Adhirasam is an authentic sweet made using rice flour and jaggery. Adhirasam is made on many occasions like Marriage(for seer), Diwali, kids vacations, family get-togethers & the list goes on till Pregnancy cravings 🙂 My Mother-in-law makes delicious, authentic Adhirasam and whenever she sends parcel from India, she makes a pack of Adhirasam for us and sends along.. When she made Adhirasam during our India visit, I clicked step-wise pics to document in my website and here is my keeper recipe from my MIL.. With these yummy Adhirasams, my hearty advanced Diwali wishes to you all..
Adhirasam Recipe – Stepwise pics follow the below printable description:
- Raw rice(Maavu Pacharisi) - 2 cups
- Jaggery(Paagu vellam) - 1.5 cups tightly packed
- Whole green Cardamom - 5
- Water - 1 cup
- Oil - For frying
- Take 2 cups of raw rice (Maavu Pacharisi) and wash well, twice or thrice.
- Soak the washed raw rice for 1 hour. Then, drain the water completely and spread the soaked rice over a dry cotton cloth.
- Spread well and let it fan dry for some time. Make concentric circles for faster drying. Do not let it dry completely. There should be lil moisture in it. If you touch the rice with your palm, some rice should stick to your palm and that shows the right moisture. Transfer the rice to a mixie jar. You shall grind in 2 batches.
- Grind to fine powder and sieve it. Add the particles settled over the sieve to the next batch and grind. Discard the particles in the last batch.
- Add the sieved flour to a mixing bowl. Take 1.5 cups tightly packed jaggery(Paagu vellam) in a pan.
- Add 1 cup water to jaggery and switch on the stove in medium flame. In the meanwhile, take 5 Cardamom and pestle it in a mortar. Just crush and no need to powder it.
- Add crushed cardamom to the jaggery pan. Once the jaggery dissolves completely and bubbles up(no consistency checks required now), strain the jaggery syrup to a bowl.
- Discard the filtered particles. Wash the pan and add the filtered jaggery syrup to the same pan.
- Let the syrup boil in medium flame. Once thickened, check for soft ball consistency/uruttu padham(detailed in next step). Once soft ball consistency reaches, immediately pour the jaggery syrup into the rice flour and keep mixing.
- To check soft ball consistency - Once the jaggery syrup thickens, drop it in a bowl of water. If you are able to gather it to a soft ball, then that's the right consistency.
- Mix well so that all flour is wet. No need to knead. At this stage, the dough will look little loose. But it will dry up tomorrow. Add ½ tsp ghee on top.
- Just spread the ghee on top(using the same spatula) to avoid drying on the top. Keep it closed using the sieve or colander or any lid with holes for proper ventilation. Let it be in room temperature for at least 12 hours.
- After 12+ hours, the dough would have been perfectly set. It will appear little dry but when you touch and shape with hand, it will become moist.
- Pinch out small portion and roll into a small lemon sized ball. If it is still dry, you shall grease your hands with ghee. Then, flatten it using fingers. Make 2 or 3 and place it in a plate. In each disc, make a hole using finger or back of a spoon.
- Drop in hot oil(not too hot) and cook in low-medium flame. Fry one at a time.
- Once slightly browned and sizzling reduces, turn to other side and fry. Take out once sizzling reduces and color changes to slightly dark brown. Don't fry too dark.
- Use a flat-bottomed bowl/Tavaraa and press adhirasam against the perforated ladle to squeeze out the excess oil as shown in below pic. Be careful as we are pressing this on top of hot oil. If you are not confident, you shall keep a separate bowl nearby and press the excess oil in the bowl. Transfer the pressed adhirasam to a plate with tissue paper to drain excess oil.
2.You can add ½ tbsp sesame seeds to the rice flour, before adding Jaggery syrup.
3.Do not refrigerate the dough. You shall keep the dough in room temperature for 2 days and fry anytime after the first 12 hours.
