
• Heat oil in a pan, then add garlic, saute for a few seconds. Add onions and chillies, saute and let it cook till onions are translucent. 
• Add toor dal and mix it well, add 2 tbsp water and cook it covered for 5-6 minutes.
• Now add the dill leaves, salt, jaggery and mix everything nicely. Close the lid and let it cook for another 5-6 minutes. Do not add water. It gets cooked in the steam that gets generated. If need be then add very little water. 
• Garnish with grated coconut and serve hot with roti, yogurt, rice etc

Njoy cooKing!

Health Benefits:

Dill is packed with micronutrients that provide health benefits. It is a good vitamin A intake that helps you to maintain healthy vision, skin, immune function, growth, and reproductive health. You'll also get a significant boost of vitamin C, an important antioxidant that helps your body to resist infection. Dill is also a good source of fiber, folate (important for cell division and production of DNA), calcium for healthy bones, riboflavin for cell function and development, manganese, and iron.

Dill has been used for centuries in traditional Asian and Ayurvedic medicine. Currently, people use dill for certain medicinal purposes, including: Gastrointestinal disorders  Loss of appetite, Kidney disease, Flatulence, Fever and colds, Cough, Bronchitis, Urinary tract disorders, Hemorrhoids, Insomnia and other sleep disorders.

source:https://www.verywellfit.com

Konkani Fish Curry (Kandya Ambat)

Fish curry preparations from the Coastal areas are hands down the best curries in the whole wide world. Reason, fresh fish, fresh coconuts and fresh stock of dry red chillies...:) My ancestors are from coastal region and have known to survive on rice and seafood for their whole lives.:) My grandmother made the best fish dishes ever, she added just those 2-3 fresh ingredients like coconut, dry red chillies and tamarind to freshly caught and cleaned fish by using her signature eyeballing method(:)) to make a fingerlicking gooooood curry!! Since she was an expert, everybody simply loved it!

The highlight of our visit to my grandparents house was mostly "FOOD" and all that simple life around the house. She loved pets so much that all the dogs and cats of the neighborhood used to be at her house :) She loved feeding and talking to them. Wonder none of her kids got those genes passed down hhehehe :(

Few years back my youngest cousin (was 8 yrs then) had visited my grandmother and even he gave her the certificate of excellence :) saying that it was the best fish curry he had in his life (it was actually so cute that it is now a must to be mentioned story whenever we talk about my grandma)....so we all remember her with these loving memories that she has left behind.

Coming to the fish preparation, we have various kinds of fish curries that are very prominent amongst Konkani clan. Northern Karnataka is known for Teppal ambat (schezwan peppers/coconut curry) and Kandya ambat (onion/coconut curry) and in the south of Karnataka they make Phanna ambat (onion tempered curry), Alle piyav ambat/ghashi (onion/ginger curry).. so these are the few variations one will see. Goan preparation is again little different where they use garam masala (whole spices) in the curry. As we move to the north east side of India, one can see the fish preparation in mustard oil and mustard paste etc. So it's unlimited variety :)

Once you get a hang of making these coconut curries, there is no going back- I am telling ya :)

Let us take a look at this Konkani Fish Curry of Kandya Ambat recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh grated coconut (or frozen coconut)
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 2 big size pomfret/pompano (makes 8-9 pieces/fillet)
• 1/2 tea spn tamarind extract or kokum or small marble size ball of tamarind
• 1 green chili slit optional
• 7-8 red chilies (byadgi/kumti chillies preferably)
• 2 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 2 tbsp oil
• salt to taste

Preparation:

• Clean the fish, apply 1/2 tsp turmeric, salt and keep aside.
• Lightly roast dry red chillies in 1/2 tsp oil, transfer to a blender. Then in the same pan roast coriander seeds and transfer to the blender. Then add grated coconut and roast it very lightly (do not brown it) before you put it into the blender. Add tamarind, turmeric and make a fine paste by adding little water. 
• Adjust the taste if need be, sometimes the chillies may not be very spicy, so depending on how spicy you want adjust accordingly. Color of the curry also depends on the quality of the chillies you are using.
• Take a wide mouth pan, heat oil and add chopped onions. Saute till it turns just light brown. 
• Now add the ground paste and stir everything nicely. Add slit green chili, salt. Bring the curry to a boil and then simmer for 5 minutes. 
• Add water sparingly to get a nice flowy consistency of the curry. Do not make it too thin. Now add fish fillet gently into the curry and let it simmer further for another 5-6 minutes. 
• Don't keep stirring the fish, as it will break, gently move around so that the curry also breathes :) Switch off the gas once the fish is cooked and you see nice red color on the curry. 
• Serve hot with Rice, parboiled Rice, Roti etc. Curry tastes even better after few hours or the next day!

njoY!! happY cookinG!!

Note: This method of curry preparation is used mostly for lean and bland fish , also shrimp can be used. Vegetarians can make it by adding potatoes in it. Tastes delish.

