If I had to call one sweet the queen of the Kuswar platter, it would be these roasted rice and coconut laadus. Ari tha Unde or Laadu in Tulu, and Thandhalache Laadu in Konkani, they hold a place in both sides of my family.
The husband’s mom, Mai, says that even if you cannot prepare all the Kuswar items for Christmas, these are the ones you should make. I love that thought. A Christmas platter can be simple and still carry something so familiar and special.
For me, these laadus also bring back my grandma, Amma. She prepared them as prasada for Chauthi and Ashtami. Making the same recipe for Christmas is such a joy, with a sweet from those memories finding its place in the Crasta home too.
This is Amma and Mom’s recipe, made with roasted red boiled rice, coconut and jaggery. I like the rice powder a little coarse, with cardamom ground into it. A few cashews roasted in ghee and toasted sesame seeds finish the mixture before it is shaped into laadus. Simple ingredients, and so much home in each one.
Ari tha Unde (Thandhalache Laadu)
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 cup Matta rice or another red boiled rice
- ¾ cup grated coconut
- ½ cup jaggery
- 6–7 cashews, broken into pieces
- 2 tsp sesame seeds
- 2–3 cardamom pods
- A little ghee, for roasting the cashews
- 1–2 tsp ghee, for the laadu mixture
- A pinch of salt
Instructions
Method
- Wash the Matta rice and pat it dry on a kitchen towel.
- Dry roast the rice over medium-low heat until it changes colour, stirring as it roasts.
- Grind the roasted rice with the cardamom. You can grind it fine, but I prefer to leave it a little coarse.
- Toast the sesame seeds. In a little ghee, roast the cashew pieces and set them aside.
- In a separate pan, melt the jaggery. As soon as it begins to boil, lower the heat and add the grated coconut.
- Cook for 1–2 minutes, then switch off the heat. Avoid boiling the jaggery for too long, as this makes the laadus harder to bite into later.
- Add the toasted sesame seeds, ghee-roasted cashews, 1–2 tsp ghee and a pinch of salt. Mix well.
- Add the ground rice and cardamom and mix until everything comes together.
- When the mixture is cool enough to handle, shape it into laadus.
Notes
- Use Matta or another red boiled rice, as in the original recipe.
- A slightly coarse rice powder is my preference; a finer powder can also be used.
- The jaggery needs only a brief boil before the coconut goes in. Do not cook it down to a thick syrup.
Find more Christmas Kuswar with Guliyo and Kokkisan / Rose Cookies.
