Kajjaya

Ingredients

The following are the ingredients to prepare around 8 - 10 Kajjaya,

• Raw rice - 1 cup for rice flour. 
• Jaggery - 3/4 cup (crushed)
• Water - 1/4 cup to melt jaggery
• Cardamom powder - a pinch 
• Oil as required for deep fry
• Ghee - 2 tablespoons (if preferred)

Preparation Steps

Rice flour:

1. Soak one cup of raw rice in water for about one to one and half hours and let it dry for a few minutes.
2. Do not let it dry out completely and it shouldn't be too wet either. While the moisture is still present, grind it into fine  powder. 
3. Sieve this flour and keep it aside.

For preparing the dough for Ariselu:

1. Take a pan, add jaggery and water. Melt it at low to medium flame. 
2. Once the jaggery has melted into syrup transfer it to another fresh pan using a filter. 
3. Now let the jaggery thicken. 
4. To check the right consistency, take a small plate with water, drop a few drops of jaggery and try rolling it into a ball.
5. If it is thick enough to roll then the consistency is perfect. Turn off the flame.
6. Add the prepared rice flour to this gently, little by little and keep stirring. 
7. Add cardamom powder.
8. Mix them well until the jaggery has absorbed the rice flour and it has become a loose dough.
9. Once done you can let cool down to room temperature and transfer it to an airtight container. 
10. It is preferable to fry this dough into Ariselu on the next day to get a soft and perfect texture. 
11. You can store this dough at room temperature for 2-3 days too. 

For preparing Ariselu:

When the loose dough has rested for 24+ hours it might have turned slightly stiff.

1. Take a heavy bottomed pan and pour oil as required for deep frying Kajjaya. Let the oil heat at high flame for a few minutes.
2. Grease your hands with ghee/oil. Take a small amount of dough and roll it into a ball.
3. Press this ball into a flat Kajjaya shape with your fingers on a small piece of greased banana leaf. Make sure that you don't press it too thin.
4. When the oil is hot enough, drop this round shaped dough into the oil. 
5. Reduce the flame and wait until it starts to float and puff up.
6. Flip the Kajjaya so that it is evenly cooked.
7. Once it has cooked well, the sizzling sound and bubbles will stop. 
8. Take it out after softly squeezing out the excess oil using two skimmers.
9. Place it on a tissue or strainer and in a few minutes it is ready to eat.
10. Repeat the procedure and fry the remaining dough. Be cautious and fry them one by one. 
11. Once it is done place them side by side and let it cool down before you store them in an airtight container. These Kajjaya can be fresh and soft for over a week.