Kanavle is a traditional delicacy prepared by the Maharashtrian CKP (Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu) community during Diwali. Kanavle is a variant of Karanji but involves lot of skill and labour in its making. The outer shell of Kanavle is multi-layered and light. They have a melt-in-the-mouth texture. The CKP community takes immense pride in the art of making this delicacy. It stands out as a symbol of their culinary skills and cultural heritage.
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About Kanavle
Kanavle is a culinary gem of the Maharshtrian CKP community. Kanavle is an intricately layered karanji which holds special place in Diwali celebrations. It is known as the king of faraal (faraal refers to the sweet and savoury dishes made during Diwali). In a CKP household, Diwali is incomplete without Kanavle. Unlike the regular karanjis, kanavle has intricately layered outer shell, the making of which requires skill and patience. The outer shell is made of rava or maida. The layers of the outer covering can be made of different colours by adding food colours to the dough. I have used saffron (kesar) to give yellow colour to the dough.
The stuffing of the karanji can be made with different ingredients. Traditionally the stuffing is made with dessicated coconut, poppy seeds, powered sugar and wheat flour. I have used grated dry coconut, poppy seeds, white sesame seeds, rava, powdered sugar, dry fruits and cardamom powder for the stuffing.
List of ingredients to make Kanavle
For the outer shell : Barik rava (fine semolina), salt, ghee, milk and water
For cornflour mixture : cornflour and ghee
For the stuffing : Dry coconut, Sesame seeds, Poppy seeds (Khuskhus), barik rava, powdered sugar, Raisins, cashew nuts and cardamom powder.
Step-wise recipe with instructions
In 2 tbsp warm water, soak saffron for 30 minutes.
In a mixing bowl or a plate, add rava. Add 2 tbsp of hot ghee. Mix it with a spoon. After a few seconds, when the mixture is not so hot, mix it well using your fingers.
Add the mixture of milk and water, little at a time and knead it to a stiff dough.
Divide the dough into two parts. In one portion of the dough, add saffron mixture and knead well to impart yellow colour to the dough.
Cover the white and yellow dough with a muslin cloth and keep aside for 2 hours.
In the meanwhile, in a bowl or a plate, take 2 tbsp ghee. Add 3 to 4 tsp of cornflour. Mix it well with your fingers till it turns into light, smooth and fluffy mixture. Keep this aside.
For the stuffing . Heat a pan and dry roast grated dry coconut. Remove and keep aside.
Next add rava and roast for few seconds.
Next add sesame seeds and roast for few seconds.
Add poppy seeds and roast for few seconds.
In a mixing bowl, combine the roasted ingredients alongwith powdered sugar, cashews, raisins, cardamom powder and keep it aside.
After 2 hours, take the white dough, break into small portion and add it to a mixer jar. Blend for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and keep aside. Similarly, break down the yellow dough into small portion. Add it to mixer jar and blend. By doing this, the dough will become smooth and soft.
Divide the white dough into three parts. Divide the yellow dough into three parts.
Roll out each dough ball into a big sized roti as thin as possible.
Now, place a white roti on a flat surface. Make depressions on the roti using your fingers.
Spread a thin layer of cornflour mixture on the roti. Make sure the cornflour micture is applied evenly till the edges.
Now, place the yellow roti and spread a thin layer of cornflour mixture on it.
Place white roti over the yellow roti and apply cornflour mixture over it. In this way, continue with all the rotis one on top of the other. After placing the last roti, apply the cornflour mixture on the last roti.
Now, roll all the rotis together as tightly as possible into a log.
Extend the roll by pulling it from both sides.
Cut the roll into one inch pieces.
Each piece will resemble a pinwheel.
Cover this with a moist muslin cloth to prevent them from drying.
Now carefully roll out each piece into a circle of around 4 to 5 inches diameter. Place 2 tbsp of the stuffing in the centre of the circle .
Fold the circle in a semi circular shape. Gently press the edges. Cut out the excess dough at the edges using a pizza cutter or a knife.
Make all kanavles in this manner.
Heat oil in a pan and deep fry the kanavles on low heat.
