Sweet Somasi

This recipe has been passed down 3 generations... Paaru paati, then amma... now me... I vividly remember paati... making a sambadam ( box) full of somaasis for all the kids.... and amma used to make them every now and then... I was suddenly craving for these and made exactly 10 of these yummy treat :)...

What I used

1 cup of rava
1 tbsp of maida (all purpose flower)
a pinch of salt
1/4 cup of water
Oil for frying
For the filling
1/2 cup of roasted split gram (pottu kadalai)
1/2 cup sugar
2 cardamoms
1 tbsp of chopped nuts (optional)

How I Made it

Mix the rava, maida, salt and sprinkle water and make this into a smooth dough. Set this aside for an hour. (Just sprinke water, and make it a little hard, this way the somasi stays crispy). For the filling, grind the gram dal, sugar and cardamom into a powder. Check for taste and add more sugar if needed. Mix in the chopped nuts.

Divide the dough into 10 parts. Roll out the dough into small puris ( Use a round cookie cutter / lid of any jar and trim the edges). Add 2 tsp of the filling in the center of the puris and fold them in half. This forms a semi circle. Seal the edges using a fork. Deep fry these in oil until golden brown. Cool these and serve. You can also preserve these in air tight containers. This makes a wonderful evening snack :)

Tricks:
1. The dough consistency - if it is too soft, the somasi will not be crispy, if it is too hard, the somasi will become hard.
2. while frying, the oil should be on medium heat, if it is very high, they will brown immediately.
3. Just place the correct amount of filling and ensure the edges are sealed properly, else they may open while you are frying and spoil the oil.
4. Fry only 2 - 3 in a batch. This helps them cook evenly.