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Folks! The sweltering heat in Dubai has pushed me to try out some refreshing beverages and icy coolants like the kulfi I posted last week. A couple of months ago when I was drawing up a list of goodies to try this summer, my thoughts drifted to the Mangalorean ‘ice candies’ that I have grown up eating and those that are so much a part of everyone’s childhood. Ever since I made the Ellu-Bella (sesame seed juice) a couple of years ago I have been toying with the idea of recreating the taste of my childhood. There are so many wonderful memories associated with this humble, extremely delicious popsicle that making it was a must!
If you have grown up in Mangalore before the ’90s then there is no way you could have missed the ‘ice candies’ that were sold outside schools. Since there used to be 3 schools in the same area as the school I went to, there used to be a ton of ice candy sellers selling their ware in insulated, aluminium and wood encased boxes firmly tied behind the seat. As soon as the final bell rang, we would rush out of the gate towards these ice candy sellers from whom we purchased (for a pittance actually) frozen delights in the form of popsicles on a stick (ice candies/ice lollies) or in thin, long plastic pouches famously known as ‘pepsi’. The ice candies came in several flavours – the cheaper ones were simply coloured water in various flavours such as orange, lime, pineapple, mango, raspberry or cola and the slightly expensive ones were the doodh (milk) candy and the bella (jaggery) candy. I don’t remember buying a lot of the doodh candy as it used to be expensive (perhaps double the price of the regular ice candies). The bella candy was by far everyone’s favourite! There was something just so delicious and satisfying about the flavours – sweetness from the jaggery paired with an element of spice from crushed peppercorns and subtly flavoured with some cardamom. Most bella candies that I ate also had bits of grated coconut in it – isn’t it such a lovely package? !
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In my opinion the bella and doodh candies were the healthiest of the lot as they were made with healthy ingredients instead of just sugary coloured water. I doubt if the different coloured candies we got were made with fruit juices, but I am sure that if you want to recreate them at home you can go ahead and make them with the fruit juice of your choice or make things really easy by using Tang powder or Rasna (not sure if you still get it). For the longest time, my mum in law has made ‘pepsi’ at home and sold them in the family owned stationary shop in Mangalore. Since this shop overlooks the school, her stock of pepsi used to get sold out within minutes after school closed for the day. A few years ago she showed me the machine that was used to seal the plastic pouches. The machine that has seen golden days lies untouched today as she no longer makes pepsi at home.
While the ice candy-wallas catered to people who couldn’t afford big money (especially school children) they did introduce the ‘choco-bar’ over the years. Unlike the doodh candy which was more like a frozen milk candy, the choco-bar was a creamy vanilla ice cream popsicle covered in chocolate. It was divine but not something that most of us could afford (if the ice candy cost us between 10 or 25 paise then the choco bar perhaps cost around between Rs. 2 -5 – not really sure, but it was pretty expensive). It was more of a treat that we got when we visited the Kadri park or the annual church festival/fair with our family.
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Over a period of a few weeks I have managed to recreate the taste of the bella candy as I remember it. I must have last eaten it when I was in high school – a good 25 odd years ago. The first attempt was delicious but lacked a lot of flavour so the husband suggested I add some milk. The second attempt was with the milk – the taste was great but I felt it still needed some more jaggery. The final attempt resulted in perfect bella candies, just the way I remembered eating them.
I am not sure if today’s generation has had the privilege and joy of tasting the bella candy. The pepsi, considered to be more hygienic than the ice candy is still around I believe but the bella candy is perhaps a thing of the past. I highly doubt if the candy seller is around either, selling his ware in wooden, insulated boxes and wandering from one school to the other riding his bicycle.
If you are a ’70s or an ’80s child, I urge you to make this simple and deliciously beautiful bella candy today and enjoy reminiscing your childhood memories revolving around it. If you enjoyed it, don’t forget to tell me about it! Write to me at ruchikrandhap@gmail.com
It is the taste of Mangalore on a stick, a piece of your childhood.
Bella Candy ~ Mangalorean Style Jaggery Popsicle
Classic Mangalorean style popiscle made from melted jaggery, peppercorns and a dash of coconut is a refreshing summertime treat
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Ingredients
- 1 cup (240ml) water
- 8-9 peppercorns coarsely crushed
- 1 cardamom pod husked and powdered
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated coconut
- 1/2 cup milk
Instructions
- Place the water in a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Add the powdered jaggery and stir until mixed and all the lumps have been dissolved.
- Add the peppercorns and grated coconut and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool down to room temperature.
- Add the milk and cardamom powder, mix and pour into popsicle moulds. If the moulds have the sticks attached to the lids then place them right away and freeze. If not, cover the moulds with aluminium foil and freeze for about 30-45 mins until the mixture is semi frozen (you can see icicles forming around the sides), then place the sticks in the center and place the moulds back into the freezer.
- To un-mould, invert the mould under a running tap and gently tug at the stick until the popsicle releases itself from mould. Enjoy!
