Kerala Sukhiyan (Moong Dal and Jaggery Fritters)

Ingredients

• Green gram (moong dal) - 1 cup
• Jaggery - 250 g
• Coconut - 1 cup
• All-purpose flour or maida - 1/2 cup
• Rice flour - 1/4 cup
• Ghee - 1 tbsp
• Oil for deep frying
• Water
• Salt
• Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Instructions

1. 1Rinse the green gram and dry roast it on medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring, until it becomes fragrant and turns a light brown color.
2. 2Transfer the roasted dal to a pressure cooker, add water, and cook until all the water is evaporated; do not overcook the dal.
3. 3While the dal is cooking, dissolve the jaggery in a little water over low heat, strain the syrup to remove any impurities, and set the syrup aside.
4. 4Grate the coconut if needed, then put the jaggery syrup into a kadai or heavy pan and add the coconut, ghee, and cardamom powder, stirring to combine.
5. 5Add the cooked green gram to the jaggery and coconut mixture and stir over low heat until the mixture is dry (no water is left).
6. 6Let the mixture cool completely, then shape it into lemon-sized balls, pressing gently so they hold together.
7. 7Make a thick batter by mixing the rice flour, all-purpose flour, and salt with enough water to form a coating consistency.
8. 8Heat oil in a deep pan for frying, dip each ball into the batter to coat evenly, and carefully deep fry until the sukhiyan are golden brown.
9. 9Transfer the fried sukhiyan to paper towels to drain off excess oil and cool slightly so they are easier to handle.
10. 10Serve the sukhiyan warm with a cup of tea.
11. 11Optional: dust lightly with powdered sugar before serving.