Ukkarai - a Chettinadu sweet with Bengal gram

Ukkarai or Ukkara is a typical chettinadu sweet with Bengal gram(Kadalaparippu), coconut and jaggery.

INGREDIENTS:

1. Bengal gram(Kadalaparippu) - 1 cup
2. Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
3. Jaggery (Vellam) - 1 1/4 cup
4. Ghee - 3 tbsp
5. Cashews - 2 tbsp
6. Cardamom(Elakkai) powder - 1 tsp

METHOD:
1)Lightly dry roast the dal.(Bengal Gram)

2)Cool and soak it in water for 2 - 3 hrs.

3)Drain off the excess water.

4)Heat up a pressure cooker.

5)Add bengal gram and enough water to immerse it in a small vessel.

6)Place it inside the cooker and cook upto 2 whistles- It should be just soft,but not mushy.

7)Drain and mix with coconut.

8)Mix the jaggery with very little water.

9)Place it on fire and stirring continuously, dissolve it.

10)Strain and use this little by little to grind dhal-coconut mixture to a rawa like paste.

11)Add the rest of jaggery water.

12)Mix them in a vessel with 1 tbsp of ghee.

13)Allow it to boil.

14)As soon as the mixture starts boiling, reduce the flame and cook on a low flame, stirring regularly to make sure it does not get burnt.

15)Reserve 2 tsp of ghee for frying cashews and add the rest at frequent intervals.

16)When it starts getting granular, add cardamom powder and cashews fried in ghee.

17)Remove and stir to break up the granules.

Tasty chettinad Ukkarai is ready.