Sweet somas or somasi is our family favourite. My MIL and mom makes it for every Diwali. My MIL makes a simpler version for the outer cover. Though most of the recipes has rava in it, this one is simple only with Maida. For crispiness she adds one spoon of corn flour. I have made only once before this, that time with rava, long time back. This time, when I checked the recipe with my MIL she told this simpler version which never fails to keep it crisp. And it was till yesterday after a week I made this. Aj first time eating this and he loved it very much. Of course he should! After all its the family favourite and he is no exception.
Sweet Somas recipe
Recipe Cuisine: Indian | Recipe Category: Sweets
Prep Time: 2 Hr resting time | Cook time: 35 mins | Makes: 16 somas
Prep Time: 2 Hr resting time | Cook time: 35 mins | Makes: 16 somas
For the outer layer
Ingredients
Maida/all purpose flour – 1 cup
Corn flour – 1 tsp
Oil – 1 & ½ tblsp
Salt – A generous pinch
Corn flour – 1 tsp
Oil – 1 & ½ tblsp
Salt – A generous pinch
For filling
Pottu kadalai / fried gram dal – ½ cup
Sugar – ¾ cup
Coconut,grated – ½ cup
Elachi – 1
Sugar – ¾ cup
Coconut,grated – ½ cup
Elachi – 1
Method
- Mix flour,corn flour, salt and oil well. Then sprinkle water to make stiff dough. Needs only near ¼ cup water, so careful while adding water. Keep aside for at least 2 hours.
- Mean while grind fried gram dal first into a coarse rava like powder.
- Grind sugar into a fine powder with ealchi.
- Grate coconut and dry roast well till the moisture evaporates. Fry in medium flame for until it becomes dry and wafts nice aroma. Take the ground fried gram dal, sugar powder and cooled roasted coconut in a mixing bowl.
- Mix well and keep it in a airtight container. Now again knead the dough to smooth.
- Divide into 15-16 equal balls. Roll each into thin pooris.
- Now spoon 1 or 1 & ½ tblsp of the pottukadalai powder into this and grease well the sides of the poori. You need not fully grease, half of the sides is enough.
- Cover it as shown in the picture and seal the side well. Now use a cutter or knife to trim the edges. Make sure you trim it over the area where you sealed. Leave some area sealed while you cut, otherwise there are chances of opening up while frying.
- Repeat the process for all. Keep covered until you deep fry. Deep fry in hot oil in medium flame both sides flipping in between, until golden in colour. You can fry 3 – 4 per batch. Or how much ever your kadai/oil holds.
Notes
- The powder I have given, usually I make it double the quantity and refrigerate. It is very nice to eat it as such. Or it can be a good side for chapathi too. My Mom even fills and makes poli kind of thing with this.
- When greasing with water, make a broad sealing to ensure that it wont open up while deep frying, also make sure you trim it with in the sealed area. If the somas opens up while frying, then the oil gets spoiled.
- Adding oil while making dough is to make it crisp. It helps in using less water while making the dough.
- Dough should be stiff to get crispy outer layer.
- Don’t change the proportions much in the stuffing.
- You can use somas cutter spoon for trimming as I have used. You can also use a pizza cutter, pastry wheel cutter or even knife. Or you can also fold the edges. But folding edges may result in uneven cooking.
Cool down and store in airtight container. Stays good upto a week in room temperature. The flavour that the pottukadalai, elachi, sugar and coconut bursts along with the maida outer layer, when you bite is really awesome. You are going to love it!
no words to say how good these are!!! well done raji!!
Sowmya
Ongoing Event – CWF – Whole Wheat Flour
Super perfect somas, my patti makes this for diwali. I never tried on my own. beautifully explained
Me too never tried it on my own. Looks very homey and good !!
i LOVE this sweet. beautifully clicked, Raji
I love this sweet very much as it is very mild in sweetness…
Love this a lot… Nice one
Looks too good and wish to grab one from the plate.
wonderful clicks Raji. Love to try it.perfectly done. really admire ur skills.
My aunty and mom used to make this for marriages at home. reminds me of those good old days.
Just loved the neat presentation as always and I got a packet of desiccated coconut so can I use it here for the filing so how will I prepare it unlike the fresh coconut.
Reg adirasam I too have wasted lot of arisi maavu..and the y used to drift like sand in the oil and ittz been a while I tried experimenting after those numerous flops…ur post has given me some courage…so I've soaked 1.5 cups exactly and gonna try-will give u feedback (scared as appearing for exams),,
I made samosas recently and was disappointed not to achieve all those bubbles on my pastry. Now I know to add cornflour, thanks.
ya I add rava for the crispiness..looks delicious..i love this sweet..
Perfectly done.. this is my mum favourite.. Love it..
great-secret-of-life.blogspot.com
stuffing sounds yum….somas look extremely crisp and yum..
Nicely done Raji,came out perfectly…wish i could get that cutter soon:)
Perfectly done somasis.
Wow…that's an absolute delicious recipe…..
my fav…
looks perfect and delicious raji 🙂
planned to do for diwali.
