Groundnut Chikki preparation
Groundnut Chikki recipes
Ingredients:
500 gram groundnut,
200 gram brown sugar,
100 gram sugar,
2-3 tbsp. Ghee.
Method:
Roast groundnut and remove its skin.
Take brown sugar and mix sugar in a frying pan. Add a little water and boil the mixture. When it attains chikki like consistency, put a drop of consistency in water and check, if it is hard. Mix groundnut. Mix well and pour in a greased thali. Cut into pieces and fill in the container.
Tourist places in and around Lonavla
Tourist places in and around Lonavla
Lccation : 60 km from Pune on the Mumbai road, Mahatrashtra in India.
It is a hill station at a height of 640 m ASL.
BHUSHI DAM
About 4.5 km from Lonavla town, on the way to I.N.S. Shivaji, there is a beautiful water overflow during monsoon season only. Season : June to Sept.
RAJMACHI POINT
About 6 km from Lonavla. This point commands magnificent view of Shivaji's fort Rajmachi (also known as Royal Terrace) and the surrounding valley. Regular buses ply between Rajmachi point and Lonavla bus stand.
One can make a day trek to Rajmachi fort too.
TUNGARLI LAKE
This lovely lake supplies water to Lonavla town. There are no buses, only auto rickshaws are available from Lonavla station (3 km from lonavla station). A route leads to Rajmachi fort.
VALVAN DAM
The dam with a beautiful garden at its foot is a popular evening spot 1.6 km from the town. This lovely dam supplies water to Khopoli powerhouse.
RYE-WOOD PARK
A thickly wooded park in the vicinity of the Lonavla station.
LONAVLA LAKE
A picturesque spot surrounded by natural scenery 1.6 km from the town, in summer however the lake dries up.
KUNE POINT
Halfway between Lonavla and Khandala of Bombay - Pune highway. This point is well known for scenic beauty.
DUKE'S NOSE
The finest landmark of Khandala is 5 km from Lonavla. It is the summit of hills owing to its resemblance in shape with nose of Iron Dukes the - Duke of Wellington. Good for hiking via Kuruwande village.
TIGER'S LEAP
The captivating name is given to a tip of a cliff from where there is a sheer drop of more than 650 meter. Please watch your step. Besides the soaring height the magnificent view from Tiger's Leap is enthralling. Buses are available.
I.N.S. SHIVAJI
It is a prime naval training centre with Naval Collge of Engineering, Nuclear Biological and Chemical warfare school, Damage Control Simulator (Akshat) and other training wings (visitors allowed only on Navy Day - Dec 4).
REVERSING STATION POINT
It is near Rajmachi point (Khandala) 7 km from lonavla. Famous for the panoramic view of the railway line going through tunnels on one side and the Duke's Nose on the other.
LOHGAD FORT
An arduous climb of about 8 km from Malavali station takes you to the "Iron fort" once a formidable fort of Chatrapati Shivaji. The fort commands an exhilarating view of the surrounding hills and dales.
YOGA INSTITUTE
The famous Yoga institute known as 'Kaivalyadhama' is near Valvan Lake. The institute imparts training in yoga and carries out research in various aspects of yoga. The institute also runs a hospital where diseases are treated by yogic exercises.
(Tel.no:02114-73039)
KARLA AND BHAJA CAVES
KARLA
The Karla caves are about 10 km from Lonavla. The Karla caves are the largest Chaitya caves in the country dating back to 160 B.C. The Chaitya hall is about 45 meter long and 15 meter high and is well preserved. The arched ceiling of the hall has wooden rafters, which have remained intact through centuries.
At the entrance of the cave there is a pillar with three lions on it. On the other side of it there must have been a symmetrical pillar but now the temple of 'Goddess Ekveera' has taken its place. The donor couple and Mithuna panels on the pillar are famous.
After climbing another two hundred feets above Karla caves we can observe wonderful sight of Shirota Dam.
BHAJA
The Bhaja caves are about 3 km from Malavali station. There is a motor able road upto the foot of the caves and the remaining distance of about 1.6 km is to be covered on foot.
The Bhaja caves lesser known than Karla caves are as old as the later. There are in all 18 caves of which cave no. 12 is the finest. Some sculptures and ornamental designs in the caves are worth seeing.
SAHARA LAKE CITY (AMBY VALLEY)
It is a beautiful city developed by Sahara India 21 km from Lonavla in the hilly areas. However you require prior permission to view this breath - taking city.
Koregad fort : Located near Sahara Amby valley.
Food item specialities of Lonavla
Food item specialities of Lonavla are Sp. Chivda, Sp. Cornflakes Chivda, Farsan, Mathri, Methi Mathri, Bakarwadi, chatpata, Sp. Almond Pistachio Saffron Chikki, Sp. Cashew nut Almond Pistachio Chikki, Sp. Cashew nut Chikki, Sp. Crushed Cashew nut, Sp. Crushed Peanuts Chikki with butter and cardamom, whole Peanuts Chikki and Coconut Chikki. Rolls made with Dry fruits called “Dates Roll†and “Figs (anjeer) Rollâ€, Choco-walnut Fudge and many other mouth watering items which captivate the spice loving patrons.
The Chikki is a common, tasty, and traditional Indian snack food. Chikkis come in many varieties, the most popular of which is Sesame chikki. The preparation is simple: A syrup is made up from some type of sugar and either water or ghee, also known as clarified butter. This is simply butter with the milkfat removed by skimming or straining. The syrup is sometimes actually using made using glucose, but brown sugar works quite well, and is in fact what I used. The nuts or seeds are then added to
the syrup and coated completely. The mixture is then put in a wooden mold and rolled out into sheets. The resulting slabs are then cut into smaller pieces.
When properly made, chikkis will be crunchy but not unbearably hard, much like peanut brittle. However, a brittle places the emphasis on the candy, whereas in the case of chikkis the majority of the candy consists of the seeds or nuts.
