Okkarai

Okkarai

Okkarai, also known as Ukkarai, is a sweet dish commonly prepared in households in the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu. This much-loved sweet is usually prepared for Diwali and other festive occasions.

Ingredients:

• Chana dal– ½ cup 
• Moong dal– ½ cup
• Jaggery– 1 cup 
• Ghee– ¼ tablespoon + 1-1/2 tablespoons 
• Coconut– 1/3 cup, grated 
• Cashew nuts– 10-12 
• Cardamom powder– ¼ teaspoon

Method:

• Take the jaggery in a heavy-bottomed pan, and add just enough water to cover it. Melt the jaggery in the water. Filter it to remove any impurities. Keep aside. 
• Dry roast the chana dal and moong dal separately, till they emit a nice fragrance. Keep aside. 
• Soak both the dals in warm water for an hour. 
• Now, drain out all the water from the dals. Grind the dals in a mixer, to a paste that is neither too fine nor too coarse. There is no need to add any more water. 
• Steam this mixture in an idli plate. Let it cool down completely. 
• Now, crumble the dal mixture properly. You could use a mixer for this purpose. 
• Heat the 1-1/2 tablespoons of ghee in a pan. Fry the cashews till they turn brown, remove from heat, and keep aside. 
• In the same pan, fry the grated coconut till it turns brown. Remove from heat, and keep aside. 
• In the remaining ghee in the pan, fry the crumbled dal a bit. Keep aside. 
• In another pan, heat the jaggery syrup till it reaches boiling point. 
• Now, add the cardamom powder, crumbled dal, and the rest of the ghee. Cook on a medium flame till the mixture begins to leave the sides of the pan. 
• Now, add fried coconut and cashews, and mix well. 
• Okkarai is ready to be served!

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Recipe Source: www.padhuskitchen.com