Kari Kadubu, a Deep Fried Delicacy -The Mad Scientists Kitchen

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Kadubu or Kari Kadubu is a deep fried sweet. The outer layer is crisp and crunchy the stuffing is chana dal and jaggery stuffing called hoorna or Puran.

Kari Kadubu

This traditional dish in Karnataka is much relished and generally the main sweet for festivities. My best memories of eating kadubu are sitting down for lunch in the matha with a lot of relatives and friends.

With the same filling, same you can make fried modak. To make the outer cover for modak check here.

Kari kadubu has a poor cousin not much appreciated by me called Kuch kadubu and it is steamed. Amma always made them for Ganapathi Celebrations and I always ate less than what I could normally eat.

In Maharashtra, for Nag Panchmi we make Dind, where the filling is same but the cover is wheat flour and the Dind are steamed.

The other dish that can be made with the same filling but a little more treatment is Holgi or Puran Poli. Hayagreeva | Hayagriva |Hayagreeva Maddi is another dish that is made for festivities in Karnataka.

The main ingredients for making this dish are rava, maida, chana dal, jaggery and oil for frying.

For making anything out of Puran or Hoorna I generally cook my puran or hoorna the earlier day. It cools down before I start my preparations the next day and the added advantage is since the puran is in the fridge even if it is a little loose refrigeration hardens it up. So the times I have mentioned are approximate.

Kari Kadubu

A deep fried sweet made from Chana dal and Jaggery stuffed and shaped like a Ghujiya!

4.25 from 4 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert, Festival Cooking, Kid-Friendly

Cuisine: Indian, Karnataka

Keyword: Chana Dal, Deep Fried, Festive Cooking, Ghujiya, Indian Cuisine, Kadbu, Karnataka Cuisine

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 1

Total Time: 1 50

Servings: pieces

Calories:

Author: ArchanaPotdar

Equipment

Pressure cooker
Bowl for mixing
Kadhai/wok

Ingredients

For outer layer:

1 cup maida/ all purpose flour
½ cup rava very fine
Salt to Taste
1 tablespoon Oil hot

For stuffing:

1 cup Chana dal
1 cup Jaggery grated
2-3 elichi/cardamom powdered
½ teaspoon nutmeg powder
a few cashew nut and raisins
1 teaspoon Ghee
Oil for deep-frying

Instructions

For covering:

In a deep bowl mix together maida, rava, salt and oil with add enough water to form a stiff dough.
Cover and set aside for about ½ an hour.
Smear with oil and knead the dough until it becomes soft and pliable.

For Hoorna or Puran or Filling

Soak the chana dal for at least 20-30 minutes.
Add 4 cups of water and in the pressure cooker cook for 4-5 whistles.
Once the cooker opens naturally remove the lid and strain any water remaining in the dal. Set aside. Do not throw this water out Reserve it you can make a delicious saar or rasam.
In a small pan heat the ghee and add the cashew nuts let them brown. Add the raisins and switch off the gas. Set aside.
In a thick kadhai/wok or the same cooker add the jaggery, the cooked dal and cook together mixing it well.
Cook until you get a uniform mixture.
Add the elichi/cardamom and nutmeg powder. Add the cashew nut and raisins and any ghee if remaining. Mix well and get the mixture off the gas.
Let the mixture cool completely.
When making kabadu there is no need to grind the mixture, if you feel like please do grind.
Make oval flattened balls of cooled hoorna about 1-½ inch long and keep covered. I got 12 balls

For Kari kadubu:

Make 12 small balls from the maida dough.
Heat the oil in a thick kadhai/wok over medium flame.
Roll out the maida balls in to very thin pooris of about 4-5" diameter.
Keep the oval flattened hoorna (filling) mixture on the poori on one side wet the edges slightly with water. Bring the other edge over and stick the two edges.
Use a wheeled cutter and remove the extra dough.
Alternatively, take a fork and make the impressions around the corners. An experienced person can also pinch the edges with their fingers and roll them inwards to form a beautiful pattern. (I try).
Lower the flame under the oil and gently transfer the finished kadbu in the oil. The oil should bubble around the kadbu. Adjust the flame accordingly, with the slotted spoon try and splash the hot oil on all sides. This helps in the kadbu puffing up well and the maida cooks evenly. Fry until golden and crisp.
Once done drain the kadbu on a paper napkin.
Serve them hot or at room temperature.
To eat the kadbu make a hole in the puffed part of the kadbu and pour a big tablespoon of ghee.
If eaten immediately as they hot they will be crisp later they lose the crispness.

