Chana Panchkadai.

"Black Chana Panchkadai" ... Panchkadai made from Small Black Chana (Whole) for Naivedyam ... Panchakadai is actually a Naivedyam / Prasadam offered to God on festive occasions, usually consisting of 5 ingredients holding true to the name "Panch"kadai ... These are prepared in many forms some with jaggery while some with sugar, some in moist form while some are in powder form ... 

The credit for this panchkadai recipe goes to my sister Gayathri Kudva. I learnt to make this from her. She prepares this awesome Panchkadai for Rangpanchami during Ganesh Chaturthi Festival. Small sized whole black chana is used while preparing this Naivedyam.

Ingredients :
Black Chana : 100 gms
Sugar : Say approx. 2 cups
White Til : 1/2 cup
Black Til : 1/2 cup
Coconut : 1 cup freshly grated (fine)
Cardamom Powder : 1 tsp
Fresh home made Ghee : 1 tblsp

Roastwhole black chana on low heat till you get a nice aroma, say for 15-20 minutes. You can microwave them on low heat for 8-10 minutes too. Do not at any time fry for too long as the Panchkadai will then turn bitter. Remove and let cool a bit say 5 minutes. 

Put the fried chana in a mixer and pulse for few seconds. Remove and see if the skin have separated from the chana. If not you can pulse for another second or so. Do not grind this or else the chana will be ground with the skin. You have to de-husk it for preparing the naivedyam. A little bit may get grounded that is ok. Put the chana on a large plate and follow the de-husking method to remove the loose skin. In konkani we call it asudche. But just see to it that major part of the skin is removed. Once most of skin is removed, say at least 80-90 percent, put it back into to mixer and grind to a coarse powder. Keep it aside to cool completely.

Meanwhile roast or microwave white til and black til (Sesame) on low heat till it starts to splutter. Remove and keep aside to cool.

Note: You may use only white or black. We south Indians usually use black too, but in North sometimes they do not use them. So it entirely individual choice.

Add about sugar in mixer and pulse it for a second. The sugar should not be powdered but coarse. You can also use the fine variety of sugar available in which case you knead not pulse it. 

Add finely grated fresh white part of the coconut to this and mix it well with hands by pressing and trying to crush it a bit. Leave aside for some time. Keep mixing in between so that they get mixed properly with each other. 

Now mix the roasted til (Sesame) to the coarsely powdered chana powder and mix well. Add this to the sugar and coconut mixture. Add cardamom powder and fresh home made ghee and mix all together nicely. Keep this aside for some time. The mixture will dry out on its own. If too dry you can mix in a bit of sugar to the same. The Chana Panchkadai is ready for Naivedyam to God. 

Note: You can add some small pieces of cashew nuts roasted to the above panchkadai. I have not added any as we like it simple.