Arisa Pitha (Fried Indian Sweet Rice Pastry)

Ingredients

  • 2 L (8.5 cups) water
  • 0.5 kg jaggery or raw sugar
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp powdered cinnamon
  • 1 Tbsp ghee
  • 1 kg rice flour
  • Ghee
  • Shredded fresh coconut flesh
  • Sugar
  • 200 g vegetable oil or ghee
  • Sesame seeds

Steps

  1. 1

    Dough: Boil water in a wide-mouth pan. Stir in sugar, salt, cinnamon, and ghee. Slowly and continuously stir in the rice flour. Cover the pan, and cook over low heat until the water is absorbed. The dough should be the consistency of chapati dough. Let cool.

  2. 2

    Filling: Melt the ghee in a pan over medium heat. Add coconut and sugar. Cook, stirring, until the coconut turns golden brown.

  3. 3

    Assembly: Knead the cooled rice mixture to make a smooth dough. Make small balls of dough, roll them, and stuff with the fried coconut mixture and sesame seeds.

  4. 4

    Deep fry the filled pastries in the oil or ghee until golden brown all over.