Notes

The dough for the outer layer has to be stiff for crisp kadubu. Your dough can be just maida or a mix of wheat flour and maida flour. The rava/sooji gives the crisp texture.
The filling should be a little tight (for I cannot think of a better word) loose or soft filling will ensure that the filling will ooze out and you end up with a mess. If it is soft, cook the mixture again or microwave it. Sometimes refrigerating also helps.
Here is the link for Katin saar .

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Comments

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Sapana Behl says

January 18, 2018 at 2:53 pm

I have had these at one of my Kannad friend's house and totally love it. Now I have the recipe to try, thanks.

- ArchanaPotdar says
  
  January 18, 2018 at 8:05 pm
  
  Welcome, Sapana.
  
Usha says

January 18, 2018 at 6:54 pm

These look like karijalu with a different filling. Am sure even this tastes amazing as well.

- ArchanaPotdar says
  
  January 18, 2018 at 8:06 pm
  
  I had to google Karijalu 😀 we call then karchikai in Kannada and Karanji in Marathi.
  
Sandhiya says

January 20, 2018 at 1:14 am

It reminds me of somas, but the filling is different and sounds delicious. So what's the self life of this dish??

- ArchanaPotdar says
  
  January 20, 2018 at 4:40 pm
  
  Never tried storing them.I suppose max 1 week in the fridge.
  
Priya Suresh says

January 21, 2018 at 1:06 am

Droolworthy Kari kadubu, especially i love that ghee filled one, so tempting.

Harini Rupanagudi says

January 21, 2018 at 5:28 am

I love these. These are called kudumulu in our house and are made for ugadi or ganesh chaturthi.

Priya says

January 21, 2018 at 5:13 pm

This looks similer to gujhiya, outer layer is maida n inside any kind of filling can be stuffedd.

Vaishali says

January 22, 2018 at 5:54 am

Sounds interesting..would be nice and crunchy Gujiya.

Srivalli Jetti says

January 22, 2018 at 10:42 am

I love this one Arch, you have got it so nicely done..

Jayashree says

January 23, 2018 at 9:47 am

The filling sounds delicious. Deep fried sweets are always so irresistible.

Suja Ram says

January 23, 2018 at 9:48 am

Like Sandhya said, it looks like our Somas, which has the coconut,sugar and poppy seeds stuffing. Yours looks superb

Priya Srinivasan says

January 28, 2018 at 8:34 pm

Look very similar to our Somasi, but the filling used to be sweet coconut, here it is chana dal! So beautifully made! looks yum!

- ArchanaPotdar says
  
  January 28, 2018 at 9:20 pm
  
  Even Usha said that. I need to check it up.
  
Mayuri Patel says

April 12, 2021 at 8:27 pm

Kari Kadubu, an interesting preparation for celebrating Ugadi. Puran filled in a pastry and fried. That does sound so delicious. Your pastry looks so crispy. Nicely done.

- ArchanaPotdar says
  
  April 14, 2021 at 10:24 am
  
  Thanks, Mayuri.
  
Jayashree T.Rao says

April 12, 2021 at 10:13 pm

Love this kadabu, make it often at home. But here in my place we have been making with tur dal. Indeed a festive treat.

- ArchanaPotdar says
  
  April 14, 2021 at 10:24 am
  
  I had heard of using moong dal toor dal is new to me. Must try. Thanks, Jayashree.
  
Azlin Bloor says

April 13, 2021 at 4:08 pm

This Kari Kadubu is a totally new recipe for me. I love all manner of sweet fried foods, so I know that I am going to be enjoying this. Looking at the recipe, definitely something that's easy to follow.

- ArchanaPotdar says
  
  April 14, 2021 at 10:20 am
  
  Thanks, Azlin I prefer easy and quick recipes 😀 Enjoy the kadbu and share your fedback.

Kari Kadubu, a Deep Fried Delicacy from Karnataka