Karadantu: Karadantu is a sweet delicacy unique to the state of Karnataka, India. Karadantu means fried-edible gum in the local language, Kannada. It is made of edible gum mixed with dry fruits and has a chewy texture. The other ingredients used in its preparation are fried bengal gram flour, jaggery and seeds of marking-nut (Semecarpus anacardium) tree. Gokak town in Belgaum district and Amingarh of Hunagunda Taluk in Bagalkot district of Karnataka is famous for the karadantu produced in its sweet shops.
Notes:
- Ratio works like this: 6 cups of dried fruits mixture: 1.5 cups jaggery: 1 cups of gum
- If you do not have a sweet tooth, reduce the jaggery or palm sugar to 1 cup
Ingredients (serves 4):
- 200 gms dried dates
- 30-35 almonds
- 25-30 cashews
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 tbsp poppy seeds
- 4 tbsp grated dry coconut
- 4 cloves
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1 cup edible gum
- Ghee, for frying
- 1 cup jaggery, grated
Method:
- Deseed dry dates and chop them roughly
- Chop almonds into rough pieces
- Chop cashews into rough pieces
- Cut raisins into half.
- Gently fry coconut on warm pan taking care not to burn the coconut.
- Fry poppy seeds separately.
- Grate nutmeg.
- Mix chopped dry dates, chopped almonds, chopped cashews, raisins, fried oconut, popp seeds and nutmeg, in a bowl.
- Melt the ghee in a frying pan, on low heat.
- Fry edible gum in ghee till it puffs up like popcorn.
- Mix the fried gum and dry fruits mixture together.
- Mix grated jaggery with water and bring it to boil.
- Mix well and continue to boil until the syrup has reached 1 string consistency.
- Pour this jaggery syrup over the gum mixture.
- Mix well.
- Rub your palm with ghee and start making the laddus to make karadantu.
Note: These laddus may not come together initially, but squeeze them together and it makes nice round laddus.
- Karadantu are ready to be served.
Note: Karadantu is a high calorie food. Eat in moderation.
If you have any queries regarding the Karadantu recipe, please leave a comment.
I have tried this recipe and it is so delicious. We call them ENERGY BALLS. It is also gluten free.
I use brown sugar instead of jaggery. With poppy seeds it makes nice and chewy. If they don’t bind then add some already boiled and cooled milk little at a time. My kids are big fan of these energy balls. Thank you for sharing the recipe,