Ukkarai Recipe | Chettinad Okkara

    Ukkarai/Okkara/Ukkara is a traditional  sweet made with moongdal.Though this ukkarai is not sold outside in a bakery or any shop,its very popular especially in south India.

  Ukkarai made in brahmin's house in South India (tamilnadu or kerala) is with chana dal and jaggery.But chettinad ukkarai has sooji and moongdal.Because of addition sooji you get a good amount of sweet, also it gives a bite inbetween.There is no chace you fail making this sweet.

   Ukkara is usually served in chettinad marriage as a evening snack.I just love it and wanted to try this for sometime.Finally got a change to try it for this special occasion.Yes !!  today mykitchenodyssey reaches its 300 th post ,also another special occasion.Hope this journey of food continues forver and wish sharing each and every recipe with all of you.
   A big thank you for all readers and friends who support me and tell me how they like each recipe.I do need your support in future.Thanks once again.
Interested to check more chettinad sweet check kavuni arisi,maavu urundai,karupatti paniyaram,kandarappam

                                     Ukkarai Recipe | Chettinad Okkara

                                 How to make chettinad ukkara

 Cuisine: Indian  Category:Dessert/Snack  Serves:5   Prep time:20 minutes Cook time:10 minutes Total Time:30 minutes


Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup sooji
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup moong dal/pasiparuppu
• 1 cup grated jaggery melted in 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup grated coconut/li>
• 1 cardamom
• 10 broken cashew(add more if serving for kids/guest)
• 2 tsp ghee.

How to make chettinad ukkara:

• Grate the jaggery and melt in water(will take around 5-10 minutes) and remove impurites.

• By this time in another stove roast sooji until brown or until you smell the rava.

• Pressure cook moongdal with required water until mushy,drain the excess water.

• Add ghee and roast the cashews until brown.

• In another pan add 2 cups of water.Let the water boil.
• Add cardamom powder to water,the water should get the aroma of cardamom.

• You can add roasted and cooled sooji to the boiling water.Sooji will get cooked in few minutes.

• Its time for moongdal and jaggery to go in to pan.You have to add jaggery only after the sooji ,moongdal is cooked.

• Mix them well so every part of sooji get the  required sweetness.

• Finally add grated coconut and roasted cashews along with ghee.

• Ukkara is ready to be served.Serve warm or cold along with breakfast/dinner or as a snack.

Note:

• Water added for sooji may vary,but if the rava is roasted well it will absorb all the water and become dry in few minutes.Its better you add the mentioned water so ukkara stay soft even after 2-3 hours.
• Use sooji/upma rava not the fine rava or idli rava.
• You can add more ghee and cashews ,if serving for guest or kids.