Soft Jaggery Athirasam and Crisp Ariselu Versions

Jaggery Athirasam : Wish you all a very HAPPY and PROSPEROUS PONGAL/SANKRANTHI!!! Pongal an authentic Tamil festival is nearing and I want to share few information about it. After the end of harvest period/season farmers thank god (SUN) with the cultivated products. I am proud of

being a farmer family and my Appa (Dad) is a very good farmer cum retired central government employee who has become a full time farmer now :-). They usually harvest paddy yearly 3 times, even we prepare unpolished boiled rice from own rice mill.

Rice plays main role on Pongal day, with the harvested rice, we make plain pongal/white pongal in vengala panai. Its a very auspicious and authentic Pongal, we never mix any sweet or spice while cooking. Actually we use the rice washed water to make white/venn pongal and we make it during sunrise by thanking “Sun” ie the god. It foams and has to fall on the right side which is another auspicious belief. Also we pray with other harvested items like coconut/banana/sugarcane, manjal kothu/fresh turmeric bunch/country vegetables and harvesting equipment.

When I go there for vacation, I will definitely share some authentic recipes and greeny greeny paddy field pictures :-). Today my recipe is using the same raw rice but not the pongal, a very traditional Jaggery Adhirasam Recipe, it s a gluten free snack made with raw rice and jaggery/sugar. Though I don’t have very good pictures (taken in dull light) I am posting the recipe in blog today. I did first for Diwali and came out so good . I was happy succeeding in my first attempt itself.

For softer version you need sieve to filter the powdered rice otherwise the bit crisp outer layer and soft inner adhirasam can be done from coarse rice powder which is called Ariselu in Telugu (heard this when I shared this athirasa sweet with my neighbor). After that one day I got sieve from them and made both soft and crisp versions (visually both look same) for my DH colleagues. Everyone enjoyed and appreciated, so here comes the perfect recipes to try your hand.

Fluffy Adhirasam with Complete Video Tutorial

Brown Sugar version with video and easy Jaggery Syrup Preparation

For Jaggery selection and more tips do check this post.

Whenever I make I just update it with better pictures, so you can see mix of old and new clicks!!!

With the jaggery techniques I showed here which was taught my mom , my adhirasams never had hard dough or dissolving in oil issues. Everytime they turned out in good shape and one or two times crispy because of jaggery and oil I used during initial days.

Rice Flour Preparation

• In a wide bowl, add rice (Pic 1) and rinse until water is clear.
• Using clear water soak raw rice not more than 2 hours.
• After 2 hours (Pic 2), discard/drain the soaked water.
• Pat drain the excess water by spreading over a cotton cloth (cover the top) OR on a Kitchen Towel and leave it aside for 30 minutes (Pic 3).
• Add the rice with moisture to mixie jar (Pic 4) and powder the rice to fine flour in 2 batches.
• If your mixie/blender has sharp blades then no need to sieve, I made crisp Ariselu version like that.

• Otherwise sieve and make fine powder for soft Jaggery Adhirasam Athirasam Recipe (Pic 5).
• After you sieve transfer to the bowl or stainless steel utensil (Pic 6) in which you are going to rest the dough later (See Note 4)..
• Just press the flour (Below Pic 2) while you sieve/store in the utensil to retain wetness till you mix with jaggery.
• Both versions use the same procedure and jaggery consistency, only the flour and dough consistency varies.

Jaggery Syrup Preparation

• Grate the jaggery (Pic 1), add water as mentioned to the jaggery and start heating.
• At one stage all the jaggery melts (Pic 2 & 3), now strain the impurities and bring to boil again.
• Add cardamom powder to it and syrup will start foaming in short time (Pic 3).
• You will attain the jaggery consistency in 3-5mins approximately after foaming refer (Pic 4).

• For this add a tsp of syrup to the clear water, when its not dissolving and sits separately then immediately put off the stove (Pic 5).
• After a fraction of sec, if you rub the jaggery it may not dissolve and forms string/thread (Pic 6).
• Simmer or swithc off the heat while checking the consistency otherwise you may cross the right consistency (Check Note 1).

