Indarsa
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Fried rice-flour and jaggery cakes coated in sesame, made for weddings in Baghelkhand.
Region: Madhya Pradesh (Baghelkhand: Rewa, Satna, Sidhi), and neighbouring ChhattisgarhOccasion: Weddings and festivalsTime: 1 hour + 2–3 days soakingServes: 15 piecesVegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw rice
- ¾ cup grated jaggery or sugar
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 2 tbsp curd or milk (as needed)
- ½ cup white sesame seeds
- Ghee or oil for frying
Method
- Soak the rice in water for 2–3 days, changing the water every day.
- Drain and spread the rice on a cloth until just dry but still slightly moist. Grind to a fine flour and sieve it.
- Mix the flour with the jaggery and ghee and knead, adding a little curd or milk only if needed, into a firm dough. Cover and rest for some hours or overnight.
- Make small balls, flatten them on a bed of sesame seeds so the seeds stick on one side.
- Fry on low heat in ghee, sesame side up, spooning hot ghee over the top, until they puff and turn golden. Drain well.
History
Indarsa is a traditional sweet of Baghelkhand, closely related to the anarsa of other parts of India.
Significance
Indarsa is an important sweet at weddings in Baghelkhand, and the long soaking and frying make its preparation a shared family task.