Kurma
This is going to be a long post because of the technical aspects of the recipe so let's go. I am posting today Kurma, of course you all know that I'm not a sweet tooth, so my sister made this one. She just loves Kurma.
Kurma is a delicacy made by East Indians during Divali but it has gotten so popular that it sold as a snack year round. Strange that I did a search for kurma and found so many things not related to this delicacy, every Trinidadian has come to love, I saw that Kurma is an avatar of Lord Vishnu or even vegetarian Chef, Kurma Dasa. Anyhow, trini Kurma is simple to make but the technicality lies with the sugar, it has to have the right consistency or else the kurma would not come out properly. If it is poured before time, the kurma will come out sticky and the sugar will take long to dry. So follow the steps and don't give up if you fail the first time. Since the steps are long I will stop now and go straight to the recipe.
Kurma is a delicacy made by East Indians during Divali but it has gotten so popular that it sold as a snack year round. Strange that I did a search for kurma and found so many things not related to this delicacy, every Trinidadian has come to love, I saw that Kurma is an avatar of Lord Vishnu or even vegetarian Chef, Kurma Dasa. Anyhow, trini Kurma is simple to make but the technicality lies with the sugar, it has to have the right consistency or else the kurma would not come out properly. If it is poured before time, the kurma will come out sticky and the sugar will take long to dry. So follow the steps and don't give up if you fail the first time. Since the steps are long I will stop now and go straight to the recipe.
KURMA
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup butter
1/2 tsp. cinnamon powder
1 tsp. ginger powder
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 cup water to knead flour
1/2 cup sugar
Sift the flour. 
Sift the flour , add the cinnamon powder and ginger powder, and cut in the butter.
Add the water gradually and mix to form a firm, but hard enough dough.
Cut the dough evenly.
And roll into balls.
Dust the surface with a little flour and roll out each.
Roll until the dough is about 1/4" thick.
Cut the rolled dough into strips (about 3" long strips).
Drop the first batch of strips in hot oil. Stir to ensure strips are covered with oil.
Fry first on a low flame until crispy. Then raise the fire.Fry until golden brown and remove...
...And place on napkins or brown paper to allow the paper to soak up most of the oil.
Drop the grated ginger in 1/2 cup of boiled water.
Add the sugar (about 1 cup of sugar).
Stir ocassionally until a thick syrup is made.
The syrup is ready when it drips and form long threads from a spoon.
Pour syrup over kurma and mix quickly to glaze the kurma.
Set aside the kurma to cool before serving.That's it for another sweet post. Bye!
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September 20, 2008 3:52 PM
I am so glad you posted this,i really like kurma and can't get it too often here in VA so i'm happy to finally get a tried and true recipe!!
September 20, 2008 5:38 PM
ah, finally I can send people to a thin kurma recipe :-) My mother makes a good fat/soft kurma (in addition to the gulab jamoon) but I haven't written down that recipe yet.
September 20, 2008 11:38 PM
I really enjoyed posting this recipe because soon it will be Eid and Divali. I do hope I can do some more sweet meats by then.
The reason the kurma is soft is because of the fire being too hot so the outside surface cooks faster than the inside. We had that problem before truly mastering it. Next time try lowering the fire a little and allow the kurma to fry a bit.
September 21, 2008 8:48 PM
no, I didn't mean I had a problem with the thin crispy kurma, I meant the other type of kurma that is made fat and soft/fluffy inside, intentionally. It is usually cut into big cuboid/diamond like pieces and served at weddings and other functions in the bags with barfi etc.
September 21, 2008 8:58 PM
thanks so much for the recipe for kurma.,..looking forward to the others..
September 21, 2008 10:28 PM
Oh! OK.:)
March 28, 2009 2:14 PM
Great post. Having the photos really help.The instructions from the books are sometimes not enough. I will 'try meh han' at it now and ah go leh yuh kno!
Will certainly check out the rest of your website.Thanks again.
Alicia FD (New York)
March 28, 2009 3:59 PM
No problem. Ah waitin to hear how it taste :)