For the first time in many years, our visit to India coincided with the festival of Deepavali (Diwali), and we enjoyed a lovely celebration with a small group of my husband’s aunts and uncles, along with their children and grandchildren.

When it comes to indulging your sweet tooth, Deepavali can be the poster child for “too much of a good thing”. When you find yourself wondering if you can burn off the calories from a bowlful of payasam, by chewing slowly and deliberately through a couple of karjikai, or ladoos, you know you’re definitely sinking on the wrong side of indulgence.

Still, this was a special occasion! I used this opportunity to ask my aunt for her recipe for a sweet that I happen to love, but one that is not a festival staple.

It is a version of a sweet that’s popular in Northern Karnataka. Kardant, or kardantu is typically packed with dried fruit, nuts, and fried edible gum. My Aunt’s recipe goes easy on all the extras, and the end result produces something like a cross between fudge and Mysore paak.

Be warned, it is addictive!

Aunt Vijaya’s Karadantu

• 1 cup besan, (chickpea flour) sifted
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/2 – 2/3 cup melted ghee or oil
• 2-3 pods of green cardamom, powdered with 1 tsp of sugar
  To taste:
• Lightly roasted (in a little ghee) poppy seed, slivers of copra, almonds, and raisins

Sift the chickpea flour to remove any coarse bits.

Put the sugar in a pan along with the water. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved, then raise the heat and bring to a hard simmer.

Meanwhile, heat the oil, or ghee, and add a tablespoonful to the simmering sugar mixture. Raise the heat and allow it to boil for about 10 minutes or until it reaches the “soft ball” stage*.

Drop in the sieved besan and stir vigourously to mix and prevent lumps forming. Cook on medium-high heat, stirring constantly , and adding a little of the oil/ghee at a time, until it is all incorporated into the mixture.

Add the powdered cardamom and keep stirring!

When the mixture starts to come away from the sides of the pan cleanly, mix in the coconut, poppy seeds and raisins. Save a few slivers of coconut for the top. Pour the hot mixture onto a greased plate and give it a few thumps on the counter to level the mixture out. Sprinkle on the remaining coconut.

Allow it to cool a little before marking it into portions.

There it is – simply sweet!

Many thanks to aunt Vijaya Narasappa for whipping this up in the midst of a hectic evening schedule! 🙂

*Drop a little syrup in cold water to see if it holds together in a soft ball.