Cooking web notes

         Balls made with jaggery and puffed rice.

          Wishing you all happy karthigai deepam!! As a kid,I always enjoyed this festival and had fun in litting lamps and decorating.Me and my brother,will save some crackers on deepavali and burst it on this day!

           My mom used to do two varieties of pori(paddy puffed rice and ordinary puffed rice),one she will just make it as a brittle and one into balls. And here in Singapore since I couldn't find the varieties,I just made balls using our ordinary puffed rice.

Ingredients:

Method:

1. Powder the jaggery and heat it with water just to immerse it in a broad vessel.
2. After it completely dissolves,filter it in a cloth or metal strainer to remove impurities.
3. Add cardamom powder to it and heat the syrup till it reaches a consistency of rolling ball( I.e;Keep water in a bowl and test the syrup by pouring a few drops in water,it should not dissolve immediately and you should be able to form a loose ball,but hold its shape)
4. This is how you can test,I dint roll and show below as I was keen in not missing the consistency;D
5. Do keep the fire in low, when the consistency is about to reach.
6. When you reach the specified consistency,remove immediately and add the puffed rice slowly and mix it.Till you don't find any syrup in the bottom of the vessel.And the mixture should not stick in your hands.If its too sticky,then you add more puffed rice to it and mix again.
7. Grease both your hands with ghee, and roll tightly into balls of your desired size.
8. For half cup of jaggery I could make 14  balls, and the measurement of puffed rice is approximate and please add accordingly.
9. You can add roasted sesame seeds,fried gram dal(pottukadalai) too.
10. At the end,while U are making balls, it will harden...so keep again in stove for a fraction of minute to make it loose and roll again...
11. Store in an air tight container and enjoy!

Note:

Be sure that your syrup reaches rolling ball consistency,or else you cant make balls!!!