How to Prepare Jaangri for a Hindu Dowry

Jaangri is a special sweet that a Hindu bride might offer as a gift to the groom's family prior to the wedding.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Saffron Strands
• Orange Food Coloring
• Sugars
• Vegetable Oils
• Rose Essence
• Cloth Piping Bags
• 3 tbsp. ghee
• 25g urad dahl

1. Make your own jaangri at home.

2. Visit an Indian market to purchase the ingredients you will need: 25g urad dahl (lentil); 3 tbsp. ghee (purified butter); 1 drop orange food coloring; vegetable oil. (This recipe makes 10 jaangri.)

3. Multiply amounts based on how many you plan to make. Remember that the number of pastries you give represents the wealth and status of your family.

4. Let the urad dahl soak in water to remove its skin.

5. Grind the soaked dahl in the blender to form a fine paste.

6. Add orange food coloring.

7. Boil sugar to make the syrup.

8. Add saffron and rose essence to the syrup and set the mixture aside.

9. Heat vegetable oil in a pan over low.

10. Fill a cloth piping bag with the urad dahl paste.

11. Pipe the paste directly onto the hot oil to form pastries.

12. Fry both sides of the pastries until they are golden brown.

13. Remove from heat and immediately dunk pastries into the sugar syrup. Let soak for five minutes.

14. Take jaangri out and let them cool completely before packaging.

Tips & Warnings

• Try out the recipe in advance before you make these for a gift.
• Share some samples with your family for their enjoyment.
• Put together an edible dowry consisting of jaangri, rawa laddu, kai marukka and other Indian treats.
• Be careful not to let splattering oil burn you.

[karolyn]

on 1/30/2009 Um, where is it illegal to give homemade candy?

on 12/23/2005 I hope everyone's aware of this - it is illegal in India to give and take a dowry.