Description
Kulkul – A very famous crispy,crunchy,signature sweet prepared during occasions like Diwali.It's more or less similar to shankarpali, where in you have two different varieties .One is the savoury ones and the other is the sweetish ones.Shankarpali is usually prepared from a mixture of maida,milk,sugar and ghee and they are made a bit thick too.But then kala kala are thin ones prepared without using milk and it's a much simplified version and really tastes very good and very very easy to prepare.
Here u Go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
| Ingredients-1 | |
|---|---|
| 1 cup | Maida |
| ¼ cup | Water(Approximately for kneading) |
| ½ tsp | Salt |
| 3 cup | Oil (for deep frying) |
| Ingredients-2 | |
|---|---|
| ¾ cup | Sugar |
| ¼ cup | Water (for Syrup) |
| 1 tsp | Powdered Ellaichi |
Instructions
1.Mix maida in a wide bowl with salt and ¼ cup of water approximately. Knead them to make a stiff dough, like how we make for puris. Basically the dough shouldn't stick.Pls do not add all the water at one go.Add little by little till it kneads to a stiff dough.
2.Take a portion of the dough and roll it using a rolling pin to a slightly thin consistency as shown in the above picture.If by chance ,the dough turns to a bit soft consistency dust the dough lightly with dry flour and then roll them.
3.Using a sharp knife,cut them to diamond shapes as shown above.(If required dip the knife in dry flour to aviod sticking).
4.Heat oil in a kadai and deep fry these diamonds in batches till they trun to golden brown color and transfer them to paper towels to drain the excess oil content.Make sure that the oil is not very hot b'se it tends to burn the moment u drop them, as they are very thin.
5.Heat sugar with ¼ cup water(approximately) over medium flame. When it starts to boil vigorously add 1tsp of Ellaichi powder and check for thread consistency.The consistency should be two string consistency.That is,when you take some syrup between your thumb and forefinger and gently stretch it,it should form two strings.This ensures that when you add the kala kala to the syrup they will not turn soggy. It takes approximately 6min to get that consistency.
6.Transfer the diamonds immediately into the sugar syrup and stir them well,for the syrup to evenly quote on all the diamonds.Allow them to cool.As they cool down the sugar hardens up.After it completly cools transfer them to air tight conatiners.
Notes
1.Transfer the diamonds immediately into the hot syrup (i.e after the syrup reaches the thread consistency).Do not let the syrup to cool down.Once it cools down it hardens and you would not be in a position to mix the diamonds in it.
20 Comments
Dear Radha,
I tried this today and it came out very well. It was very easy as you mentioned. Thanks for sharing the recipe. Hope you are having a wonderful Diwali.
Jeya.
Hi Jeya..
That was indeed a very nice credit from u.Thank's a lot..Diwali!!!!nothing great over here..it's like an any other normal day..Anyway's thank's for ur wishes and have a great Diwali!!!
Cheers
Radha Arvindh
Hi Mullai, Radha
I saw your post. I didnt mean to offend or complain. I have been looking over this site for past 1 week and realised it has so many stuff which was really authentic and toothsome. Eg: Meen kolambu,Vazhaipoo,eral. Specific names and that too in tamil. I was very much impressed by the way u have given presentations and tamil names u have used. This site might represent all forgotten names of those recipes made by achee. So i wanted you to name it the way most of the people would recognise. When i saw this recipe first the name sparked is diamond biscuit, bcos my mother used to do kalakala like shells.
It was a piece of information and may be the way i wrote was like offensive statement. But i think your site rocks. i have been looking for delectable tamilnadu recipes for along time and ur site is detail oriented than arusivai in taste and pictures
My best wishes to continue this
Thanks
Hi caroline..
Hey, I guess U took it a bit serious..We too never meant that way.Since u had bought out ..we thought it would be better to get it cleared ..that's it.. Come on..now I don't want this recipe to get to an controversy state..I had posted this,so that it would be easy for pubilc to prepare..Anyway's let us put an end to this and get back to enjoy our day.Wish u and ur family a very happy diwali..and pls do post ur suggestions and comments ..pls do not hesitate..
Cheers
Radha Arvindh
hi,
mullai,manoo,radhaarvindh,latha,sujatha and to every one i wish u a very HAPPY DIWALI..
regards aniethamaniezhilan
Hi anietha
Wish U and ur family A Very Happy Diwali too
Cheers
Radha Arvindh
Hiiii anietha,
Thank you… And happy dewali to you and your family too….. God bless!!!
hi anietha,
Thank u so much for ur wishes…sorry i was bit busy with diwali prepartions so cudn't wish you y'day.hope you enjoyed ur diwali too!!!!
