Recipe #15: Adhirasam

Ingredients:

1. Sona Masuri rice - 2 cups good quality
2. Jaggery - 1 3/4 cups good quality
3. Cardamom - 2 

Method:

1. Wash the rice and soak for 5 hours or more
2. Filter the rice and spread to dry on a clean cloth for 15 mins. The rice should still remain moist at this stage. In step 7, when the rice powder is mixed with the jaggery, we need the powder to be moist and not completely dry
3. Grind the rice in a mixer also adding the cardomom. We're looking for granules like the chirotti rava and not a fine powder. Sieve the powder though a fine rava sieve, grind again the larger rice grains. Keep the powder covered after removing from the mixer, it's important that the moisture stays locked in
4. In a kadai or pan, heat the jaggery with a little water
5. Once all the jaggery melts, filter out any impurities in the bottom of the pan
6. Again add the jaggery in the kadai and boil. Keep a small bowl with water beside you. Every minute or so, add a drop of the jaggery mixture in the water. Initially, the jaggery drop will immediately mix with the water, at a later stage, it forms small tendrils. In the next stage, when you drop in water, it will remain firm, press with fingers and if it holds like a small ball, then the jaggery is done. Put off your stove
7. Add the rice powder into the jaggery stirring continuously. You are done when you have a firm dough with chapathi dough like consistency
8. Recommended to keep the dough out overnight before making the adhirasam
9. Heat oil in a thick bottomed kadai. The oil should remain on low to medium flame
10. Pat into 2-3 inch wide circles (for want of a better word). You can do this over a milk packet cover. When the oil is hot, drop the patted dough into the oil. Once cooked on one side, the adhirasam rises puffed to the top. Flip over with spatula. Remove from flame once it has browned 
11. Place between 2 flat plates and squeeze the oil out
12. You're done

Notes:

1. After step 7, you could end up with a watery mixture after adding all your rice powder in the jaggery. Would hence be good to remove and set aside some rice powder (after step 3) and jaggery (after step 6). You could use these extra ingredients later to adjust the consistency
2. If after step 7, you have a slightly watery mix, you can add the extra rice powder to harden the dough. On the other hand, if you have a harder mix, then you can add the extra jaggery
3. Reduce the flame if your adhirasam is too crisp or dark or hard