Notes
1. I made this with regular jaggery which is also called as cane jaggery as it is sourced from the sugar cane. Use the deepest coloured jaggery you can find in the cane sugar category (don’t use palm jaggery that is available in flat round discs). You can try using cane sugar/unrefined sugar but I am not sure of the proportions and how it will taste.
2. You can play around with the quantities of jaggery and milk to achieve the desired level of sweetness.
3. Do not add the milk when the mixture is simmering – I did this during my second attempt and the mixture immediately curdled. Jaggery flavoured paneer anyone?
2. You can play around with the quantities of jaggery and milk to achieve the desired level of sweetness.
3. Do not add the milk when the mixture is simmering – I did this during my second attempt and the mixture immediately curdled. Jaggery flavoured paneer anyone?
Disclaimer
The nutritional values are only indicative.
Tried this recipe?Please leave a comment & rate the recipe below or share a photo on Instagram and tag me @ruchikrandhap
Jaggery popsicles sounds so interesting… so nice to read through your childhood experiences… 🙂
Unique recipe. Will make this with unrefined sugar.
@ Neelam: Thanks, do give it a try and I hope you like it!
I tried this recipe and it turned out be a perfect 'Bella Candy' of my school days in Mangalore.Thank you so much posting this reciepe.
Hi Shireen,
Thanks for d wonderful recipe. I tried it came out very delicious.
The ones we used to have in childhood used to have sabudana , may be few will dropped into mould before setting. So wondering if sabudana is soaked and then boiled to soft grains before adding. Any ideas ? Those Lil bubbles are fun while eating
Hi Shireen,
Thanks for d wonderful recipe. I tried it came out very delicious.
The ones we used to have n childhood used to have sabudana , may be few will dropped into mould before setting. So wondering if sabudana is soaked and then boiled to soft grains before adding. Any ideas ? Those small bubbles surprises while eating candy and ll be more fun.
@ Kshama: Thanks so much for the lovely feedback! Glad to know that it came out well. I haven't tasted the one that had sabudana in it so I have no idea, but yes, you could add it, it will make the candy so much more interesting, especially for kids! 🙂
@test Kay: Thanks for your feedback!
Bella candy ! I cannot think of a more unique mangalorean recipe to try at home . kudos to u
@ Shubha: Thanks a ton! 🙂
Few days back I wished for a recipe of Bella Ice candy. I couldn't recall the taste of it as I ate it only few times when I was small. Your recipe popped right away when I googled it. I was so happy to find your recipe. My husband grew eating this and was excited when I mentioned about it. I finally made it yesterday and it turned out really good just the way it tasted from those vendors. This recipe is really a keeper. Thanks a lot for the recipe. I husband told those ice candies had more amount of grated coconut. So next time I make it, I will increase the amount of it. Have a great day 🙂
@ Lakshmi: Thanks so much for your lovely appreciation 🙂 I am so glad that your hubby liked it and yes, please do add some more coconut as some vendors used to sell it that way!
Ideals ice cream parlor just re introduced Bella candy 🙂
@ Shubha: Yes, I just saw that on Facebook recently 🙂
Hi Shireen, Did taste the Bella candy from Ideals Ice cream parlor, but it does not have that original Bella candy what we had from the vendor in front of our school gate. Hope to try your recipe and will get back. Thank you for posting the recipe.
Hi Shireen, Did taste the Bella candy from Ideals Ice cream parlor, but it does not have that original Bella candy what we had from the vendor in front of our school gate. Hope to try your recipe and will get back. Thank you for posting the recipe.
Thanks a lot Shireen for the wonderful recipes. Wen I read through your blog, I just feel I’m in my hometown, Mangalore. Though I prepare most of the traditional recipes, your blog is like a gold mine for me for the few mangalorean traditional recipes which I had missed out. I have prepared few dishes referring to your blog and they always just turn out the way my grandmom used to cook. Thanks again for sharing the valuable recipes of mangalorean cusine and keeping it live for the future generations through your blog.
Bella candy is one of my fav. You write up gave me a quick flashback of my childhood days wen I used to enjoy eating bella candy sold outside the school. Those memories are never to be erased from our minds 🙂 This vacation when I went down to Mangalore I came across this hoarding that read Ideal ice cream parlour had come up with bella candy. My joy knew no bounds and
I couldnt stop myself from buying one to relish. But all the excitement turned into disappointment as it didn’t taste good at all. Atleast not like the ones we used to have in our childhood days. I was on hunt for this recipe from quite sometime. Thanks to you, I finally found it. Will surely prepare it for my family this weekend. Happy me!!!
Hi Deepthi,
Thank you so much for your wonderful comment! You really made my day! I am so happy that you have compared my recipe to your grandmom’s cooking – what better compliment than this? I do hope you try the bella candy recipe and like it too. I will await your feedback 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to write in!
hey, may i know why are we not suppose to use palm jaggery???
Hi Keerthi,
Palm jaggery has a different taste altogether as it is derived from the eervol (date palm) tree so it is recommended to use the regular cane jaggery (bella). This is if you want to replicate the taste, otherwise anything is fine
This was my childhood favorite. Thanks for the recipe.
What do you do for coconut remaining on top of the mould?
Thanks a lot! Sorry I didn’t understand your query