If there’s anything that comes close to the delights of a wedding feast, it has to be the thindi, savoury and sweet snacks, that are served as light refreshments between the main events at a wedding.

Nothing said “family wedding” like the arrival, at my grandparents’ home, of tins, trays, bags, baskets and boxes of thindi.

Typically, there would be the traditional sweet favourites like kodli kajjaya, also known as baduva or kann kajjaya, (deep fried doughnut shaped fritters made from rice flour, wheat flour and jaggery),  chicle undé (balls of ground puffed rice, coconut, jaggery, and sesame, encased in a crisp batter), and  chirotis.

To balance all that sweetness, would be chakkulis (deep fried savoury crisps made from a rice and lentil dough), spicy cashew nuts, potato and banana chips, and large quantities of chow-chow (a mixture made up of of crisp chickpea batter drops and threads, mixed with peanuts, curry leaves and split, fried chickpeas).

That was just the beginning. Then would come the homemade goodies from relatives and friends. Cousins, aunts, great- aunts and school friends churned up a sweet tsunami of cakes, biscuits, burfis, halvas, macaroons, chocolate truffles and peppermints. Pink and white coconut toffee and marshmallows, and jujubes in the prettiest shades of red, green and yellow.

Sweet homemade wines and liqueurs with all the flavours of Coorg – orange, lychee, ginger, jamun, and, of course, coffee. A perennial favourite was the “Irish Cream” liqueur, most often featuring a rum base, rather than the traditional whisky.

It was a wonderful display of generosity, and also the amazing talent of those ladies. Well, it was the ladies, for the most part, I believe. Though I can think of at least one gentleman who concocts some very superior liqueurs!

The store room would fill up, and to us children, it was a treasure trove, filled with sweet scents and mysterious boxes.This aspect of the wedding preparations, to my mind, was far more engaging than the wedding itself.

At the wedding hall, sending the young girls of the family out to serve trays of thindi and wine to the seated elders was one opportunity for sharp eyed aunts and grandmothers to keep track of eligible “youngsters” – as they were generally branded. I’ve no doubt those occasions served up some successful matches in their day!

In the age of the professionally catered wedding, the intimate roles played by extended family members and friends in the planning and execution of wedding events can be somewhat limited. I was delighted, then, to come upon some of this familiar scene from my childhood at a recent family wedding.

There were the usual suspects, the mounds of homemade sweets, chocolates, toffees and cakes. The wines, the neat stocks in the store next to the bride’s room. And yes, there were smart young girls and boys on serving duty.

Quite delightful! 🙂

My Aunt, Shanthy, used to make what I would have to say was the most sought after homemade sweet of my childhood – a creamy, nutty chocolate fudge. It was one wedding “thindi’ contribution that required an extra vigilant escort to ensure it didn’t vanish between origin and destination!

Here are two recipes, one sweet and one savoury. The former is my aunt’s recipe with some very minor tweaks. The latter is one of my maternal grandmother’s recipes for chakkuli.

Shanthy’s fabulous fudge

• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 1/2 cups sugar*
• 25-30 gms unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp cocoa
• 1 tsp gelatin
• 1 cup cashewnuts
• 1/2 cup walnuts (optional)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla essence or seeds from 1/2 vanilla pod (optional)

Put all the ingredients except the nuts and vanilla in a heavy based pan. Stir to mix.

Heat gently until the sugar has melted completely, then raise the heat and boil, stirring, until the mixture starts to thicken. Drop a little of the mixture in a bowl of cold water to test if it has reached the “soft ball” stage.

Remove from the heat and set aside. Meanwhile, mince the cashew nuts finely and chop the walnuts into small pieces.

When the pan has cooled for about 15 minutes, add the vanilla, then whisk the mixture either with a wooden spoon (lots of elbow grease required!) or an electric hand, or stand, mixer.

The fudge will start to thicken and increase in volume, and change from a glossy brown to a paler, creamier shade. When it looks something like soft ice cream, add the nuts and mix in evenly.

Spread the fudge in a lightly greased pan and mark into pieces while still warm.

* For my adult tastes, the sugar can be reduced to one cup, though cooking time will be a little longer. Do not skimp on the nuts, as they help balance the sweetness.

Chakkuli

• 1 cup cooked rice
• 1 cup rice flour + 2 tbsp
• 1 cup besan ( chickpea flour)
• 25 gms butter
• 1 tsp each of :
  Brown sesame seed
  Black sesame seed
  Cumin
• Sugar
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• Salt to taste
• Water
• Oil for deep frying

Equipment: You will need a special chakkuli press for this.

Mash the cooked rice with two tablespoons of rice flour and a little water. Add the besan, rice flour, sugar and salt and mix together. Then add the butter, cumin and sesame and knead to a smooth, soft dough. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside for 15 minutes.

Fit the chakkuli press with the star-shaped die, and fill the barrel with a lump of the dough. Press out the dough in tight spirals. Make sure to tuck in the outer end so it doesn’t open out during handling and frying.

When all the dough has been pressed out, deep fry them on a medium heat until they turn golden brown. Drain on paper, cool, and store in airtight containers.

Makes approximately 18 chakkulis.