Celebrate Malayali New Year with the sticky, sweet and traditional Vishu Katta

Vishu Katta

Ingredients: Unakkalari rice – 1/2 cup, first coconut milk – 1.5 cups, second coconut milk – 1/2 cups, cumin seeds – 1/4tsp, ghee – 1tsp, jaggery – 1/2 cup, water – 1/4 cup, salt to taste

Method: Soak jaggery in warm water just enough to cover it, about 1/4 cup should be good. Once softened, mash it thoroughly and heat the mixture until it thickens slightly, becoming sticky. Strain the syrup and set it aside. Grind the grated coconut with a little water in a mixer to extract coconut milk. Collect the first and second lots of the milk and store them separately. Next, rinse the rice thoroughly, soaking it in water for 30 minutes. While the rice soaks, pour the first coconut milk into a pan to warm it up. Drain the soaked rice and add it to this heated coconut milk. Cook on a low flame until the rice softens and add salt to taste. Mix the cumin seeds into the second coconut milk and keep it aside. Once the rice is nearly cooked, add the second coconut milk and continue cooking. The mixture will look like a runny porridge at first. Continue simmering on low heat until the mixture thickens and starts to pull away from the sides of the pan. Turn off the heat and allow this mixture to cool for 15 minutes. In the meantime, grease a plate or tray with ghee. Transfer the rice mixture onto it and spread it evenly. Use the back of a ghee-coated spoon to flatten the surface. Let this cool slightly, then cut into squares. Serve warm or hot with the prepared jaggery syrup.

(recipe from Sharmi’s Passions)

Simple and wholesome, we bet this Vishu Katta recipe will become a staple sweet treat being whipped up in your kitchen!