You may also like

Baked Salmon

Coastal Fish Fry

Coastal Fish Curry (Alle Piyav Teppal Ambat)

Goan Recheado Stuffed Fish

Health Benefits:

Pomfret is a delicious, lean white fish that has a wide variety of associated health benefits, including its ability to help reduce weight, boost overall metabolism, speed up repair and growth throughout the body, build strong bones, reduce the risk of various chronic diseases, lower triglyceride levels, prevent arthritis, protect against cognitive decline, prevent various types of cancer, reduce signs of aging, boost the health of your hair, and strengthen your immune system. It is a very good source of protein. It's no coincidence that fish-eating Inuit populations in the Arctic have low levels of heart disease; seafood is low in saturated fat and high in omega-3, (which can both) protect the heart from disease and lower the amount of cholesterol in the blood. One study has even suggested that an extra portion of fish every week can cut risk of heart disease in half. Eating oil-rich fish regularly can help to keep the eyes bright and healthy.

Boondi Ladoo (Bundi Ladoo)

These Boondi or Bundi ladoos are the most beautiful looking ladoos that are there in the market. That light yellow /orange color makes it look so beautiful and festive! It is a collection of tiny pearly balls of gram flour, first fried then dipped in sugar syrup and then rolled into a ladoo. Boondi ladoo is a very delicious treat and is seen served on almost every joyous ocassion in India.

Never in my wildest dreams, I thought that one day I would be making this treat in my kitchen! I always thought it is a difficult dessert to make. No one made these back at home either, we always got it from the store and have eaten plenty at weddings and pooja ceremonies :)

But one day I simply pulled up my socks, said a small prayer in my mind and started making these goodies. To my surprise, they came out so good that my joy had no bounds! From then on there was no looking back. I look forward to make boondi ladoos every Diwali festival. Another reason to learn this exotic ladoos was my son, yes, he saw boondi ladoos from that Krishna animation series and wanted to have it along with rasagulla, sandesh, and besan ladoos :) Thanks to that series, my kid pushed me to do the needful and I couldn't be more happier with the end results!!

This recipe is adapted from manjulas kitchen site.

Let us take a look at the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup gram flour (besan)
• 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon water adjust as needed
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon sliced almonds
• 5 green cardamom pods crushed
• Oil to deep fry

Preparation:

• Add the water and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil on medium-high heat. When the syrup comes to a boil, turn the heat down to medium and stir to dissolve the sugar. Let it simmer until the syrup is about half thread consistency.
• Mix the gram flour with water to make a smooth pancake-like batter or slightly thicker than dosa batter. You can test by pouring little batter on a perforated ladle(which we use to serve rice) and see drops of batter coming out. If it is runny you will have to add little more besan, if it's too thick add little more water to the batter.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium high heat. The frying pan should have at least 1 1/2 inches of oil. To test if the oil is the right temperature, drop a pinch of batter into the oil, if it rises immediately without changing the color then the oil is ready to start frying the boondi.
• Hold the skimmer(perforated ladle) about 1 to 1 1/2 inches above the oil over the center of the frying pan with one hand. With your other hand pour some of the batter onto the skimmer to cover all of the holes without spilling over the edge of the skimmer. If you hold the skimmer higher than 1 1/2 inches above the oil boondi will not be round.

• The batter will start dropping through the holes into the oil. Drop enough boondi into the oil so they just cover the surface of the oil in frying pan in a single layer
• Fry them until the sound of sizzling stops and boondis are light gold in color but not crispy. Lift the boondi out of the oil with a slotted spoon (this allows excess oil to drip back into the frying pan) and put them directly into the warm syrup and mix.
• Before making the next batch of boondi, wipe clean the skimmer. This helps to keep the boondi round.
• Repeat the process of making boondi and adding to the syrup with rest of the batter. You may have to adjust the heat in between making boondis.
• When finished frying the boondi, let them soak in the syrup for few minutes.
• Add the crushed cardamom seeds and sliced almonds to the syrup.
• Now drain off the excess syrup.
• If the boondis are still hot, let them sit only until they are warm enough to handle  but don’t let them to cool off. If the boondis become cold you will not be able to form them into ladoos.
• Grease your hands with some ghee, to make the ladoos, scoop up some of the boondi mixture into your palm with a spoon. Gently squeeze the mixture between both palms to shape into a round ball about the size of a golf ball. As you are squeezing some of the syrup will come out. Dont worry about it.
• Repeat the process till all the boondi is used up to make ladoos.
• As the ladoos cool to room temperature they will become firm but they should still be moist.
• Serve it as a dessert or snack.

njoY!! happY cookinG!!
Notes:*
If the syrup is not of the right temperature, you will not be able to form the ladoos. If the boondis cool down to room temperature before being shaped into balls, the sugar will crystallize. If you are not able to make ladoos, don’t worry. You can still enjoy them as sweet boondi or use it in boondi raita without adding the fried boondi to the syrup.