There is no keeping a Guliyo thief a secret at home. That hard, crunchy bite can be heard across the room! These tiny sweet rice marbles are a must on the Kuswar platter, and of all the Christmas specials, they are the ones I love making most.
Both Mom and Dad love them. Dad pockets a few extras to save for later, which always makes me smile. In my Crasta home, Mai loves them just as much. It is lovely to make something that brings the same delight to both homes.
Rice, jaggery, coconut milk and cardamom come together in the dough, which is cooked before being rolled into tiny marbles. Then comes the frying, slowly enough for them to turn deep golden brown and develop that unmistakable crunch. Let them cool, fill a dabba, and see how long the Guliyo thief manages to stay quiet.
Guliyo (Sweet Rice Marbles for Christmas Kuswar)
Ingredients
Ingredients
- ¾ cup raw rice
- ¾ cup boiled rice (the parboiled rice variety, uncooked)
- ¾ cup jaggery, scraped or grated
- ¾ cup thick coconut milk
- 3–6 cardamom pods, seeds crushed or powdered
- 2 tbsp ghee
- Salt to taste
- Water, for soaking the rice
- Oil or ghee, for deep frying
Instructions
Method
- Wash both varieties of rice and soak them in water for 4–5 hours, or overnight.
- Drain well. Grind the rice to a fine paste with the thick coconut milk, jaggery, cardamom and salt.
- Warm the 2 tbsp ghee in a non-stick pan and add the rice mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring continuously, until it forms a manageable dough with the consistency of roti dough.
- Take the pan off the heat and let the dough cool until comfortably warm to handle. Knead gently.
- Pinch off small portions and roll them between your palms into tiny marble-sized balls. Keep their size even so they fry evenly.
- Heat the frying oil or ghee in a deep pan. Fry the guliyo in small batches over low-to-medium heat until deep golden brown and cooked through, developing their firm, crisp texture.
- Lift them out and drain on paper towels. Allow them to cool completely; the finished guliyo should have their characteristic hard crunch.
- Store the cooled guliyo in an airtight dabba.
Notes
- Measure the rice before soaking.
- Boiled rice here means the parboiled variety of rice that still needs soaking and grinding, rather than leftover cooked rice.
- Cook the batter until it is a dough you can shape. A wet mixture will be difficult to roll into marbles.
- Keep the guliyo small and fry in batches over low-to-medium heat, allowing them to cook through rather than only darken on the outside.
- Cool completely before storing so they retain their crunch.
For more Christmas Kuswar, try Kidiyo / Kulkuls and Kokkisan / Rose Cookies.