ATHIRASAM

I always used to avoid eating Athirasam until I tasted Rajalakshmi Paati's ( My Dad's Aunt) version when I had visited India this time. I changed my opinion instantly and also fell in love with it. It was really a bliss eating those crispy yet soft flat cakes and I admit I could not stop with one.Who is bothered about calories when there s something irresistible to eat. I said this to myself a couple of times before I gobbled a few more. A big thanks to Paati for not only making wonderful Athirasams, but also kept her promise and taught me how to make it. It was a great Learning tutorial with lots of fun and laughter and in between eating that I would like to share with you all. Try it. I am sure you 'll like it.
                                       
                                                              அதிரசம் 



Recipe Source : Rajalakshmi Paati            


Preparation time : 2 hrs                 Cooking time : 30 mins

Ingredients  
Raw Rice.................................. 1glass/ Aazhaaku
Jaggery..................................... 3/4th or 1 in the same glass
Cashewnuts..............................  10
Almonds...................................  6
Honey Dates.............................  6
Cardamom...............................  10
Sesame seeds...........................  1 tbsp
Oil or Ghee............................... For frying
Ghee.......................................  2 tbsp 

Aazhaaku
Method
  • Soak the raw rice for 11/2 hours. Drain and slightly dry  it in a clean towel. Then grind this into a fine powder in a mixer while the moisture is still present. Set aside in a wide thick bottomed vessel.

  • Soak the cashew nuts, almonds and dates in just enough water and grind it into a paste. You can soak it aside separately when you start soaking rice. Powder the Cardamom. Add the Dates and Nut paste, Cardamom powder and Sesame seeds into the Rice flour and mix well.
  • The quantity shown in the photographs is more than what I have mentioned in my measurements as it was a large scale project and we distributed to many family members.



  • Add the Jaggery to a thick bottomed Kadai or Vessel and pour just half a glass of water and cook till it reaches the hard ball stage. Keep a cup of cold water beside you to test the consistency in between. The the ball should not dissolve in water. Remember to filter the impurities once the jaggery melts.








  • Add the hot jaggery mixture into the rice flour and mix thoroughly till it forms a smooth ball. 
  • You can also add two or three table spoons of ghee for the sheen. The resulting dough will be smooth and pliable and can also be stored and used after a month. 




 
  • Heat Ghee/ Oil in a Kadai. Keep the flame medium. Arrange banana leaves and smear them with little ghee or oil. Roll out the dough into lemon sized balls and flatten them out on the banana leaves using your finger tips and slip them into the ghee/ oil. 
  • It froths more if the cooking medium is ghee. Flip and cook both the sides. The Athirasam will puff in the middle when done. Carefully hold the Athirasam between two flat spatulas and press gently to drain the excess fat. Transfer into paper towels. 




  • Repeat the process till all the dough is done. You will get roughly 15 to 18 Athirasams for the given measurement.
  • Cool well and store in an airtight container.


Notes
  • The sweetness of Jaggery varies with quality. Always ask your grocer for "Paagu Vellam" when you plan to make sweets using jaggery for good results. 
  • You need not necessarily keep the Athirasam flat. You can also dig a small hole in the middle to make pinwheel shaped Athirasams if you desire.
  • The mixing part is tricky. It has to be done very swiftly. Its best to have someone help you while mixing the rice flour and jaggery mixture. Saves time and helps the mixture to blend faster. Also note that mixing has to be completed when the jaggery mixture is hot.  
  • Athirasams taste good when hot and great when cooled. Also check my post on  MANOHARAM

Comments

  1. first time here nice blog glad to follow you mouth watering athirasam we call them ariselu ...lovely clicks...visit my blog
    www.sriyafood.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Sriya. Nice that you stopped by to see my blog. Thanks for the encouragement. Keep visiting for more recipes.You seem to be a fashion designer beside being a great cook. Good job.Hope to meet you often in blog sphere. All the best.

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Sowmya

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