Adhirasam

INGREDIENTS

1 kg jaggery

2 kg rice

200 ml water

150 g ghee

100 g sesame seeds (+150 g if also applying outside)

15 cardamom seeds

500 g vegetable oil and 500 g ghee (for deep frying)

‍

METHOD

1. Preparing the rice flour
2. 1) Soak the rice overnight.
3. 2) Rinse for 2 to 3 times and strain out the water.
4. 3) Leave the rice on the strainer for around 10 to 15 minutes.
5. 4) Grind the rice in batches into a very fine flour and keep aside.
6. ‍Preparing the jaggery syrup

1. 1) Put jaggery in a deep pan and add 40 ml to 50 ml water so the jaggery melts very fast.
2. 2) Boil until the syrup starts bubbling.
3. 3) When the syrup starts to bubble, take a small spoonful of syrup and put it in a small cup of water.
4. 4) If the syrup doesn’t dissolve in the water and you can gather it with your fingertips, the syrup has the right single-string consistency.
5. 5) Add ghee, cardamom powder, and mix well.
6. 6) Turn off the flame and keep the jaggery syrup aside.
7. ‍Making the dough

1. 1) Add the rice flour little by little through a sieve to the jaggery syrup.
2. 2) Keep stirring and keep adding the rice flour until the dough has a consistency almost like chapati dough (not too thick, not too thin).
3. ‍Forming and deep-frying the adhirasam

1. 1) Heat oil and ghee on medium flame.
2. 2) Divide the dough into lemon-sized balls.
3. 3) Dip the dough ball in sesame seeds if desired.
4. 4) Grease your fingers and a plantain leaf or plastic sheet with ghee.
5. 5) Place a dough ball on the leaf and pat it into a flat disc.
6. 6) Carefully drop it into the oil/ghee and wait until the adhirasam floats to the top.
7. 7) Fry for a minute and flip it over to the other side, until golden brown.
8. 8) Take the adhirasam out of the oil/ghee and press it between two slotted turner spoons to remove excess oil.