Using Pottukadalai Powder instead of fresh coconut is a great way to extend the shelf-life of this recipe. I will definitely use this stuffing in my recipe. It's a baked version of the Karanji recipe and it currently uses fresh coconut. http://dipsdiner.com/dd/?p=431
nice recipe, thank you for sharing, love the presentation!
Love this a lot,great presentation.
Looks awesome. Amma makes it for diwali too.
My mom never failed to make this somas, seriously i hates this before, now am craving for some..Super crispy somas,beautifully done.
we too make filling this way, looks perfect n very inviting…even without the mold, u got nice shape n looks beautiful…loved it!!
it's just like gujias.
http://realhomecookedfood.blogspot.com
Thanks Raji for the nice recipe.Made it yesterday and it came out really well.
@sabina…dry coconut tastes even better than the fresh one….roast it for 2 min…..i make these with roasted semolina and dry coconut…
Sabina, you can use it just in the place of the fresh coconut, you can roast to give a flavour or you can also use as such.
Sapna, thank you for the prompt feedback 🙂
Raji I too tried It came out good but i dont have the cutter so some got opened otherwise everything was fine 🙂 🙂 Thanks a lot !!!
Delicious and perfect somas…Love the neat presentation and detailed post..
Nagu,
Cutter is not a factor in opening up. As i have mentioned in the post, You can seal broadly and cut with a knife also is fine. Make sure to cut over the sealed area, leaving some space sealed still.
Thanks for the prompt feedback 🙂
Looks crispy and perfect…my fav anytime!
I love this sweet
I made it yesterday and my hubby loved it.thanks raks for the wonderful and easy recipe.
Stunning! Love these. We call them Karjikai!
Thank u for the awesome ,crispy sweet!
Mine ready for diwali!!
should we use hot oil for preparing dough?
i have dessicated coconut only.
should i dry roast it or mix directly with sugar for filling?
Hi meenal,
Hot oil no need for preparing dough.
Yes you can roast if you want a nice flavor, can use as such too.
Tried tis too, luved dem.. perfect explanation. I did it wid a dumbling maker.. perfect
Wonderful receipe Raks. Tried it for Diwali and all of us enjoyed it. Perfect receipe and a keeper for sure.
Feel like picking one,,,perfect for the festival,..
My childhood favorite…tried today n came out very well.
Hi Raks thanks for this recipe.I tried tday it
came out good but one thing is it was crispier initially
but later it was not that crispy.May i know where i went wrong?
Thanks in Advance….
Try frying for little more time to make sure its fully fried, may be its not fried evenly.
HI , ll I get the same crisp somas if I substitute corn flour with rava ??
You can try.
hi dear…..maine bahut logo ki recipes follow ki hai abtak but never satisfied….whenever i make ur recipes i just say thanks to god for helping me in form of u….thanks dear..thanks a lot…good work..keep it uppp
s it will be very tasty 2 eat one of my favourite sweet
i tried it today and it came up so good…loved it..thanx raks
Hello. I'm from Mauritius Island. Was searching for some diwali recipes and came across your blog. All the recipes are really well explained and for the 1st time I tried the somas. They turned out just perfect. Just as on the picture and my husband loves them. With the 1cup of maida i get about 10 somas and it was so good that we've eaten all..!!! For sure will do them for diwali this year and the years to come… Thanks a lot!!!
I tried it today and my husband still keeps praising me…
hi mam,
can I use dry roasted nuts also for stuffing
Sure 🙂
Hi,
I made this somas yesterday. It came out crispy and taste really nice. But it came out in dark brown colour. I fried in very low flame only. It didn't get cooked when it was light in colour. You mentioned in the recipe that after making somas, you need to keep it covered until frying. But I kept it open until I finish making everything. Is that the reason it was dark in colour? If I have to cover, do I need it cover it with the wet cloth? And I reused the oil I made murukku before. Or was that the reason? Please advise.
Thanks
Neela
Hi,
I made this somas yesterday. It came out crispy and taste really nice. But it came out in dark brown colour. I fried in very low flame only. It didn't get cooked when it was light in colour. You mentioned in the recipe that after making somas, you need to keep it covered until frying. But I kept it open until I finish making everything. Is that the reason it was dark in colour? If I have to cover, do I need it cover it with the wet cloth? And I reused the oil I made murukku before. Or was that the reason? Please advise.
Thanks
Neela
Is you kadai very thin? Use a heavy bottomed kadai for deep frying.
Hi Raks,
Thanks for your prompt reply.My kadai is not very thick like yours but not very thin. I always use that kadai for making other snacks like murukku, thattai etc. It will be in white colour. Not sure that is perfect for sweet somas.
Also you mentioned that it has to be covered until we fry it. It has to be covered by wet cloth or with anything else? Since it was little dry before I fry, that made the somas dark browner , I think. Please advise.
Thanks
Neela
Hi Raks,
Thanks for your prompt reply. My kadai is not very thick like yours but not very thin. I always use that kadai for making other snacks like murukku, thattai etc. It will be in white colour. Not sure that is perfect for sweet somas.
Also you mentioned that it has to be covered until we fry it. It has to be covered by wet cloth or with anything else? Since it was little dry before I fry, that made the somas dark browner , I think. Please advise.
Thanks
Neela
Just a lid is enough 🙂
I tried today this came well.. thanks so lot
I tried this today came out very well