Indian cooking / Dishes / Chandrakanthalu

Chandrakanthalu

Saffron, Coconut & Cashew Biscuits (Cookies)

VegetarianOrigin Andhra Pradesh/Tamil NaduPrep 1 hour, plus soaking timeCook 30 minutesMakes 20–25

These deep-fried Andhra confections feature a cooked moong dal and coconut dough flavoured with saffron and cardamom, yielding a crisp golden crust with a rich, soft centre.

Sweet spice mix

0.3 gStirred into the cooked dal paste (step 3)

Ground green cardamom · Elaichi Powder

~0.3 gpinch

spice

Saffron · Kesar

to taste

spice

Combine the ground cardamom and saffron in a small bowl.

Everything else

Split mung beans · Moong Dalrinsed and drained

225 g

legume

Fresh coconut · Taaza Nariyalgrated

175 g½ coconut

fruit

Granulated sugar · Cheeni

225 g

sweetener

Cashew nut · Kaju

18 g12 cashews

nut/seed

Ghee or vegetable oil · Ghee ya telfor deep-frying

to taste

oil/fat

Method

Cover 225 g moong dal with water and let it soak for 1 hour. Drain thoroughly, then purée in a food processor or blender with a splash of water until completely smooth.
Scrape the purée into a wide, heavy-bottomed pan and stir in 175 g fresh coconut and 225 g granulated sugar. Set over low heat and cook for roughly 15 minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture pulls away cleanly from the sides.
Take the pan off the heat and thoroughly fold in the sweet spice mix, 0.3 g edible camphor, and 12 cashew nuts.
Dampen a clean kitchen towel with water and wring out any excess. Lay the cloth flat on a work surface, press the warm dough evenly across it into a thin sheet, and cut into desired biscuit shapes.
Fill a deep pan or kadhai with vegetable oil or ghee and heat to 180°C/350°F, checking that a cube of bread turns brown within 30 seconds. Fry the cut pieces in batches for 2 to 3 minutes until rich golden brown, then remove with a slotted spoon to drain on paper towels.

Don't have something?

Moong dal

Red lentils
Use equal weight. It cooks in about the same time and breaks down to a similar soft, creamy consistency, though the colour will be slightly pinkish-orange.
Pigeon peas
Use equal weight. Requires longer soaking and cooking time, and produces a slightly earthier, denser dal.

Fresh coconut

Desiccated coconut
Use 50% to 60% of the weight, soaked in equal parts warm water for 15 minutes before grinding. Works well for chutneys, though texture is slightly finer and sweeter.
Coconut milk
Use 1.2 times the weight in curries. Adds creamy richness and authentic flavour, but makes gravies smoother and eliminates the grated, chewy mouthfeel.

Granulated sugar

Jaggery
Use equal weight; grate or shave finely so it dissolves rapidly, giving a warm, caramel-like sweetness and slightly darker sauce.

Ground green cardamom

Green cardamom seed
Grind freshly extracted inner black seeds finely; use equal weight (1:1). Greatly superior aroma with potent eucalyptus and citrus notes.
Green cardamom pod
Lightly crack whole pods and simmer them in the gravy; use 150% of the weight of ground cardamom. Fish out the pods before serving.
Ground nutmeg
Use 50% of the weight. Delivers warm, sweet aroma, but lacks cardamom's cooling, citrusy top notes.

Saffron

Ground turmeric
Use 15% of the saffron's weight. Replicates the bright yellow colour well, but lacks the floral, earthy depth; use sparingly to avoid bitterness.
Screwpine water or rosewater
Use a few drops combined with a tiny pinch of ground turmeric to mimic both the regal floral aroma and the golden hue.

Edible camphor

Screwpine water
Use only a few drops for a pinch of camphor. Adds a floral perfume, not camphor's sharp medicinal note; add off the heat.
Rosewater
Use a few drops for a pinch of camphor. Gentler and sweeter, with no camphor pungency.

Cashew nut

Almond
Use 100% of the weight. Soak in boiling water and slip off skins before frying or grinding; gives a lighter, slightly less sweet richness to curries.
Poppy seed
Use 60% of the weight for gravies. Soak in warm water and grind into a fine paste to thicken royal kormas without adding heavy oiliness.
Shelled peanut
Use 100% of the weight. Roast, skin, and grind; creates a thicker, earthier texture typical of Maharashtrian and western Indian curries.

Ghee or vegetable oil

Peanut oil
Use equal weight; handles high tempering heat well and keeps flavours neutral.
Butter
Use equal weight; cook over gentle heat to prevent browning the milk solids too quickly.

Similar dishes

Paruppu Payasam

Sweet Moong Dal & Cashew Pudding with Cardamom & Jaggery

Paruppu Payasam is creamy, gently sweet and lightly spiced, while this dish is crisp and golden outside with a rich, soft centre.

Same: Paruppu Payasam shares moong dal, coconut, cardamom and cashew nuts with this dish.
Different: Paruppu Payasam is a simmered pudding using jaggery, coconut milk, water, clove and ghee or oil, while this dish is a deep-fried biscuit dough using granulated sugar, fresh coconut, saffron and edible camphor.

Uppu Vada

Sesame Seed & Coconut Balls

Uppu Vada is savoury, salty, and nutty, whereas this dish is richly sweet and fragrant with saffron and cardamom.

Same: Both snacks incorporate fresh grated coconut and a dal base that is shaped and deep-fried in vegetable oil.
Different: Uppu Vada uses urad dal, sesame seeds, butter, and asafoetida, omitting the moong dal, sugar, saffron, and cardamom used in this dish.

Parippu Payasam

Green Moong Dal Flavoured with Coconut Milk

Parippu Payasam is liquid, creamy, and dominated by deep molasses notes from jaggery, rather than the clean sweetness, floral saffron flavour, and crisp fried texture of this dish.

Same: Parippu Payasam also combines moong dal and coconut flavoured with green cardamom.
Different: Instead of shaping and deep-frying a sugar- and saffron-infused dal dough into biscuits, Parippu Payasam simmers the dal in coconut milk with jaggery, cashew nuts, and ghee into a sweet pudding.

Dakshini Hari Chutney

Southern Green Chutney

Dakshini Hari Chutney is savory, tangy, and pungent with chili heat, unlike the sweet, cardamom- and saffron-scented profile of this dish.

Same: Dakshini Hari Chutney also uses fresh coconut alongside lentils.
Different: Instead of being cooked into a sweet dough and deep-fried, Dakshini Hari Chutney is a blended condiment made with curry leaves, coriander, sesame seeds, garlic, ginger, and lemon juice with a tempered dal garnish.