Garhwali Arsa
Veg
Vegan
Fried rice and jaggery sweet — a thick paste of soaked and coarsely ground rice mixed with melted jaggery, shaped into flat rounds, and deep-fried in oil until golden and puffed, the exterior crispy and the interior dense and chewy. The jaggery caramelises during frying, giving the arsa a dark, almost burnt-sugar bitterness that contrasts with the sweet interior. Made for Makar Sankranti, Diwali, and the Harela harvest festival — a central Indian mountain sweet found in variations from Garhwal to Chhattisgarh.
Cuisines
Kumaoni
Garhwali
Best for
Snacks
Recipe
Prep: 30 min
Cook: 40 min
Total: 70 min
2-3 servings
Ingredients
| 1 cup | rice |
| 1 cup | jaggery |
| 1 cup | water |
| 1 cup | wheat flour |
| 1 teaspoon | fennel seeds |
| — | oil for deep frying |
Instructions
- 1 Wash the rice thoroughly and soak it in water for 3-4 hours.
- 2 Drain the rice and spread it on a cloth to dry completely.
- 3 Grind the dried rice into a fine powder.
- 4 In a pan, add jaggery and water, and heat until the jaggery dissolves completely to form a syrup.
- 5 Mix the rice flour, wheat flour, and fennel seeds in a bowl.
- 6 Gradually add the jaggery syrup to the flour mixture, kneading it into a smooth dough.
- 7 Divide the dough into small, equal-sized balls.
- 8 Heat oil in a deep pan over medium heat.
- 9 Deep fry the dough balls in batches until they are golden brown and crispy.
- 10 Remove from oil and drain on paper towels to remove excess oil.
Tips
Ensure the rice is completely dry before grinding to get a fine powder.