Hi
This one is Diamond Biscuit not kala kala. kalakala is same ingredients but
have to use a shape(like tire prints) and fry it. it will look like pasta shells
But anyway thanks for the recipe
Hi caroline..
We call this as kalakala and I am pretty sure and the one that u have specified(tire prints shape)we call it as "Ribbon pakoda" and it's a spicy stuff.I guess terminology might differ as per each of us.Anyway's I shall cross check again but then before posting i normally do that .If Mullai mam can post her views and confirm it would be fine ,isn't it???Shall get back to u after confirmation.Happy diwali!!!
Cheers
Radha Arvindh
Hi caroline..
Happened to check out few other sites with the name stated by u but then at most places I find diamond biscuits r the ones where in (Milk,sugar,maida,dalda etc )are mixed together and deep fried as biscuits and they r quiet thick comparitively.So I guess this and that r different..Anyways,this is how we term it.Lets wait for few other peoples suggestions too..If i am wrong then I shall surely change the name of it..
Cheers
Radha Arvindh
Radha,
Actually its commonly called as Diamons biscuits or Diamond cuts. There are different versions….with milk, without milk, soaked in sugar syrup or sugar mixed with maida. You have shared one such recipe. Gal gal or kalakala is what everybody pronounce, but the actual name of it is Kulkul… these are small shells made with maida and then soaked in sugar syrup. This is very popular snack among the Christian community as they make big batches for christmas and even include egg in it. Each community has its own version with little moderation here and there. So, yours would be Kulkul (Gal gal / Kala Kala…. calloquially) shaped as diamonds instead of shells. No offence!! just clarifying your doubt.
Hi Mullai..Thank's FYI and I have updated the recipe with the actual name ..All these days, I was familiar only with the colloquial term ,so spelt it that way… Anyway's thank's a lot for clearing the doubt and as u said each own of us have a different version of naming and doing things.So cannot help at times!!!!!
Cheers
Radha Arvindh
Happy Dewali…….. We tamils also call kala kala.. sometimes diamonds… The shell shape one is called as "sippi" in Sri Lanka……. We can make this just with water & flour…….. for rich taste ppl add coconut milk, dalda, butter, oil etc etc… Just wanted to say we also call as kala kala…… Yet there can be different names…Its like we sri lankans call varai some sort of fry whereas indians call it poriyal. we call deep fried stuff as poriyal while indians call it varuval…. names differ like this….sometimes funny….sometimes annoying rite…….. Anyways happy dewali again to all our memebers…..
Manoo
P.S:- My bro loves this but i luv the spicy one…. Ammamma (grand ma) adds chilli powder & a bit of pepper after frying it…
Hi Manoo..
Thank's for ur explanation abt this item..Btw Diwali wishes to u and ur family members..I guess as far as ur eating habits r concerned u cm to be lot more choosy..Amma paavam..To satisfy each one of u as per ur likings,quiet difficult ..Here it's the same way..My son and hubby r too choosy ,so land up cooking separately for each one of them..I had actually planned to post the spicy one ..since it was Diwali time I thought of posting the sweer variety..
Anyway's hope my next dish would be as per ur likings..
Cheers
Radha Arvindh
Hi Caroline,
Radha has shared a great recipe with nice tempting pictures. All we need is a clue for right ingredients and method. Shape or name doesn't matter, just enjoy the dish….again no offence! just a piece of friendly advice.
Hey Radha,
I tried ur recipe today after seeing ur posting ,i couldnt resist the
scrumptious kalakala photos ,so i gave a try immediately came out
well.
Thanks,
Rose.
Hey Rose..
That was indeed a very quick response.So an additional sweet for Diwali,I guess!!!Happy to know that it had come out well.Happy Diwali.
Cheers
Radha Arvindh
Hi Radha,
Everytime i saw this snacks in indian store aisle, and i want to taste it. But i don’t like buy because those snacks gives oil smell.
Thank u very much for this recipe. sure i’ll try next week.
kavi.
Hi Kavi..Home made sweets are always special,though we cannot maintain the perfection in appearance we can always keep up the taste.Above all we get a great satisfaction,if we succeed…So try out and let me know!!!Happy Diwali….
Cheers
Radha Arvindh