Receta Amma's Recipes | G for Gavvalu | Andhra Style Sweet Shells
G for Gavvalu | Andhra Style Sweet Shells Recipe
Recipe: Mom
There are so many fond memories associated with this recipe. My mother, is considered an expert in making these Andhra style sweet shells and each batch would last no longer than a few days! All through our summer holiday months, I remember munching on these as a evening snacks with our cup of bournvita. Seriously addictive, it is very hard to stop with just a few!. :-)
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all purpose flour (maida)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tbsp melted ghee
- water - to knead
- Oil for deep frying
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup water - to make syrup
- a pinch of cardamom powder
Preparation:
1. Place flour, baking soda in a bowl and knead into a dough with very little water. It should be firmer than a chapati dough. Cover and let it rest for 1 hour.
2. Divide the dough into 4 portions. Gently shape each ball into a cylindrical roll and cut into small pieces. Press on a gavaalu board (shown in the picture above) or use a fork/clean comb to make the patterns. Spread them on a newspaper or flat surface and dry for 30 minutes.
3. Heat enough oil for deep frying and fry the shells in small batches until they are light golden brown. Drain excess oil on paper towels. Set them aside.
4. In a thick bottomed pan, add sugar, water, ghee and cardamom powder. On low heat, let the sugar dissolve and a thick syrup is formed. Add the entire lot of fried shells and mix immediately so that the sugar syrup is evenly coated.
5. After 10 to 15 minutes, the sugar syrup crystallizes and forms a white coating on each shell. Cool a bit and store in an airtight container. These will stay good for few weeks and are a great holiday gift (when packed in mason jars) for your foodie friends. :-)