Ukkarai
A Splendid, simple South Indian dessert prepared on occasion of Diwali, Navaratri in Tamil Nadu. This is a special dessert in Chettinad and Brahmin houses. This traditional dessert is mainly prepared with bengal gram, coconut and jaggery. Since jaggery is used to prepare this dish, it is very healthy also. It is a protein rich dish prepared with lentils.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Bengal gram Kadalaparippu
- 1/4 cup Grated coconut
- 1 1/4 cup Jaggery Sharkkara
- 3 tbsp Ghee
- 2 tbsp Cashews chopped
- 1 tsp Cardamom powder Elakka
Instructions
- Lightly roast dry the dal.
- Cool and soak it in water for 2 - 3 hrs.
- Drain off the excess water.
- Heat up a pressure cooker.
- Add dal and enough water to immerse it in a small vessel.
- Place it inside the cooker and cook upto 2 whistles.
- :- It should be just soft & not mushy.
- Drain and mix with coconut.
- Mix the jaggery with very little water.
- Place it on fire and stirring continuously, dissolve it.
- Strain and use this little by little to grind dhal-coconut mixture to a rawa like paste.
- Add the rest of jaggery water.
- Mix them in a vessel with 1 tbsp of ghee.
- Allow it to boil.
- As soon as the mixture starts boiling, reduce the flame and cook on a low flame, stirring regularly to make sure it does not get burnt.
- Reserve 2 tsp of ghee for frying cashews and add the rest at frequent intervals.
- When it starts getting granular, add cardamom powder and cashews fried in ghee.
- Remove and stir to break up the granules.
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