Kannamma Cooks

Collection of Tamil Nadu Recipes , Tamil Cuisine, Kongunad Recipes. Easy Vegetarian and Non Vegetarian dishes with step by step pictures.

  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Kongunad Recipes
  • KC Videos
  • About
  • Contact
  • Buy Online

search the site

Kalakala Sweet Recipe / Diamond Biscuit / Maida Biscuit

December 31, 2015 by Suguna Vinodh 12 Comments

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

kalakala-sweet-recipe-diamond-biscuits

When we used to live in CA, a couple of us friends would go for walking in the morning after dropping the children at school. After walking, I would spend at-least an hour with Thahira sipping tea and listening to her stories. She is an amazing story teller. Here is a sample. When she was really young may be in her first or second grade, she saw that everyone in school was really sad one day. She learnt that it was to do with her language teacher who was in a christian missionary. She came back home and told her mom that the teacher had become “Reddiar”. Reddiar is a community in Tamilnadu. Her mother was totally shocked and did not quite comprehend what Thahira was saying. Later on, her mother came to know that the teacher had actually “RETIRED”. I just could not stop laughing after hearing this. We still laugh so hard when we talk. There are very few people in life who can make you laugh till your stomach hurts. Hold them tight. நன்பேண்டா. OK. Back to the recipe. So one day Thahira had this Christmas party that was coming at school. She was to bring some Indian snack for the children. Her son was in Kindergarten then. She asked me what she could make that would be kindergarten friendly. We thought about a lot of snacks and sweets but were not convinced. Then she shouted “KALAKALA”. I dint know what kalakala was then. We just called it diamond biscuits. It was a huge hit at school among the little ones. Kalakala is crunchy and very slightly sweet. Its the perfect snack. This is also very traditional Christmas snack made in Tamilnadu. Here is how to do diamond biscuits.

Grind the sugar and the cardamom in a small mixie / grinder to a smooth powder. Set aside.

kalakala-sweet-recipe-diamond-biscuits-grind

Mix in the Maida (All purpose flour), sugar mixture, a big pinch of salt and a big pinch of baking soda. Add in 2 teaspoon of ghee. Don’t add too much ghee. The biscuits will become too soft and soggy. Combine well with your fingers to make sure the ghee is evenly mixed.

kalakala-sweet-recipe-diamond-biscuits-make-dough

Start adding water. Add very little at a time. Sugar is hygroscopic. So a little water will go a long way. Make a very stiff dough. Make 8 balls out of the dough. Set aside. Dust the dough ball in maida generously and roll each dough ball into a flat circle. Don’t roll it too thin. Roll it a little thicker than chapati.

kalakala-sweet-recipe-diamond-biscuits-roll

Cut the circle into little diamonds with the help of a pie cutter or a knife. I like to use a knife as its super easy and the shape reminds me of my child hood memories. If you want to use a spiral cutter like the one in the picture below, go ahead. If you have a bench scraper, use it. I find it really helpful to transfer the cut diamonds to a plate. I transfer them directly to the oil for frying.

kalakala-sweet-recipe-diamond-biscuits-cut-diamonds

Heat oil in a pan in medium flame. Gently add in the diamond cuts to the oil. Do not fry the diamonds in very hot oil. As the dough contains sugar, it will caramelize and become really dark if fried in hot oil. Fry on low medium flame until golden.

kalakala-sweet-recipe-diamond-biscuits-fry

Drain the biscuits on paper towels. Store in an airtight container for up-to 4 days.

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
kalakala-sweet-recipe-diamond-biscuits

Kalakala Sweet Recipe / Diamond Biscuit


★★★★★

5 from 3 reviews

  • Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
  • Prep Time: 20 mins
  • Cook Time: 30 mins
  • Total Time: 50 mins
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Description

Tamil style Crunchy Kalakala biscuits. Also called as diamond biscuits or Maida biscuits. Kids favorite snack.


Ingredients

Scale
  • Measurements Used 1 Cup = 250 ml and 1 teaspoon = 5ml
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3 Cardamom
  • 2 Cups Maida / All Purpose Flour
  • 2 teaspoon ghee
  • a big pinch of salt
  • a big pinch of baking soda (aapa soda)
  • Little Flour for dusting
  • Vegetable Oil for deep frying

Instructions

  1. Grind the sugar and the cardamom in a small mixie / grinder to a smooth powder. Set aside.
  2. Mix in the Maida (All purpose flour), sugar mixture, a big pinch of salt and a big pinch of baking soda. Add in 2 teaspoon of ghee. Combine well with your fingers to make sure the ghee is evenly mixed.
  3. Start adding water. Add very little at a time. Make a very stiff dough. Make 8 balls out of the dough. Set aside. Dust the dough ball in maida generously and roll each dough ball into a flat circle. Don’t roll it too thin. Roll it a little thicker than chapati.
  4. Cut the circle into little diamonds with the help of a pie cutter or a knife.
  5. Heat oil in a pan in medium flame. Gently add in the diamond cuts to the oil. Fry on low medium flame until golden.
  6. Drain the biscuits on paper towels. Store in an airtight container for up-to 4 days.
  • Category: Snacks
  • Cuisine: South Indian, Tamilnadu

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @kannammacooks on Instagram and hashtag it #kannammacooks

kala-cal

← Previous Post Marmalade springs Citrus Mocktail, Citrus Sweet Mocktail
Next Post → Rich Plum Cake / Indian Fruit Cake Recipe / Christmas Fruit Cake

Suguna Vinodh

I'm Suguna Vinodh aka Kannamma. I love south Indian food and I am passionate about baking. My Favorite things include my Wusthof knife, Coffee, Ilayaraja, Tamil and beaches. I love Jacques Pepin and Julia Child.

