Athirasam

Athirasam is a traditional snack made from rice flour and jaggery. It can also be made using sugar, but the ones made of jaggery are a totally different level. I loved these as a child when we used to come to India on vacations, and was excited to find the recipe in my mother's cookbook when I found the recipes for a number of traditional Indian snacks. So we tried to make some and they came out amazing!

Ingredients:

(Makes about 50 pieces)

4 cups rice (or 8 cups rice flour)
1/2 cup jaggery (can also use 1/2 cup sugar)
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup milk

1 tbsp ghee
1 tbsp cardamom powder
1 tsp khas khas (poppy seeds)

Oil for frying

Method:

Soak the rice in water for about 2 hours.

Drain the water, spread the rice out on a towel and allow it to try till it is just moist (If you allow the rice to get too dry, it will not powder well).

Finely powder the rice in a mixie or blender using the dry blade.

Sieve the flour and discard the gritty residue.

Boil the jaggery and water in a saucepan. Allow it to cool slightly and sieve it to remove any impurities.

Transfer to a non-stick pan and bring to a boil again.

Add the milk and allow it to simmer until the mixture reaches the stage before the one-thread consistency stage.

Add the khas khas, cardamom powder and ghee, and stir. Reduce to low flame.

Sprinkle the rice flour, a little at a time, and continue stirring until all the rice flour has been incorporated and the mixture takes the form of a soft dough.

Allow to cool and let it sit, covered, for three days.

On the third day, knead the dough and check its texture. It should be soft enough to roll into balls. If not, sprinkle a little milk and knead it again.

Roll into small balls, flatten, and make the traditional three holes. 

Deep fry in oil over a medium flame until they puff up and turn golden brown.

Remove from the oil and drain on a colander.

Store in an airtight container, for up to two weeks.