Yields 10-12 Adhirasam approx

Ingredients for Jaggery Athirasam

Raw Rice/Sona Masoori – 1 Cup (I use Raw Rice and sometimes Sona Masoori Rice)
Grated Jaggery – 1 Cup (Quantity is bit more than what we need exactly)
Cardamom Powder – 1tsp
Sesame seeds – 2tsp (Optional)
Oil – As needed
Water – 1/2 cup

Athirasam Mixing Part

For Jaggery Athirasam

• Mix the powdered flour, few sesame seeds (Optional but I added) immediately with the hot jaggery syrup prepared below Pic 1.
• When your flour is very fine powder (Adhirasam) then mix with little moisture as shown in Pic 2.
• When you mix the dough with spatula it leaves a track and that’s the right consistency (but Pic 3 below is little runny batter (I made it purposely to show how I fix it) than expected continue reading and how I am fixing the batter).

• The only thing you have to keep in mind while preparing the dough is don’t add too much syrup or don’t pour everything into the flour, just reserve 1/4th prepared syrup and 1/4 cup flour and if needed add/adjust at final stage (See Note 2 or in video tutorial).
• Check the video for how the dough consistency should be.
• Pic 4 above is gooey batter after 8 hours, when I checked it didn’t hold shape to fry the adhirasam.

How to fix Runny Jaggery Athirasam Batter

• So I made fresh raw rice flour and added few tsps as shown in Pic 5 & 6.
• This dough (Pic 7& 8) once mixed is not ready to fry please allow minimum 8 hours before frying the fixed dough and as shown in “Frying Part”.

• Cover the dough with cling wrap and allow to rest for 8hrs in room temperature.

For Ariselu

• Mix the powdered flour, few sesame seeds immediately with the hot jaggery syrup prepared (Pic 1 below).
• When your rice flour is coarse (Ariselu) then it needs more syrup and batter needs more moisture ie batter should be bit runny as shown in Pic 2 below.
• Don’t worry when it is coarse , the runny batter absorbs all moisture in another 8 hours or more and it looks perfect like in Pic 3 below.
• Once you mixed up leave it open for few mins just 10-15 mins or till the heat goes off, then cover the dough with tight lid/plastic wrap and leave it in room temp for at least 8 hours.
• This dough is good in room temp for 2-5 days (max 7 days when handled with clean spoon).
• If you add sesame seeds in the dough then you have to use it in 2 days.

Video Tutorial

Jaggery Athirasam Frying Part

• Heat required oil, add less oil also a small size pan, because you cannot fry more than 1 or 2 at a time.
• Take the dough and make small lemon sized balls (Pic 1).
• Use any parchment/butter paper/oil greased ziploc/banana leaves and flat it to moderate thickness (Pic 2 & 3, Don’t make it very thin, that makes very crispy outcome).
• Make holes at center (optional) and if you like garnish with Sesame seeds.
• Press the topping as shown in above soft version picture 3 otherwise sesame seeds go separately/scatter while frying.

• In very medium flame this has to be cooked, when one pops up (Pic 4 & 5) you can add second but make sure both not stick each other.
• When you make small holes in center this disappears while frying, so make a big hole if you like.
• Flip both sides, cook evenly and when bubbles/ushh sound goes off (Pic 6) , take two ladles and press/squeeze it to drain excess oil.
• Even after that drain and wipe gently with paper towel all over.
• Can have immediately but tastes great when consumed after few hours.

