Sweet Rice Puttu with Jaggery - Navarathri Recipe

Happy Navarathri

Ingredients:
Rice flour / Puttu flour - 1 cup ( I used puttu flour,  Nirapara brand)
Jaggery - 1 cup
Fresh grated coconut - 2 TBSP
Cashew nuts - 5
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Ghee - 2 tsp
Water - 1/2 cup

Method:

1. Boil 1/2 cup water with salt and turmeric powder.  Let it cool.
2. Dry roast the rice flour until hot and slightly brown.
3. Sprinkle the turmeric water little by little to the rice flour and mix.  The right consistency is, you should be able to form balls with the flour and break to powder again.
4. Tie the flour mixture in a clean white cloth / towel and stem cook for 15 - 20 minutes.
5. Transfer the steamed flour mixture into a large plate and crumble the big pieces. You can sift the mixture, if it has lumps.
6. Place jaggery in a pan with little water and melt.  Strain to remove impurities.
7. Boil the jaggery water and make syrup.  Test the syrup for right consistency.  That is when you drop some jaggery syrup in cold water, you should be able to form a ball.
8. Remove from the heat.
9. Add the jaggery syrup little by little to the steamed flour with one hand and mix the flour with another hand using a spoon or spatula.  The syrup will be very hot, so be careful while mixing.
10. The puttu should be grainy and not like halwa.  
11. Heat ghee in a small skillet and roast the cashew pieces and grated coconut until brown.  
12. Add it to the puttu and mix well.