The layers will start opening up as the kanavles get fried. Once they are fried, take them off the pan and allow them to cool.
Store in an airtight container.
Recipe Card
Kanavle | Khajyache Kanavle | Layered Karanjis
Ingredients
For the outer covering
- 1 ½ cups of barik rava (fine semolina)
- 2 tbsp ghee
- a mixture of ¼ cup water and ¼ cup milk
- a pinch of salt
- a generous pinch of saffron
For the cornflour paste (known as Saata in Marathi)
- 2 tsp ghee
- 3 to 4 tsp cornflour
For the filling (known as Pithi or Saaran in Marathi)
- 1 ¼ cup of grated dry coconut
- 2 tbsp white sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp poppy seeds
- 3 tbsp rava
- 4 to 5 tbsp powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp cashew nuts, broken into small pieces
- 3 tbsp raisins
- 1 tsp cardamom powder
Instructions
For the outer covering
- In 2 tbsp warm water, soak saffron for 30 minutes.
- In a mixing bowl or a plate, add rava.
- Add 2 tbsp of hot ghee. Mix it with a spoon. After a few seconds, when the mixture is not so hot, mix it well using your fingers.
- Add the mixture of milk and water, little at a time and knead it to a stiff dough.
- Divide the dough into two parts.
- In one portion of the dough, add saffron mixture and knead well to impart yellow colour to the dough.
- Cover the white and yellow dough with a moist muslin cloth and keep aside for 2 hours.
For Cornflour Paste (Saata)
- In the meanwhile, in a bowl or a plate, take 2 tsp ghee.
- Add 3 to 4 tsp of cornflour. Mix it well with your fingers till it turns into light, smooth and fluffy mixture. Keep this aside. This is known as Saata in Marathi.
For the Stuffing (Pithi/ Saaran)
- For the stuffing . Heat a pan and dry roast grated dry coconut. Remove and keep aside.
- Next add rava and roast for few seconds. Keep aside.
- Next add sesame seeds and roast for few seconds. Keep aside.
- Add poppy seeds and roast for few seconds. Keep aside.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the roasted ingredients alongwith powdered sugar, cashews, raisins, cardamom powderand keep it aside.
How to proceed further
- After 2 hours, take the white dough, break into small pieces and add it to a mixer jar. Blend for 2 to 3 minutes. By doing this, the dough will become smooth and soft.
- Remove from the mixer jar and knead for few seconds. Keep aside.
- Similarly, break down the yellow dough into small pieces. Add it to mixer jar and blend. Remove and knead for few seconds. Keep aside.
- Divide the white dough into three parts.
- Divide the yellow dough into three parts.
- Roll out each dough ball into a big sized roti .
- Now, place a white roti on a flat surface.
- Make depressions on the roti using your fingers.
- Spread a thin layer of cornflour mixture on the roti.
- Make sure the cornflour mixture is applied evenly till the edges.
- Now, place the yellow roti over the white roti.
- Make depressions on the roti using yourfingers.
- Spread a thin layer of cornflour mixture on it.
- Place white roti over the yellow roti , make depressions and apply cornflour mixture over it.
- In this way, continue placing all the rotis one on top of the other, alternating colours and repeating the steps of making depressions and applying the cornflour mixture until all the rotis are stacked.
- After placing the last roti, apply the cornflour mixture on the last roti.
- Now, roll all the rotis together as tightly as possible into a log.
- Extend the roll by pulling it from both sides.
- Cut the roll into one inch pieces.
- Each piece will resemble a pinwheel.
- Cover this with a moist muslin cloth to prevent them from drying.
- Now carefully roll out each piece into a circle of around 4 to 5 inches diameter.
- Place 2 tbsp of the stuffing in the centre of the circle and fold the circle in a semi circular shape.
- Gently press the edges. Cut out the excess dough at the edges using a pizza cutter or a knife.
- Make all kanavles in this manner.
- Heat oil in a pan and deep fry the kanavles on low heat.
- The layers will start opening up as the kanavles get fried.
- Once they are fried, take them off the pan and allow them to cool.
- Store in an airtight container.
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