4.2 cups raw rice makes 4 cups flour. We are using it all in this recipe.
5.The measurements in this recipe works fine for Maavu pacharisi and Paagu vellam. If you are using other varieties, then add jaggery syrup incrementally and stop if the dough becomes too loose.
Preparation – How to make adhirasam?
Day 1 in making adhirasam
1.Take 2 cups of raw rice (Maavu Pacharisi) and wash well, twice or thrice.
2.Soak the washed raw rice for 1 hour. Then, drain the water completely and spread the soaked rice over a dry cotton cloth. 
3.Spread well and let it fan dry for some time. Make concentric circles using finger, for faster drying. Do not let it dry completely. There should be lil moisture in it. If you touch the rice with your palm, some rice should stick to your palm and that shows the right moisture. Transfer the rice to a mixie jar. You shall grind in 2 batches.
4.Grind to fine powder and sieve it. Add the particles settled over the sieve to the next batch and grind. Discard the particles in the last batch.
5.Add the sieved flour to a mixing bowl. Take 1.5 cups tightly packed jaggery(Paagu vellam) in a pan.
6.Add 1 cup water to jaggery and switch on the stove in medium flame. In the meanwhile, take 5 Cardamom and pestle it in a mortar. Just crush and no need to powder it.
7.Add crushed cardamom to the jaggery pan. Once the jaggery dissolves completely and bubbles up(no consistency checks required now), strain the jaggery syrup to a bowl.
8.Discard the filtered particles. Wash the pan and add the filtered jaggery syrup to the same pan.
9.Let the syrup boil in medium flame. Once thickened, check for soft ball consistency/uruttu padham(detailed in next step). Once soft ball consistency reaches, immediately pour the jaggery syrup into the rice flour and keep mixing.
10.To check soft ball consistency – Once the jaggery syrup thickens, drop it in a bowl of water. If you are able to gather it to a soft ball, then that’s the right consistency.
11.Mix well so that all flour is wet. No need to knead. At this stage, the dough will look little loose. But it will dry up tomorrow. Add 1/2 tsp ghee on top.
12.Just spread the ghee on top(using the same spatula) to avoid drying on the top. Keep it closed using the sieve or colander or any lid with holes for proper ventilation. Let it be in room temperature for at least 12 hours.
Day 2 in making adhirasam
1.After 12+ hours, the dough would have been perfectly set. It will appear little dry but when you touch and shape with hand, it will become moist.
2.Pinch out small portion and roll into a small lemon sized ball. If it is still dry, you shall grease your hands with ghee. Then, flatten it using fingers. Make 2 or 3 and place it in a plate. In each disc, make a hole using finger or back of a spoon.
3.Drop in hot oil(not too hot) and cook in low-medium flame. Fry one at a time.
4.Once slightly browned and sizzling reduces, turn to other side and fry. Take out once sizzling reduces and color changes to slightly dark brown. Don’t fry too dark.
5.Use a flat-bottomed bowl/Tavaraa and press adhirasam against the perforated ladle to squeeze out the excess oil as shown in below pic. Be careful as we are pressing this on top of hot oil. If you are not confident, you shall keep a separate bowl nearby and press the excess oil into the bowl. Transfer the pressed adhirasam to a plate with tissue paper to drain excess oil.
Once cooled down, transfer to an air-tight container. If handled with dry hands, stays good for 10 days. Read the tips below.
Tips/Tricks in making adhirasam
- Fry in low medium heat so that adhirasam is cooked well. Do not fry after sizzling reduces.
- You can add 1/2 tbsp sesame seeds to the rice flour, before adding Jaggery syrup.
- Do not refrigerate the dough. You shall keep the dough in room temperature for 2 days and fry anytime after the first 12 hours.
- 2 cups raw rice makes 4 cups flour. We are using it all in this recipe.
- The measurements in this recipe works fine for Maavu pacharisi and Paagu vellam. If you are using other varieties, then add jaggery syrup incrementally and stop if the dough becomes too loose.
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