Ingredients:

• 1 cup – sifted Rice flour
• 2 tsp – Urad Dal flour
• 1 tbsp – freshly grated Coconut (or if you can, cut small thinly chopped Coconut pieces)
• 1 cup – Jaggery
• A pinch of Cardamom powder
• 1/4 tsp – white sesame seeds

Method:

1. If you have those thick slabs/chunks of jaggery, then using a skillet or mortar base, break them into small pieces. Or if you have the patience, grate the jaggery.
2. Pour 1 cup of hot water on the jaggery and let it sit for at least 40 minutes. This is to help the jaggery get soft, making it easier to break it down easily.
3. If you are using grated jaggery, then a few minutes in water should do to make it come together like a syrup.
4. Meanwhile, in a skillet, dry roast the rice flour until aromatic – it takes about a minute or so.
5. Do it in low heat – don’t burn the flour.
6. Set aside to cool it down.
7. In the same skillet, dry toast the sesame seeds for 30 seconds or so. Set aside.
8. Add 1/2 tsp ghee and the coconut pieces and give it a stir until the raw smell of coconut is replaced by toasted coconut – it takes about 30-50 seconds. Set aside.
9. Now using a strainer, strain the jaggery water mixture.
10. It will remove all big pieces and debris if any.
11. Warm this jaggery syrup in the same skillet.
12. Add cardamom powder. Give one quick stir and take it off the stove.
13. Add all the dry ingredients together along with coconut.
14. Now slowly, spoon by spoon, add the jaggery syrup to form one tight dough. Too much liquid will spoil the recipe. Sometimes, depending on the quality of the flour, you may require the full jaggery syrup or just half of it.
15. Set aside for at least 30 minutes. This enables the flour to absorb all the flavours.
16. Place a damp cloth/paper towel.
17. Take a small piece of the dough and using a greased palm, roll it out into small balls. These are usually a little bigger than uppu seedai.
18. Drop a few at a time in oil and deep fry. Lots of bubbles will appear in the beginning. Slowly move them around to prevent them from sticking to one another. Fry to deep brown.
19. A few cracks here and there on the surface of the seedais are perfectly normal. Just make sure that they don’t come apart.
20. Make sure the oil is medium-high – if it’s too hot, the outer surface will blacken faster but the inside won’t get done.
21. Drain in paper towels to remove excess oil.
22. Recipe Courtesy: http://chefinyou.com/