Diwali is around the corner and everyone is busy with Diwali purchase and other preparation. Even though for us its a working day we love to celebrate this wonderful festival and I planned to finish my sweets and savories by tomorrow. Coming to today's recipe, Sweet Somas is one of my most favorite childhood sweet. Sweet Somas is nothing but a crispy and flaky outer layer stuffed with simple coconut sweet stuffing. This Somas recipe is one of the Traditional Tamil Nadu recipe and is different from the Karanji / Gujiya which has rich stuffing with khoya.
But the simple filling for Somas is my favorite and I love to have it as such for snack. I wanted to try this Somas recipe for long time, every year Amma wanted me try Somas and Adhirasam but I was not confident to try it so far. But last week decided to give my hands and first tried Somas. I couldn't believe myself that it turned out so perfect at the first try, I shared it with my neighbor friends and they loved it and appreciated me. Aunty noted my recipe and said that she going to prepare it for Diwali. What else I want, Happy me :)
Sweet Somas Recipe
Prep Time : 10 to 15 minutes | Resting Time : 1-2 hours
Cook Time : 30 minutes | Recipe Category : Snack/Sweet
Recipe Cuisine : Indian | Makes 15-16 Somas
Ingredients
For Outer CoveringFor Sweet Filling
- Maida/All Purpose Flour 1 cup + 2 tbsp for dusting
- Rava/Sooji/Semolina 1 tbsp
- Oil 1-2 tbsp
- Salt 1/4 tsp(optional,I added)
- Oil as needed for deep frying
Method
- Fresh Coconut,grated 1/2 cup
- Roasted Gram Dal/Pottukadalai 1/2 cup
- Sugar 1/2 cup
- Cardamom 3 no.
- First prepare the Dough for Somas.
- In a mixing bowl, add flour, salt, semolina and mix well. To this add 1-2 tbsp oil and combine it well with flour. Then using little water make it to a stiff dough.
- And now add few drops of oil and knead the dough for 5-6 minutes to a smooth, pliable and tight dough. Then cover the dough and let it rest for minimum 1 hour or upto 2 hours.
- More the resting time, more the crispness. If you rest the dough for 2 hours then it will be easy to roll it to paper thin and thus result in crispy, flaky outer covering.
- Meanwhile prepare the coconut sweet stuffing.
- In a mixer, add roasted gram dal, sugar and cardamom and grind it to a fine coarse powder and keep aside.
- Then heat a pan and dry roast coconut in low-medium heat until the coconut moisture dries up and turns light golden color.
- Once done allow the coconut to cool down and then mix the roasted coconut with sugar-gram dal mix and keep aside.
- After 1-2 hours of resting time, divide the dough into 15-16 tiny balls.
- Now with a rolling pin on a dusted surface, roll the dough round in 5 to 6 inches diameter thin circle.
- place a tbsp or 2 tsp of the sweet coconut stuffing in the center or on one side of the circle, keeping the edges empty.
- Make sure you don't over stuff as then it becomes difficult to shape and they may also open while frying.
- Then with your fingertips, apply water all over the edge.
- And now gently bring together both the edges and join, gently press the edges.
- Using a knife or pizza cutter trim the edges and press firmly and keep aside. You can also fold the edges and press it. This way edges gets closed well.
- The same way make all the somas and keep them covered with a damp kitchen towel.
- And then heat oil in a kadai for deep frying.
- Once oil is hot, turn the heat to medium and gently drop the prepared somas in hot oil.
- Add 3 to 4 at a time, based on your kadai size. Let it fry in medium hot oil, while one side is frying keep adding the hot oil over the upper surfac
- After a minute turn other side and fry till golden brown on both sides.
- Once done remove from the hot oil and drain the fried somas in paper towel. Serve the somas warm or at room temperature.
- once cooled completely store them in an air-tight container.
Notes:
Make sure you make the dough soft and tight dough. Knead the dough for at least 5 minutes and rest for min 1 hour.
Roll the dough as thin as possible.
I had some 3-4 tbsp of coconut stuffing left after making somas. I had it as such, If you don't like to eat the stuffing as such then reduce 2 tbsp of coconut, sugar, roasted gram dal from 1/2 cup each.
Fry the somas in medium heat.
