Sakkare Acchu

Sakkare Acchu is a give away sugar model exchanged among friends and family members along with Ellu Bella during Sankranthi or pongal festival.

Clear ,hot and thick sugar syrup will be poured into different molds. animals, fruits, veggies, mantap are few to mention amongst lot of different molds available.

Again this recipe I learnt from my mom:).I really have strong memory of this recipe as I used to help my mom during my high school days lots of interest.(I used to bunk class just with the interest of sakkare acchu).

Before I dig into sakkare acchu recipe, Its worth answering the question "Where do I get Sakkare Acchu"(Molds)? Answer is in all major areas of namma Bengaluru. Gandhi Bazar, Malleswaram , Jaynagar. Being a south bangelorien, I am more used to Gandhi Bazar and sure about the availabality. There are around 4-5 big shops right near Gandhi Bazar circle. they have lot and lots of molds right in front of shops.

They not only sell sakkare acchu(Molds) but they do sell all festival season items for all the festivals of entire year. I must say its worth visiting them for each festival to get current trend items.Puranika Gombe for navrathri, akasha butti and diays for deepavali, dressed up lakshmi moorthi for varamaha lakshmi are few items sold by them every year.and believe me it will be different from one year to another. Hats off to those shops and shopkeepers.

Here is the method for Sakkare Acchu:

You Need To Have:

1 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Milk
1/2 cup curd
1/2 lemon

Method:

Soak sugar in water for at least 3 hours.Make sure that Sugar just immerse in water. More water you add more time its going to take to thicken.I prefer to do them during day time. so if we soak them at 8am, then we should be able to start by 11am.

Keep stirring in between till sugar dissolves completely.

soak sakkare acchu molds in water as shown below.

Just before pouring sugar syrup , dry them and tight them with help of rubber bands as shown below.


Transfer this sugar into tick bottomed vessel and bring it to boil.


Now add part of milk(divide milk in 3 parts). when syrup starts to froth, sieve it with help of white cloth as shown below.



Repeat this for another 2 times followed by 3 times of curd. each time the cloth and vessel should be cleaned with water.This process will remove dirt out of sugar and brings good white color.

Finally end this by adding half lemon juice. it gets softness to sakkare achu.

Take this cleared sugar syrup in thick bottomed vessel and continue to boil in a very low flame until the mixture becomes thick and white.key is that you will fell difficult while stirring.at that point it should be taken out of flame.

Immediately take them and pour it into molds.remove extras over molds with help of knife. after 10 mins, gently take out them from molds. spread them and leave them for about 3 -4 hours.



Pack them along with ellu bella in a ziplock cover and share with friends and relatives.

Happy Sankranthi to all!!

Sankranthi Ellu Bella

There is a saying in Kannada "Yellu bella thindu olle maathadi" which means 'Eat the mixture of sesame seeds and jaggery and speak only good'.So Ellu Bella has got its own importance in sankranthi festival. its considered as goodies and is must prepared in Mysore, banglore regions.

its very simple and easy to make. 5 ingredients jaggery, sesame seeds, ground nut, dried coconut and fried gram which goes into this ellu bella signifying the season of harvest.

Ellu Bella along with Sakkare acchu will be distributed or exchanged between friends and family members.

So here is the recipe for it.

You need to have:

1 Cup Sesame Seeds
1 Cup Jaggery/ Bella(acchu Bella preferred)
1 Cup Fried Gram
1 big dry Coconut
1 Cup Groundnuts

Method:

With help of granter, remove outer cover of dry coconut to get white inner part ans chop them into little small pieces as shown below.

Chop Jaggery also into small pieces.


Dry roast Groundnuts in a pan and remove outer cover of it.


Finally dry roast sesame seeds and let it to cool.

Mix all the ingredients and pack them in ziplock ans share them with friends and relatives.

Navrathri Special(Gombe Habba)

Sorry guys! It been long time and I did not turned to update any thing in my blog.I was awaiting to update regarding Navrathri from Long time. Its my faviourate fest from my childhood.

Navarathri –(Nava Rathri) 9 nights. Durgashtami,Mahanavami,Vijaya Dasami are very important days out of 9 Days. always brought me an incredible experience always. Arranging the dolls, inviting people to visit home, sharing Husali,Gombe Bagina- a specialty of Navarathri, singing , its all such a great festival.

Dolls arrangement requires lots of interest to unpack the dolls, arrange the dolls, entertain the guests , repack the dolls and store them properly to prevent breakage, because most are mud dolls.

It brings great pleasure to me and Mom in arranging dolls for Navrathri. Mom prepares "Gombe Bagina"(Chakuli,Dose,Kadubu,Holige,Ambode etc which are small in Size) for kids. Its a must thing that needs to be done for all 9 days.


This time for Navrathri we visited our parents. I would like to share few pics of Mom's Doll arrangement.She has lot of collections, Dashavathara,Asta Lakshmi,Brahmotsava Set, Lakshmi Pooja Set, Kargatum set,Marriage Set, Village set are few amongst them.

Bramhaostava Set:


China Doll:

Swami Vivekanada:

Village Set(Womens playing Pagade):



Village Set(Former on his bullock cort ):


Marriage Set:



Lakshmi Pooja Set:

Kargatum set:

Hunter and his wife:


Merchents(Man is selling grocery where as women is selling utensils):

 
Some more additions of year  2010. 

Lakshmi,Saraswathi and Durga Devi:

Lava kusha Set:

Astha Lakshmi Set:

 

Kashmir Ki Kali: