Chandrakanthalu

Chandrakanthalu are traditional Indian cookies originating from Andhra Pradesh. They’re made with a combination of green gram (moong dal), sugar, coconut, cardamom, saffron, cashew nuts, and ghee. The dal is soaked, ground into a paste, then mixed with grated coconut and sugar. The concoction is cooked and formed into a ball. The cardamom, saffron, and chopped cashews are mixed, dipped in water, squeezed until dry, then spread on a board. The cooked mixture is spread on top of the latter one, and the whole thing is pressed in order to create a thin sheet. The desired shapes are then cut out and deep-fried in ghee until golden brown. This sweet is usually prepared for festivals and similar celebrations.