Sojji Appam – A Fried South Indian Sweet

Sojji Appam, also known as Suji Appam or Rava Puran Poli, is a traditional South Indian sweet that is often prepared during festivals and special occasions. This delightful dessert combines a soft, flaky outer layer made of all purrpose flour with a sweet, flavorful filling made of semolina (rava) and sugar. 

Sojji Appam is a special sweet which we can make as neivedhyam for Navaratri. Rava kesari is stuffed inside maida or wheat flour to make sojji appam. Making sojji appam needs patience. You can keep this sojji appam for week.

Ingredients:

For Sojji:

• Semolina / Rava - ½ cup
• Cashew Nuts - ¼ cup (coarsely powdered)
• Sugar - 1 cup
• Water - 1 cup
• Ghee - ½ tbsp.
• Cardamom Powder - ¼ tsp.

For The Dough:

• Wheat Flour or Maida - 2 cups
• Salt - a pinch
• Water - for mixing the dough
• Ghee - 1 tbsp or as needed

Method:

For Preparing The Sojji:

• Heat ghee in a thick bottomed pan and add cashew nuts and rava and roast in low flame till you get nice aroma and the rava becomes golden in colour.
• In the same time, boil a cup of water and slowly add this to the rava by stirring in the same time so that there are no lumps formed.
• When the rava starts to thicken add sugar and mix well.
• After adding sugar, it will become watery. Mix well without forming lumps.
• When the rava thickens and comes together, switch off the stove and let it cool completely.

For The Dough:

• In a broad vessel, take wheat flour and add salt and mix well.
• Add ghee and mix well.
• When the flour looks like bread crumbs, sprinkle water and mix well to a soft and firm dough.
• Keep closed for half an hour.

For Making Sojji Appam:

• Make small lemon sized balls from the sojji prepared.
• Make the same number of balls from the wheat flour.
• Gently flatten the wheat flour with hands.
• Keep a sojji ball and gently close and flatten with your hands.
• Heat oil in a pan for deep frying.
• Reduce the flame and gently slide a sojji appam and cook in low flame.
• When one side gets cooked, turn the other side and cook well.
• Remove from fire and drain in a colander or tissue paper.
• When it is cooled down store in an airtight container.
• On the first day the sojji appam will be crisp and from the next day it will be softer.