Tuesday 15 September 2015

Phenori/Chiroti

A Chiroti/phenori is a sweet delicacy of south india made during the festive seasons. It is prepared by rolling out kneaded dough made of maida into layered circular shapes and then deep frying in ghee or refined oil. It is then dropped in a sugar syrup to get its sweetness. I am personally proud to introduce this dish as it came out absolutely perfect. It can be stored in airtight containers for upto 10 days.
Ingredients
Plain Flour - 2 cups (maida)
Ghee - 2 tbsps, melted
Salt - pinch
For paste
Rice flour - 2 tbsps
Ghee - 1 1/2 tbsps, melted
For sugar syrup
Sugar - 1 cup, granulated
Water - 1 cup
Cardamom powder- 1/2 tsp
Method
In a bowl, add the flour, salt and melted ghee and mix well. Slowly add enough water to make a smooth yet firm dough like puri dough. Cover the dough and keep aside for an hour.
Now we can prepare the syrup. Heat water and granulated sugar in a vessel till sugar is melted and then continue to simmer till the mixture thickens to single thread consistency on low flame. Add cardamom powder and mix. Turn off flame. Keep aside.
In a small bowl, mix rice flour with melted ghee and keep aside. This paste is used to bind the layers of rotis.
Pinch off dough such that you have 6 large lemon sized balls. Roll each into thin rotis. Place a roti on your work surface, smear a tsp of the prepared rice flour paste all over the roti. Place another rolled out roti over it and again smear with a tsp of rice flour paste. Again repeat the process by placing another roti over the second roti and smear with rice flour paste. Now gently roll the pilled up rotis into a log and cut into 1/2" thick circles. Make another log following the same process using the remaining three rotis.
With the help of the rolling pin roll out each of the thick circles into thin rotis of 4" to 5" in diameter.
Heat oil for deep frying in a heavy bottomed vessel. Once hot, reduce flame to low medium and place 3 or 4 rolled out chirotis into the hot oil. Deep fry the chirotis on a medium flame, flipping them gently to cook all over. Once they turn to a golden shade, remove
the hot chirotis  from the oil into the prepared sugar syrup. Allow them to absorb the syrup.
Deep fry the rest of the rolled out chirotis and dip them in the prepared sugar syrup. Enjoy.

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