Bellam Garelu | Pakam Garelu Recipe

Bellam Garelu, also known as Pakam Garelu or Jaggery Flavoured Vadas, This is a traditional recipe from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, often made as a part of naivedyam for poojas. Follow this simple recipe to prepare these irresistible treats at home.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Cup Urad Dal
• 1/2 Cup Jaggery
• 1/2 tsp Cardamom or Pepper Powder
• 3 tbsp Water
• 1 Cup Oil (I used Peanut oil)
• Salt to Taste

Instructions:

Making the Batter:

1. Wash the urad dal well and soak in 1 cup of water for 4 hours.
2. Drain all the water.
3. Grind to a thick paste. Avoid adding any water if possible. Grind in small batches.
4. Add a little salt and mix well.

Making the Jaggery Syrup :

1. In a heavy-bottomed vessel, mix together the grated jaggery, cardamom or pepper powder, and water.
2. On low heat, melt the jaggery.
3. Turn off the heat.

Making the Bellam Garelu | Pakam Garelu:

1. In a deep kadai, over medium flame, heat the oil. To test the heat of the oil, drop a tiny pinch of the batter into it. The batter should slowly rise to the surface in a few seconds and sizzle.
2. Wet a plastic sheet or banana leaf.
3. Dip your fingers in a bowl of water and scoop up a small portion of the batter.
4. Place the batter on the wet plastic sheet and pat it into a circle.
5. Wet your index finger and make a hole in the center.
6. Gently flip the vada onto your fingers and peel off the plastic sheet.
7. Slide the vada into the hot oil.
8. Let the vada fry for a minute or so, then flip it over.
9. Fry till golden brown, flipping at regular intervals to ensure even frying.
10. Using a slotted ladle, remove the vadas from the oil and let the oil drain away a bit.
11. Add the hot vadas to the jaggery syrup.
12. Let the vadas soak in the syrup for 5 minutes or while the next batch is frying.
13. Remove the vadas from the syrup and transfer them to another container.
14. Repeat till all the Bellam Garelu | Pakam Garelu are made.
15. Pour any leftover syrup onto the vadas.
16. Serve warm.

Tips:

• Ensure the dal is ground to a fine paste for a smooth batter.
• Adjust the amount of jaggery to suit your sweetness preference.
• For a spicier twist, use pepper powder instead of cardamom.
• Serve the vadas warm for the best taste experience.

Enjoy making and sharing these traditional Andhra delights with family and friends

Pic credits : Live Food