Rice Cake Sweet

Ingredients:(makes a 750 grams block of halwa)

Raw rice- 125 grams (I had used 3/4 cup roasted rice flour)

Coconut- 1 ( 2 cups of fresh coconut)

Palm Sugar/Molasses/Gula Melaka/ Karipetty - 600 - 700 grams 

Ghee- 1/4 cup

Cardamom- 5 crushed

Cashew nuts- 1 cup (split into two) 

Method:

Wash and soak the raw rice and powder it very finely in a blender.Keep it aside. I did not do this instead I used roasted rice flour.

Blend the coconut with 1 cup of water and extract the first milk.Keep aside to be used later.

Repeat the process again and take 2 glasses each of second and third coconut milk.

There must be total 5 glasses of coconut milk in total. 

Crush the gula melaka and add to the second and third milk and mix the rice flour.

You can make a syrup of gula melaka with some water if you think there is dust particles in it and add the strained liquid.

Traditional halwas are made in vessels called URULI. But I prefer a non stick pan because the ghee will ooze out from the halwa towards the end if we use it. 

Switch on the flame and once the mixture thickens add in the first coconut milk and the ghee.

Reduce the flame to a medium and start to mix the halwa.

Be patient and you have to do this for about 45- 60 minutes.

Keep on stirring it so that later you will see that it begins to leave the sides and forms a mass.

At this time add in the nuts and the cardamom.

Keep on stirring for another 10-15 minutes. The flame must always be kept in medium.

All the ghee that you have poured will be oozing out from the halwa. You have to keep on stirring the whole mass for some time

Next we will do the rolling test to see whether its ready.

Pinch a small piece and roll it between your finders. If it does not stick and remains its shape immediately transfer it to a plate.

Flatten it out using a flat spoon. Dip the spoon in the ghee that had oozed out and use it to flatten the halwa.

This helps to give a shiny layer on the top.

Allow it to cool for 1- 2 hours.

Invert onto a plate and cut into desired shapes.