Five Easy South Indian Diwali Recipes

Important tip for great Adhirasam: You should dry the rice just enough so that it retains some moisture. Do not make it bone-dry as the Adhirasam will come out flaky and dry

Sieve the blended flour through a fine sieve so that you get a very fine rice flour. Keep it aside

To Make the Adhirasam

1. In a kadhai, add the jaggery and about one fourth cup of water. Let the jaggery melt completely into the water. When the mixture starts frothing, check for the consistency by dropping a small portion in a bowl of water. If the jaggery mix holds shape, then the syrup is ready
2. Switch off the flame. Now, add the rice flour in small batches to this jaggery syrup. Keep mixing while adding the flour.
3. Add the cardamom powder
4. Mix well into a thick consistency.
5. Transfer this to another clean container, add a teaspoon of ghee or clarified butter, and let it stand for about 12 hours. In case you want to make these a couple of days later, you have to store this in the refrigerator. Till 12 hours, you can keep it outside.
6. After 12 hours of standing, you will realize that the dough has thickened yet moist.
7. Knead the dough again thoroughly
8. Heat cooking oil in a kadhai or a deep pan.
9. Make small roundels of the dough. Pick one roundel and pat it into a disc on a greased paper
10. Drop the discs into the boiling oil and deep fry it till golden on both sides.
11. Take it out on a sieve or an absorbent paper to drain off the excess oil.
12. Enjoy your Adhirasam !

Mysore Pak

Mysore Pak is a must in most families as a Diwali sweet. This a Besan/ Gram Flour based sweet and is very liberal on the ghee component. Forego your diet and healthy eating habits for a bit during these festive times and indulge in this absolutely delicious sweet. In recent years, Mysore Pak has a new, even more, delicious version called the Mysurpa, an invention of Sri Krishna Sweets, Chennai. Unlike the regular Mysore Pak which is slightly more solid, the Mysurpa is very soft and very rich in ghee. The recipe of Mysore Pak looks simple and straightforward but it can be a tricky dish to make. Master the proportions and the consistency of the final mix to get that perfect Mysore Pak. Closely follow the recipe notes to get the best Mysore Pak in the first go.

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