Ukkiri is a centuries old traditional South Indian sweet that is particularly popular in Tamil Nadu and some parts of Andhra Pradesh. It's a simple gluten-free dish made with jaggery, parboiled rice and flavoured with cardamom and nuts.
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This traditional sweet has a rich flavour from the jaggery combined with the earthy flavour of parboiled rice. Whether it's a festive celebration or just a sweet craving, Ukkiri is your go-to comfort food.
This is a centuries-old traditional dish that was quite popular during the festive season. While the key ingredients of this dish are almost the same, the preparation method varies regionally.
I have adapted this dish from my grandma's recipe, it is nostalgic and brings back fond memories of my childhood days. This sweet dish stands out as it tastes delectable, despite preparing it with basic ingredients.
I made a few twists to the original recipe by using jaggery powder instead of block due to its convenience and to speed up the cooking process. Plus I used a handful of melon seeds for extra crunch. I had to skip coconut as I didn't have it on hand.
Ingredients
- Rice: Parboiled rice (uppudu biyyam/puzhungal arisi). Any rice variety would work but ensure it is parboiled and not raw rice. Excuse my ignorance! I snapped a picture of ingredients with ground rice instead of rice!
- Sweetener: I have used jaggery powder but you can use jaggery block instead. Check the FAQ section for instructions to use the block.
- Spices and Nuts: Cardamom powder, almonds and melon seeds.
- Liquid: Water to cook ukkiri and ghee to roast coarse rice powder.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: Wash the parboiled rice thoroughly and drain the water.
Step 2: Spread the rice on a clean cloth or plate and let it sun dry for about 30 minutes.
Step 3: Transfer dried rice to a pan and roast over low heat for 10 minutes until it turns golden brown and aromatic. Stir continuously to prevent rice from burning.
Step 4: Switch the heat off and let the rice cool completely.
Step 5: Now grind the rice coarsely in a mixer jar or spice grinder. The texture should be similar to fine semolina (rava).
Step 6: Keep it aside to use later.
Step 7: Heat 1 tablespoon of ghee in a pan.
Step 8: Add the coarsely ground rice and roast it on a low flame for 2 minutes until aromatic.
Step 9: Now add jaggery powder and mix until everything is well combined.
Step 10: Now add water gradually from one hand while whisking the rice mixture with another hand.
Step 11: Cook the mixture on a low flame for 10-12 minutes stirring continuously until it is soft and absorbs most of the water.
Step 12: Add chopped almonds, melon seeds, and cardamom powder once the mixture starts to thicken.
Step 13: Mix well and cook for a few more minutes.
Step 14: Once ukkiri thickens and leaves the pan, switch the heat off.
Enjoy ukkiri hot or at room temperature.
Check more parboiled rice recipes - how to cook parboiled rice and undrallu.
Substitutions and Variations
Coconut: A spoonful of coconut at the end adds an intense nutty flavour to the ukkiri. Use either freshly grated or desiccated coconut.
Jaggery: You can use a jaggery block instead of powder.
Nuts and Seeds: You can use other seeds and nuts such as cashews, pistachios or pumpkin seeds.
Vegan: Use coconut oil instead of ghee for a vegan version.
Storage
Ukkiri keeps good for up to 5-6 days if stored in a clean airtight container in the fridge.
Tips and Tricks
Roasting Rice: Roast the rice on a low flame until golden brown. Roasting enhances the flavour and imparts an intense aroma to the dish.
Stirring: Whisk the rice mixture simultaneously while gradually adding water to prevent it from forming lumps.
Coarse Rice Powder: Instead of grinding the roasted rice to a fine powder, grind it coarsely. Fine powder results in a mushy and sticky paste when cooked. Whereas the coarse powder gives a lovely texture to the dish.
Dry Rice on Cloth: Spread washed rice to sun dry on a fresh cloth placed on the plate or tray. Cloth absorbs the moisture from rice and speeds up the drying process.
FAQ
First, heat the jaggery block in the microwave for a few seconds until it softens. Press it with your fingers to break it into pieces. Boil it in a bit of water just until it dissolves. Strain the liquid to remove any dirt or grits if present and then combine the jaggery water with roasted rice.
Of course, you can. Infact that's a great way to save leftovers for those busy days when you crave something sweet but too tired to cook something.
Thaw it in the fridge overnight if you plan to consume next day. Otherwise, thaw the frozen ukkiri in the microwave on the defrost setting stirring in between to ensure even defrosting.
Once thawed, heat it in a microwave at full power until warm.
Related
Looking for other south Indian dessert recipes? Try these:
More Desserts
KEEP IN TOUCH
Do let me know if you try this long-lost traditional ukkiri recipe. If you like this recipe kindly consider rating it using stars in the comment section or on the recipe card to help more people find this recipe online. You can stay up to date by following me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or subscribing to my Youtube channel. Or why not subscribe to my blog and get simple recipes straight to your inbox?
📖 Recipe Card
Ukkiri (Traditional South Indian Dessert)
Equipment
- 1 Spice Blender
- 1 Small frying pan
- 1 Heavy Bottom Steel Pan
- 1 Hand Whisk
- 1 Spoon
Ingredients
1 Cup = 250ml ; 1 Tablespoon = 15ml ; 1 Teaspoon = 5ml
- ½ Cup Parboiled Rice
- 1 Tablespoon Ghee
- ½ Cup Jaggery Powder
- 2 ½ Cups Water adjust to get right consistency
- 10 Almonds chopped
- 2 Teaspoons Melon Seeds
- ½ Teaspoon Cardamom Powder
Instructions
- Wash the parboiled rice thoroughly and drain the water.½ Cup Parboiled Rice
- Spread the rice on a clean cloth or plate and let it sun dry for about 30 minutes.
- Transfer dried rice to a pan and roast over low heat for 10 minutes until it turns golden brown and aromatic. Stir continuously to prevent rice from burning.
- Switch the heat off and let the rice cool completely.
- Now grind the rice coarsely in a mixer jar or spice grinder. The texture should be similar to fine semolina (rava).
- Keep it aside to use later.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of ghee in a pan.1 Tablespoon Ghee
- Add the coarsely ground rice and roast it on a low flame for 2 minutes until aromatic.
- Now add jaggery powder and mix until everything is well combined.½ Cup Jaggery Powder
- Now add water gradually from one hand while whisking the rice mixture with another hand.2 ½ Cups Water
- Cook the mixture on a low flame for 10-12 minutes stirring continuously until it is soft and absorbs most of the water.
- Add chopped almonds, melon seeds, and cardamom powder once the mixture starts to thicken.10 Almonds, 2 Teaspoons Melon Seeds, ½ Teaspoon Cardamom Powder
- Mix well and cook for a few more minutes.
- Once ukkiri thickens and leaves the pan, switch the heat off.
- Enjoy ukkiri hot or at room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition
Welcome to Flavours Treat. I share vegetarian recipes made with wholesome, mostly fresh ingredients. Every recipe has easy-to-follow instructions with process shots (detailed step-wise pictures), a short video and lots of tips to help your cooking journey. Read more
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