MunthiriKothu

Munthirikothu..An exclusive traditional Rcp of our Kanyakumari district..Very yummy n all time favourite snacks for us..Usually made in larger quantities for special occasions..A bit tym consuming, but definitely worth trying it..I m so glad after making n tasting it..

RECIPE:

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Preparation Time: 35 mins 

Soaking Time: 2 hrs

Resting Time: Minimum 1 hr

Cooking Time: 10 mins

Serves: 15 no's

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INGREDIENTS: [1 cup=240 ml]

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For Stuffing:

Whole Moong - 1/2 cup

Urad Dal - 1/4 cup

Rice - 1/4 cup

Cardamom - 4

Shredded coconut - 1 cup

Black Sesame seeds - 2 tsp

Jaggery - 1 cup or a little less

Water - as req.

For batter:

Raw rice - 1/4 cup

Egg - 1/4

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Salt - as req.

Water - as req.

Groundnut oil - for frying

METHOD:

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For Stuffing:

1. Dry roast the first 6 ingredients separately in simmer. Except the sesame seeds and cardamom, dry roast the other 4 into brown color.

Whole Moong

Urad Dal

Rice

Cardamom

Grated Coconut

Black sesame seeds

2. Blend the roasted items in a blender one by one to a coarse powder. You can make even coarser than shown, it tastes great too. But if you want to feed your toddler/kids too, this is the perfect consistency. Next, in a bowl, mix all the ground powders and sesame seeds very well. Set aside.

Whole moong powder

Urad dal powder

Rice+cardamom powder

Coconut Powder

Add sesame seeds

3. Now, to make the jaggery syrup, in a vessel, add jaggery with water till immersed, boil till jaggery is completely dissolved. Strain to remove the impurities, and again boil it to get a sticky consistency.

4. Add the powdered mix in the bowl to the syrup, and mix it very well. Switch off the stove.

5. When the mix is still warm, make lemon sized balls with your hands greased with ghee. Allow these balls to rest for minimum 1 hr till they become firm. Else it will scramble while frying. Reserve some of these balls for your toddlers, kids, or aged people so that they can easily chew it like ladoo.

For Batter:                                                    

1. Soak the rice for minimum 2 hrs and grind it well in a blender. 

2. Blend the egg too and add it to the bowl along with turmeric powder and salt to form a slightly thick batter.

3. Since my batter was a little bit watery, I added little idiyappam rice flour too to make it thick. This step is optional. You can skip it if your batter is thick enough to coat the balls very well.

4. Dip each ball in the batter, and you can see how the balls are coated well. Now fry them in oil. Strain to remove excess oil, and store them in an airtight container. DONE!!

Your yummmy superhealthy traditional munthiri kothu is ready to be served!!Njoyy!!

NOTE:

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1. Don't allow the mix to cool while forming balls. Make balls when hot/warm, else you can't hold its shape. 

2. You can even fry the balls after 1 or 2 days. Till then store them in an airtight container.

3. No string consistency is needed for the jaggery syrup. Just a sticking consistency is enough.

4. This stays good for a maximum of 2-3 months in an airtight container.

5. Use only groundnut oil/refined oil for long storage.
6. Instead of raw rice for batter, you can idiyappam rice flour too. And instead of jaggery syrup, you can use sugar syrup too.