This is a simple yet slurpy Indian sweet. Generally this is made as an offering to God in most South Indian homes. This is thicker than payasam and is made with a rice and jaggery , which is healthier than plain sugar used in payasams.
Jaggery has been used throughout India as a sweetener for centuries before the advent of refined sugar. Jaggery contains dust and dirt and therefore people think twice before using them. However jaggery has loads of benefits. It cures dry cough, indigestion, constipation and clears the lungs.
Ideally the color of jaggery should be dark brown. The yellow colour of the jagery indicates it has gone through a chemical process, so choose your jaggery carefully.
Ingredients
- Rice 1 ½ cups,
- Jaggery 1 ½ to 2 cups powdered,
- Cardamom powder ½ to 3/4 teaspoon,
- Ghee ¼ cup ,
- Cashew Nuts 10 to 12 or more (broken into two),
- Coconut 1 to 1 ½ cups,
- Water half a ladle.
- Pachaikarpooram (edible camphor) a pinch (optional)
Method
Pressure cook the rice, adding 3 cups of water, till soft.
In deep frying pan, add 2 teaspoon of ghee, as it heats up, add cashew nuts and fry till golden brown. Remove and keep aside.
- In the same pan ,add water and the jaggery and mix well. Let it melt to make a thick syrup.
- Filter it to remove impurities. Cook again for 2 to three minutes, add the coconut, let the syrup become sticky. Add rice and ghee to the sticky syrup. Stir and then add cashew nuts and cardamom powder and pachaikarpooram.
- Remove from fire and the delicious jaggery rice is ready. Serve hot.
- The amount of jaggery depends on your sweet tooth. If you require more, increase the quantity of the jaggeryand vice versa.
- Ghee too can be increased to get a rich taste to the jaggery rice .
- Raisins and other nuts can be added too to the jaggery rice .
- Palm jaggery (karupatti) too could be used for the above recipe.