Chandrakala | Suryakala | Diwali Special Recipes

I am posting one of my favorite sweet recipes for Diwali – Chandraka & Suryakala. The first time I tried this sweet recipe was almost 7 years ago. Having been intrigued by the shape, design and taste – the sister and I decided to try it out for one diwali. It was huge success. It turned out crispy, sweet and the filling inside just melted in our mouths. Ever since, I prepare this sweet for every Diwali and this time I decided to put it up in my blog. Usually, I would prepare the filling from the scratch. Although it seems like a lot of work – it is not. Put milk and sugar together and keep stirring it until it’s almost solid. It does take some time but the taste is really unmatchable. This year I was pressed for time and decided to go the easy way – got store bought unsweetened khoya. I had this nagging feeling for having to use something ready-made but the circumstances were so, this year. In one way, with this recipe this sweet can be made in a lot lesser time 🙂

These sweets are shaped really beautiful and hence they get their names – Chandrakala and Suryakala. Half-moon shaped is the Chandrakala and the Sun-shaped/roundel is the Suryakala. The preparation is the same for both the sweets, only the way these are folded makes the difference. There are a few things to note while preparing this sweet. Pls go through the Notes section before attempting. These stay crisp for a day or two and then turn soft. Can be stored in refrigerator for longer shelf life.

To make Chandrakala & Suryakala Sweet | Diwali Special

Servings: makes 5 each of Chandrakala & Suryakala
Time:30 mins wait time + 30 mins cook time
Difficulty: Difficult
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What I used –

For the outer dough

Maida/All Purpose Flour, 1 cup
Salt, a pinch
Hot Melted Butter/Oil, 1.5 tsp
Water, as required

For the stuffing inside

Unsweetened Khoya/Khova, 1/3 cup
Powdered Sugar, 2 tsp
Cardamom Powder, a pinch (optional)

For making Chandrakala & Suryakala

Oil, to deep fry
Sugar, 1/3 cup
Water, 1/3 cup + 2 tbsp
Cardamom Powder, a pinch
Saffron Strands, a few
Chopped Dry Fruits, a few

How I made –

1. To prepare the dough, in a bowl add the all-purpose flour or maida, a pinch a salt, hot melted butter/oil. Mix well. The dough should be crumbly. Add water little by little and knead the dough soft. Set it aside for 30 mins.

prep1

2. Meanwhile, prepare the filling by mixing the unsweetened khova/khoya along with sugar and cardamom powder. Mix well. Set aside.

prep2

3. To make Chandrakala and Suryakala, pinch a ball of dough and roll it into a sheet. The rolled dough should not be too thick nor too thin. Using a small bowl or cookie cutter, cut small roundels of the dough. To prepare Chandrakala, take a small ball of the stuffing and spread it towards a side of a roundel. Apply water all over the edges and fold it in half. Press it well so that it’s sealed. To prepare Suryakala, take a ball of the stuffing and place it in the center of a sheet. Apply water all over the edges. Place another sheet on top and seal it well. To bring the shape of frills on the edges, pinch an end of the sheet and fold it. Now repeat the same till you reach the other end so that the pattern is formed. Repeat the same for rest of the dough.

4. Heat oil for deep frying. Make sure the oil is hot. Fry the Chandrakala and Suryakala in batches in two until golden brown. Remove onto a tissue. prep5

5. Meanwhile, in a bowl heat 1/3^rd cup of water and sugar to boil. Add cardamom powder and let it cook until the syrup is of one string consistency. When a small drop of sugar is placed between forefinger and thumb, gently pulled apart – a string should form. Remove the sugar syrup from heat. prep4

6. Drop each fried Chandrakala and Suryakala in the sugar sryup, coat it with the sugar syrup on all sides. Remove onto a plate. Sprinkle some chopped almonds/cashews and saffron strands on top. prep6

7. Let these cool completely before transferring into an airtight container. Refrigerate for longer shelf life. Stays good for 3-4 days.

Note –

Adding hot butter or oil is essential to have a crisp, flaky outer layer.
Instead of using store bought khoya/khova, prepare it at home by bringing milk and sugar to boil until it solidifies.
Instead of making a large sheet of dough, smaller sheets of dough can be made but it’s a lot more work.
The thickness of the dough is very important. If it’s too thick, it could raw and if it’s too thin, filling can ooze out. Make sure the dough is about 1mm in thickness. Try deep frying a piece before making everything.
Do not put too much filling in each Chandrakala/Suryakala. It will definitely ooze out while cooking spoiling all the oil.
The temperature of the oil is very important. Prolonged cooking can build up pressure inside this sweet and it can burst – there by spoiling the oil. Make sure the oil is always hot. At the maximum, each piece should be golden brown in 40 secs. If at all, a piece bursts, immediately switch off the stove and remove all the sediments and start over again.
The consistency of the sugar syrup has to be one string. If it’s too thin, the sweet immediately becomes soggy. If its too thick, a white layer forms on top of the sweet like Badusha. If your sugar syrup goes thick, add a few tbps of water and heat it again to the right consistency. As its cold in Bangalore, my syrup thickened quite fast and you can see the white sugar coating on couple of pieces.
Store this in fridge for longer shelf life. Crispness remains only for a day or two. It gets soft after that. No impact to taste 🙂