It’s Holi and we thought we’ll start the day by sharing some sweet treats with you. Holi, for the unversed, is a festival of colours. From Radha Krishna’s eternal love to the defeat of evil spirits, Holi is all about moving on from the old and filling your life with colours, fun and joy. On this day, people share their happiness by drenching each other in colours and water. You know how there is a flip side to the coin too, right? After you’ve spent the day messing around, you ought to feel a little hungry. And no Indian festival feels complete without sweets ki thali.
With a plethora of sweetmeats and desserts available in our country, the most quintessential Holi ki mithai has to be gujiya. In the northern parts of the country, we are thrilled at the sight of deep-fried, sugar-coated dumplings served to us on this day while the Sindhis enjoy the decadent gheeyar to their heart’s content. Similarly, South India follows their own traditions and customs. Gujiya is transformed into chandrakala and suryakala on this day and relished by the people of Thanjavur.
So Why Are They Called Chandrakala And Suryakala?
The two sweetmeats are the iconic desserts for Holi in Tamil Nadu, particularly Thanjavur. It is believed that the two sweet dishes were born in 1949 when Guru Dayal Sharma of Bombay Sweets devised the idea of making these interestingly-shaped desserts for Holi in Thanjavur. Both chandrakala and suryakala have many similarities with the North Indian gujiya yet it is their shape that holds most of their essence.
Chandrakala, as the name suggests, is shaped like a crescent moon. This shape lends the sweet its interesting name. The crispy exteriors are complemented by the sweet and rich filling of khoya and nuts inside. Along similar lines, Suryakala gets its name from the sun, which is referred to as Surya in Hindi. Staying true to its name, suryakala has a distinct circular shape, as opposed to the crescent of Chandrakala. Both the sweets are deep-fried in hot ghee on medium flame to keep the outer and inner fillings soft and crispy.
Now that you’ve made your mouth water already, we can’t let you go without some delicious bites. Here are some gujiya recipes that you can try.
1. Heart-Shaped Gujiya
Just like Chandrakala and Suryakala, you can shape your gujiyas in whichever form you like. Shape them in a heart and dip them in sugar syrup.
2. Coconut Mawa Gujiya
Filled with a thick and sweet coconut filling, the mawa-loaded gujiya tastes amazing.