Ukkarai

in Deepavali recipe, Festival recipe, festival special, Indian sweets

 

 

Ukkarai is a traditional jaggery based sweet,  which is simply lip smacking . It takes some preparation and time , however the result is just  mouth watering . In Tamilnadu,  this sweet,  is generally made on Deepavali day . However,  this can be made on other festive occasions,  too.

 

Ingredients

  1. Green gram dal / Moong dal  1 cup
  2. Chana dal  1 cup
  3. Jaggery 2 cups
  4. Ghee  1 cup
  5. Cashewnuts 4 to 5
  6. Grated coconut  1/4 cup
  7. Cardamom 1/2 teaspoon
  8. Edible camphor a pinch
  9. Salt a pinch

Method

 

  • Soak the dals for 2 hours .Drain and grind adding salt  and a little water to a thick smooth, firm batter .
  • In a deep bottomed pan or Uruli , add 3 tablespoons of ghee and add cashewnuts . Shallow fry them to light brown. Remove and drain.
  • Add coconut and shallow fry  to a light brown colour . Remove and keep aside ,
  • Add half a cup ghee to the Uruli and heat it . Add the ground dal batter to the ghee and stir .  Use  a thick flat ladle to stir the batter .
  • Continue stirring till the ghee is absorbed and the mixture is well cooked and becomes powdery .
  • If ghee is’nt sufficient , the batter will not become powdery . If more ghee is needed,  add at this stage .
  • When the mixture has turned powdery ,transfer to a plate and keep aside ,
  • Clean the same Uruli and add quarter cup water in it.
  • Add jaggery and heat it . When it dissolves, froths and thickens , add the dried dal powder . Stir the whole mixture again . Add fried cashewnuts ,  and grated coconut  .
  • Mix well . add the rest of the ghee too and continue to cook until it ceases to be sticky .Add cardamom powder and edible camphor .
  • Mix well and serve hot .

Note

  • The Ukkarai should not stick to the palm if rubbed and only ghee should be visible on hand .
  • If the jaggery syrup turns watery , cook over the fire for some more time for it to thicken.
  • Tuvar dal or Red gram dal can be added too to the Ukkarai.
  • The Ground Ukkarai can be prepared, in a different method  too . After grinding the soaked ground batter , it can be steamed in a idli vessel .  The batter will swell up on cooking .
  • To check , if the batter is well cooked , insert a a toothpick or a handle of a spoon into the cooked mass . If it comes out clean,  then its well cooked .Otherwise, cook for some more time.
  • Then cool and crumble the mixture . Add to the thick jaggery syrup and then proceed as in above recipe.