Connect With Me : FacebookInstagramTwitter

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. Radhika M says

    July 18, 2020 at 9:46 pm

    Hi Akka, My biscuits turned out to be little harder once it came to room temperature
    Can you please tell me where it might have gone wrong?

    Reply
    • Suguna Vinodh says

      July 19, 2020 at 3:46 pm

      Did you add ghee while making the dough. The ghee will make soft kalakala. Dont add too much or it will become too soft and disintegrate in oil.

      Reply
  2. Sreya says

    April 27, 2020 at 9:49 pm

    Sugar is getting melted and biscuits are turning into powder once I put them back n hot oil
    Can you help me

    Reply
    • Suguna Vinodh says

      April 27, 2020 at 10:52 pm

      did you follow the measurements??

      Reply
  3. Hema Latha says

    January 14, 2019 at 7:53 pm

    Hi can I try using jaggery instead of white sugar. Will it come good.

    Reply
  4. Anila says

    November 5, 2018 at 10:04 pm

    Very nice recepie..

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  5. Priya Govindaraj says

    August 18, 2017 at 8:49 pm

    LOL !! Akka really a good recipe.. Laughed so much as well, touch wood you have a friend like this.

    Akka, can this snack made out of wheat flour?

    Now a days whatever I cook all credit goes to you at home, my MIL asked me to cook a curry (brinjal dish) and I said no I am not confident to do and will try out later. You know what was her immediate reply?

    ” YELA? INKA NE KANNAMA WEBSITE-LA YEALETHA” 🙂

    Thank You again

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Suguna Vinodh says

      August 20, 2017 at 12:50 am

      Thank you so much Priya. Sure you can make this in wheat flour!

      Reply
  6. Mohammed zunaine says

    September 25, 2016 at 11:02 pm

    I loved cooking. Your recipes are more helpfull to me.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Suguna Vinodh says

      September 25, 2016 at 11:29 pm

      Thank You!

      Reply
  7. Sasha Abhi says

    June 3, 2016 at 6:52 am

    My mom makes these biscuits! So yummy 🙂 We add powdered sugar once the biscuits are fried and it sticks to the hot biscuits. Adds an extra flavor and sweetness 🙂

    Reply
    • Suguna Vinodh says

      June 3, 2016 at 9:22 am

      Thats nice Sasha. These biscuits are addictive.

      Reply

Download our App today!!!

Android app
iOS app

HEY! NICE TO MEET YOU HERE!

I’m Suguna, a former financial analyst, now a full-time food blogger. Welcome to my space. I share recipes gathered from my friends and family here. I am passionate about South Indian food. I crazy love knives. A sharp knife is a girls best friend. Hope you like the recipes here. Happy Cooking. Read more.....

Categories

  • Air Fryer Recipes (14)
  • All Day Breakfast (20)
  • Appetizers / Tea Time snacks (90)
  • Asian Flavors (36)
  • Baking (52)
  • Basics (13)
  • Biryani (25)
  • Bread / Buns / Quiche (18)
  • Brownies/Blondies (2)
  • Cakes / Pastries / Tart (18)
  • Chettinad Recipes (37)
  • Chicken Recipes (51)
  • Cookies / Biscuits (10)
  • Dal/lentil Recipes (70)
  • Dips, Salsa, and Sauces (6)
  • Dumpling / Kozhukattai / idiyappam Recipes (19)
  • Egg Dishes (27)
  • Equipment (1)
  • Fish / Seafood Recipes (42)
  • Gluten Free (6)
  • Healthy Meals (4)
  • Healthy zero oil snacks (2)
  • Home Improvement (1)
  • Home Remedy (4)
  • Hong Kong Life (3)
  • Idli-Dosa-Paniyaram varieties (46)
  • Indian Recipes (525)
  • Italian-Continental (18)
  • Juices / Mocktail (5)
  • Kitchen How to's (13)
  • Kongunad Recipes (93)
  • Kurma Dishes (46)
  • Lunch Box Ideas (28)
  • Masala Powder/Chutney Powder/Pastes (16)
  • Middle Eastern Recipes (4)
  • Millet Recipes (17)
  • Misc (34)
  • Movie/Celebrity Inspired Recipes (4)
  • Muffins (5)
  • Mutton Recipes (23)
  • Non Veg Recipes (111)
  • North Indian Gravies (15)
  • OPOS / Easy Cooking / 10 minutes cooking (25)
  • Pachadi Recipes (1)
  • Parotta (3)
  • Pickles (3)
  • Poriyal – Stir-fry (59)
  • Rasam Varieties (15)
  • Recipes (642)
  • Research work (2)
  • Rice Dishes (43)
  • Roti / Chapati / Paratha (14)
  • Salad (3)
  • Sandwiches & Burgers (10)
  • Soups and Broth (21)
  • South Indian Chutney (59)
  • South Indian Kulambu / Sambar (56)
  • Sweets and Desserts (46)
  • Tea / Coffee (8)
  • Tips and Tricks (5)
  • Travel (3)
  • upma / kali (4)
  • Whole Grain Vegan Recipes (21)

Archives

SEARCH Categories

(c) Copyright 2021 Kannamma Cooks | Privacy Policy | Hosting and Customization by Best Hosting And Design