Cuisine: Karnataka state of India
Antu means edible gum in Kannada. Unde translates to laddu. Antu is the edible gum which is the dried sap of acacia tree.
Antina Unde is a super food for everyone and traditionally given to new moms or girls in their puberty, especially after their first cycle of menstruation.
Ingredients:
Dry coconut - 750g
Dry dates - 750g
Almonds - 100g
Cashew nuts - 100g
Raisins - 25g
Poppy seeds - 5 teaspoons
Green Cardamom - 4
Edible Gum (Antu in Kannada) - 150g
Garden Cress Seeds (Alvi in Kannada) - 50g
Jaggery - 1 kg
Water - 1/2 cup
Coconut oil - 4 tablespoons
Method:
Grate the dry coconut and set aside. Remove the seeds from the dry dates and chop them into little pieces. Heat coconut oil in a kadai / pan. Add edible gum and fry until they are puffed up. Keep sauteing continuously to prevent them from burning. Remove the fried edible gum into a plate and set aside. There will be little or no oil left in the kadai after frying edible gum. Add garden cress seeds into the same kadai and fry for a minute. Remove them from the kadai into the same plate as edible gum. Add raisins and fry until they are puffed up. Remove them into the plate. Then add poppy seeds and fry for a few seconds. Remove them into the plate and add almonds into the kadai. Fry until golden brown. Remove them into a separate plate. Fry the cashew nuts until golden brown and remove them into the same plate as the almonds. Fry grated coconut until golden brown and remove it into a separate plate. Grind chopped dry dates into a coarse powder. Grind fried almonds and cashew nuts into a coarse powder. Grind fried dry coconut into a powder. Grind green cardamoms into a fine powder. Combine all the fried and ground ingredients into a big broad plate. Heat a kadai / pan and add jaggery into it. Add water and cook. Keep stirring and cook until double string consistency. Hold a drop of syrup between your forefinger and thumb. Two strings will be formed between your fingers when you separate them. Now jaggery syrup is ready. Pour the syrup into the other ingredients and mix well. Apply a little oil to your palms and form the mixture into lemon sized balls. You have to finish making the laddus while the mixture is still hot or warm. Once the mixture cools down, the laddus will not hold together while making. Antina Unde can be stored for a month without refrigerating.
Note:
If the laddus are not holding together while making, add a few spoons of honey. This helps to form the balls without crumbling.
Comments