VELLA CHEEDAI, SWEET RICE BALLS, SWEET JAGGERY BALLS

Vella cheedai is  one of the Bhakshanam made during the Janmashtami along with Murukku, Uppu Cheedai, Appam etc.  It is made out of Rice flour, jaggery, cardamom powder,coconut, sesame seeds etc.   Now gokulashtami, janmashtami is few days away, I am posting this recipe.

Vella cheedai can be relished at any time not necessary that you have to make during Janmashtami only.  The combination of rice, jaggery, ghee, coconut , sesame seeds  and cardamom is very flavourful and tasty.

In our village, we used to sit and roll the balls while our elders starts frying them in batches.  It was the childrens job to sit and make (cheedai uruttarathu) the uppu cheedai and vella cheedai and we used to enjoy.

Let us look at the recipe now:

Preparation time: 2 -3 hrs including soaking, grinding, and sieving 

Cooking time 30-45 minutes

Makes: 25-30 pieces

Ingredients:

2 cups rice flour

1 cup jaggery

1/4 cup water

few coconut bits

2 tsp grated coconut

1/4 tsp cardamom powder

1 tsp ghee

oil for frying

Method:

Step 1

Melt the jaggery in a kadai with 1/4 cup water and remove the impurities.

In the jaggery syrup, add the coconut bits, grated coconut and boil till you get two to three thread consistency.

Step 2

How to check the thread consistency:

dip your hand in water, take out little syrup from the laddle press in between your thumb and index finger and open the finger to see the thread in between your finger and thumb.

Step 3

At this stage, remove the jaggery syrup from the stove and add the rice powder slowly into it without forming lumps.  If you wish, you can slightly dry roast the rice powder.  Add the cardamom powder and ghee into this, mix and keep aside. you can keep it for a day too. now take out from the vessel and knead it well.  you will get a nice pliable dough out of it. Now make small lime size balls out of it.

Step 4

Heat oil, now make small lime size balls out it and fry them.  at a time, put only 4-5 and deep fry them till  brown colour.  break one and check whether it is cooked properly from inside too.  Keep it on absorbant paper to remove the excess oil.  store it in airtight container.

the real taste is after two days of making the same.  

Note:

•   you can add white sesame seed also.  If the Jaggery is overcooked, the dough will  become like a rock hard
• You have to be very careful while checking the thread consistency.  the dough should not be watery.

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