Sakkarae Achhu/Sugar Candy

Sakkarae Achhu

Ingredients:

• 3  cups sugar
• 1 cup water (just enough to submerge sugar)
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup yogurt(homemade or store bought)
• 1/2 a lemon
• 1 large piece of cheese cloth( any thin cotton cloth)
• 3 tbs of sugar candy/kallu sakkarae (optional)

Soaked sugar

Curdling syrup

Straining syrup

Wringing to Strain syrup

 

 

Method:



Strained syrup plus rind

In a large sauce pan soak sugar and kallu sakkarae with just enough water to submerge all of the sugar. Let it sit for an hour or so. Then place the pan on the stove and simmer the syrup on medium heat to melt the sugar content properly. When the syrup starts to boil thoroughly, mix in the milk. When this mixture begins to start foaming and boiling over, mix in the yogurt. Let  this mixture curdle, foam and boil over again and then squeeze in a little lemon juice ( about 1 tbs). Bring this syrup mixture to a good simmer and boil which will make the contents to separate and curdle even more. Turn off the heat.

Wet and thoroughly wring out the cheese cloth. Line a small mouth, tall  vessel with the cheese cloth and strain the syrup mixture carefully in it. Store the strained syrup to make sugar candy. Throw out the rind inside the cheese cloth.

Simultaneously, clean and place wood sugar moulds in a bowl of water. Remove these from water, tap on the outer to remove excess water in the moulds. Season the molds with a little oil or oil spray (Pam).  Use rubber bands to hold the two pieces of moulds together. Place them on parchment lined large plate or counter for easy clean up. The moulds are prepped to receive the sugar candy syrup.

Place a small bowl of cold water near the stove, to test the readiness of the sugar syrup during the candy making process.

Sugar syrup boiling

Prepped wooden moulds

Sugar candy/acchu in the moulds












Sugar Candy/Sakkarae Acchu making process:

1. In a small thick bottomed sauce pan heat 1 cup of the strained syrup on low heat and let it boil slowing for a several minutes, constantly stirring with a large spoon.
2. 
   

   

   Sugar Candy/Acchu

   If the syrup starts to foam a lot, it needs to be taken out of the heat and stirred thoroughly. Place the syrup back on the stove and continue to stir constantly. Continue this process on and off till the sugar syrup thickens.
3. Place a drop of the syrup in cold water and if the syrup makes a firm ball then it is ready to be spooned into the prepped moulds. **
4. Spoon in the syrup into the moulds. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes and remove the rubber bands from the moulds.
5. Using ta butter knife or a blunt knife scrape off any excess dried on sugar syrup from the moulds.
6. Pry open the moulds and let the sugar candy /sakkarae achhu air dry for a few minutes.
7. Carefully remove the sugar candy from the moulds place them in a large plate to be stored in airtight containers later when completely cool.

Repeat the process from step 1 to finish all the cleaned and strained sugar syrup. The scraped and broken pieces can be added to this.

Cooking Tips:

Using the same small sauce pan, with all its dried on sugar candy in it and the scraped and broken sugar candy pieces, will help speed up the sugar candy making process. With this, there is also a tendency for the sugar candy to brown. Low heat is key to make whiter sugar candies. Can use food colors of your choice.

** no mould sakkarae acchu

**If you do not have wooden sugar moulds, pour/spoon the syrup on to a well greased aluminum foil or lightly greased parchment paper lined plate. Let cool for 15 minutes or till fairly cool. Cut it up  into bite size pieces  for consumption. Or cut into smaller 1/4" square pieces and use in Sankranthi Yellu mixture or any of your own trail mixes. Can also use hard candy moulds instead of the wooden moulds.

Serving Tips:



Distribution ready

Traditionally made during Makra Sankranthi festival (Mid January) and distributed to family and friends along with fruits, sugarcane and sankranthi yellu.

Sankranthi Yellu

Sankranthi Yellu

Ingredients

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup white sesame seeds (the husked, cleaned variety preferable nylon yellu)
• 1 cup raw peanuts ( smaller variety)
• 1 cup roasted channa/hurigadalae/dalia
• 1 cup coarsely cut jaggery
• 1 cup dessicated large coconut flakes

(Scour through all the ingredients, separately to clean and remove any stones, twigs and unwanted items.)


Method:

Pre heat oven to 320 degrees.
Line a 11 x 17 baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.


Ready for roasting

Through dry and keep a large bowl ready.

1. Spread the sesame seeds on the baking sheet in a single file and bake in the oven for 6 to 8 minutes. Place the lightly toasted sesame seeds in the bowl. 
2. Similarly, spread the peanuts on the baking sheet  in a single file and bake in the oven for 15 to 20  minutes. Remove and place the toasted peanuts in a large plate and let it cool. Loosen the husk from the cooled toasted peanuts by rubbing between your hands forcefully. Also split up the whole peanuts into halves(cotyledons) in the process. Remove and clean the husks and the nodules(radicle) that held the cotyledons together. Add the cleaned peanuts to the bowl.
3. Then spread the coconut flakes on the baking sheet and  bake in the oven for 3 minutes. This is just to warm the flakes a little bit to bring out the flavor (this step can be skipped). Add the coconut flakes to the bowl. 
4. Mix in the cleaned roasted channa and the coarsely cut jaggery to the bowl.

Store in air tight containers.

Mixing bowl

Variety Yellu w/ peppermint and kasuri kalu

Distribution ready

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tips:



Skinning kobbari

Slicing/cutting kobbari

Cutting sakkarae acchu












Traditionally, dry coconut (kobbari gitaku) is skinned and cut into small pieces and use instead of the coconut flakes. Also, peanuts and yellu can be roasted on stove top in a large pan. Peanuts should be toasted till they start popping on medium heat. Yellu/sesame is toasted on low heat till they crackle and  balloon up a little. Home made sugar candy (sakkarae acchu see blog) can also be broken into small pieces and used in the sankranthi mixture instead of jagerry. It is also common to use jeerigae (cumin) peppermint or and kusari kalu in this mixture. Only firm jaggery (less moisture content) cut into small pieces should be used. Store in airtight containers. Will keep for several weeks. Vary the quantities of the ingredients per your taste.

For a twist you can make this into a trail mix add chocolate chips and nuts of your choice. 


Serving Tips:

Distributed to friends and family along with sugarcane, sugar candy (sakkarae achu) during Sankranthi festival.