The churma , very ancient and well known Rajasthani cuisine is prepared in a particular method, though it is time consuming, it is delicious and worth all efforts. It needs a initial preparation of flour kneeded into dough. The dough looks like the one in above picture. This dough is later partitioned into smaller balls, which are deep fried and powdered to make the churma.




The dough which is deep fried and powder looks like the above pic. This powder is later cooked with jaggery to and decorated with nuts. Though is seems long process, it is a cuisine which is a must try for indian food lovers.







Churma is a popular delicacy usually served with baatis or dal baati. It is coarsely ground wheat crushed and cooked with ghee and sugar. Traditionally it is made by mashing up wheat flour baatis or left over rotis in ghee and jaggery. Churma is a very basic Rajasthani sweet. Churma is made using wheat flour, ghee and jaggery which are the main ingredients and the only ingredients.








Ingredients:
200 gms Wheat flour
150 gms of Ghee
100 gms Khoya / Mawa (optional)
200 gms Grated Jaggery ( or powdered sugar)
4 Cardamom (small)
250 of ghee for deep frying (can be substitued with either vanaspati or ordinary vegetable oil).

For Garnishing:
10-12 Soaked almond finely chopped
10-12 pistachios finely chopped.


Method:

1. Melt 150 gms. of ghee and mix it in wheat flour.
2. Make a stiff dough using very little water.
3. Heat the rest of the ghee in a kadahi or a deep bottomed pan
4. Make about 15-20 balls with the dough.
5. Fry it on low flame till it becomes golden brown.
6. Allow the balls to cool for somewhile.
7. Churn it in grinder after it cools down. Dont grind the balls too finely .
8. Mix khoya. Khoya or Mava is just optional , to give the churma a rich taste. So this khoya or mava can be avoided for better health reasons and economical values.
9. Heat 1 tbsp. ghee in kadahi.
10. If sugar is used as sweeter, follow this step. Add the cardamom seeds and the churma mixture and fry for 1-2 minutes.
11. When it cools down add sugar and mix well.
12. In case jaggery is used, then grate the jaggery and cook the jaggery to a consistent paste.
13. Add the churma mixture to the jaggery paste and mix well till the churma turns soft and there are no lumps of jaggery left.
14. Add cardamom seeds to the churma and mix well.
15. Serve churmas and granish it with chopped almonds and pistas.

Making Time: 45 mintes.

Serves: 4 -5 persons.

Shelflife: 1 day.

Note: The churmas are prepared in jaggery in Rajasthan . Also Jaggery is considered and is good for health than sugar. Sugar can used to avoid the long process. But i recommend using jaggery, it gives the best taste to churma. Few people add Dalchinis (Cinamon stick) in this recipe. It is usually added when 1 tbsp of ghee is heated for preparing churma and is added along with cardamom sticks. But churma tastes good when Cinamon stick is avoided.

Click here to know more about Rajasthani foods and cuisines - Introduction to Rajasthani Foods And Cuisines.

Click here to know more about of Indian Sweets and Desserts- An Introduction To Indian Sweets And Desserts.