Few notes to nail Jaggery Athirasam

1. If you crossed the right jaggery consistency or not reached it, the adhirasam will dissolve while frying.
2. After 8 hours when the dough is so much dried you can add few milk drops otherwise if you have reserved jaggery syrup heat (luke warm) and mix it up, leave it again for couple of hours and fry, both methods works great.
3. If the dough is little watery after first 8 hours take a portion of dough mix few tsp of rice flour and try it.
4. If you have any left over raw rice flour, refrigerate and use it to fix runny adhirasam dough.
5. When doing with more than 1 cup of rice, after you sieve, the filtered coarse rice can again be powdered with few drops of water and from this you can get few more fine powder.
6. At last the leftover coarse rice can be mixed with dosa batter or make Uppu pidi kozhukattai too.
7. Only one thing to keep in mind is, have to remove the jaggery syrup from heat in right time.
8. Also oil makes difference for softer version peanut or sunflower oil works great.
9. If you have to fix too runny adhirasam dough then better to make fresh batch of raw rice flour and do it.
10. Just 1 or 2 tsp can be done with store bought rice flour but not more than that.

Recipe Card

Print

Jaggery Athirasam Ariselu Recipe

Prep Time

40 mins

Cook Time

40 mins

Resting Time

8 hrs

 

Course: Dessert, sweets

Cuisine: Indian

Author: Sangeetha Priya

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Raw Rice/Sona Masoori
• 1 Cup Grated Jaggery
• 1 tsp Cardamom Powder
• 2 tsp Sesame Seeds
• Oil – As needed
• 1/2 Cup Water

Instructions

Rice Flour Preparation

1. Soak rice not more than 2 hours.
2. Pat drain the excess water by spreading over a cotton cloth also cover the top and leave it aside for 30 minutes.
3. Powder the rice to fine flour in 2 batches.
4. If your mixie/blender has sharp blades then no need to sieve, I made crisp Ariselu version like that.
5. Otherwise sieve and make fine powder for soft Jaggery Adhirasam Athirasam Recipe (Below Pic 1).
6. After you sieve transfer to the bowl or stainless steel utensil in which u r going to rest the dough later (See Note 4)..
7. Just press the flour (Below Pic 2) while you sieve/store in the utensil to retain wetness till u mix with jaggery.
8. Both versions use the same procedure and jaggery consistency, only the flour and dough consistency varies.

Jaggery Syrup Preparation

1. Grate the jaggery, add water just to immerse the jaggery n start heating.
2. At one stage all the jaggery melts, strain the impurities right now n bring to boil again.
3. Add cardamom powder to it and syrup will start foaming in short time.
4. You will attain the jaggery consistency in 3-5mins appox after foaming refer (above pic 1).
5. For this add a tsp of syrup to the clear water, when its not dissolve and sits separately then immediately put off the stove (Above Pic 2).
6. After a fraction of sec, if u rub the jaggery it may not dissolve and forms string/thread.
7. Simmer it while checking the consistency otherwise u may cross the right consistency (Check Note 1).

Adhirasam Mixing Part

1. Mix the powdered flour, few sesame seeds (Optional but I added) immediately with the hot jaggery syrup prepared above.
2. When your flour is very fine powder (Adhirasam) then mix with little moisture as shown in pic 1.
3. When you mix the dough with spatula it leaves a track and that’s the right consistency (Pic 1 below).
4. The only thing you have to keep in mind while preparing the dough is don’t add too much syrup or don’t pour everything into the flour, just reserve 1/4th prepared syrup and 1/4 cup flour and if needed add/adjust at final stage (See Note 2).
5. Check my below pictures how the dough consistency should be.

Jaggery Adhirasam Frying Part

1. Heat required oil, add less oil also a small size pan, because you cannot fry more than 1 or 2 at a time.
2. Take the dough and make small lemon sized balls.
3. Use any parchment/butter paper/oil greased ziploc/banana leaves and flat it to moderate thickness (Don’t make it very thin, that makes very crispy outcome).
4. Make holes at center and if you like garnish with Sesame seeds.
5. Press the topping as shown in above soft version picture 3 otherwise they sesame seeds go separately/scatter while frying.
6. In very medium flame this has to be cooked, when one pops up you can add second but make sure both not stick each other.
7. When you make small holes in center this disappears while frying, so make a big hole if you like.
8. Flip both sides, cook evenly and when bubbles/ushh sound goes off, take two ladles and press/squeeze it to drain excess oil.
9. Even after that drain and wipe gently with paper towel all over.
10. Can have immediately but tastes great when consumed after few hours.

Recipe Video