Kanjivellam Halwa (Rice Water Halwa)

Ingredients

• Rice water or kanji vellam - 2 cup
• Rice flour - 1/2 cup
• Jaggery - 1 cup
• Sugar - 1/4 cup
• Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
• Ghee - 5 tbsp
• Raisins - 5 whole
• Cashews - 5 whole
• Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Instructions

1. 1Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a small pan over medium heat, fry the raisins and cashews until they are golden and fragrant, then transfer them to a plate and keep aside.
2. 2If your jaggery is solid, warm it gently until melted; in a large bowl combine the melted jaggery, rice water, and sugar and whisk until the sugar has dissolved.
3. 3Gradually whisk in the rice flour little by little to form a smooth, lump-free batter.
4. 4Heat a wide-bottomed pan, pour in the batter, and cook, stirring continuously for 7 minutes; add a teaspoon of ghee at regular intervals while stirring to prevent the mixture from sticking to the pan.
5. 5When the mixture leaves the sides of the pan and reaches a halwa-like consistency, stir in the grated coconut, the fried raisins and cashews, and the cardamom powder.
6. 6Mix well, remove the pan from the heat, and scrape the halwa into a loaf pan greased with ghee or oil.
7. 7Let the halwa cool, then cut into desired shapes before serving.
8. 8Optional: serve warm or at room temperature with a little extra ghee or a sprinkle of chopped nuts for garnish.