Name: Maharashtrian Anarsa
Prep time: 5760 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 10110 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: ¼ cup Short Grain Rice, kolam or any thick short-grain raw rice; ⅛ cup Jaggery, grated or powdered; ½ tbsp Poppy Seeds, khus khus, for coating; ½ tsp Milk, only if needed to bind the dough; ¼ cup Ghee, for deep frying

168 hr 30 mintotal

96 hr 30 min hands-on72 hr hands-off

Prep 96 hr · Cook 30 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Hard
Spice: None

Add to your week

Ingredients

¼ cupShort Grain Ricekolam or any thick short-grain raw rice
⅛ cupJaggerygrated or powdered
½ tbspPoppy Seedskhus khus, for coating
½ tspMilkonly if needed to bind the dough
¼ cupGheefor deep frying

Quantities are for 2 servings.

You'll need: Stovetop.

The rice soaks for 3 days with daily water changes, then the jaggery dough rests 1-2 days before frying.

Method

Soak the rice in water for an uninterrupted 3 days, executing a complete water replacement every 24 hours. Drain decisively on the 4th day.
Spread the rice out on a cotton cloth and let it dry in the shade for 1 hour. It should still feel slightly damp to the touch.
1 hr
Grind the damp rice into an smooth, fine powder and sieve it stringently. Discard all coarse grains.
On a wide platform, amalgamate the rice flour and grated jaggery. Knead them firmly using the heel of your palm. The intrinsic moisture of the rice combined with kinetic warmth from your hands will dissolve the jaggery, naturally forging a dough. Do not add external water.
Seal this dough in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days to undergo vital maturation.
On frying day, inspect the dough. If it does not hold shape, add a few drops of milk and knead until pliable.
Take a small, lemon-sized ball of dough. Scatter a layer of poppy seeds (khus khus) over a flat board.
Press the ball of dough into the poppy seeds and flatten it gently with your fingers into a 2-inch disc. The seeds should stick evenly to the base.
Bring ghee to a low-medium temperature. Carefully put the Anarsa into the ghee, ensuring the poppy-seed side remains strictly oriented UPWARD. Absolutely do not flip the pastry.
Using a spoon, splash hot ghee over the top of the anarsa until it puffs and forms a porous, mesh-like surface.
Remove immediately once the base is dark brown and the top looks cooked and porous. Rest upright to drain excess ghee before serving.

How to tell it's done

The base should be deep brown and crisp, the top should show a porous poppy-seed pattern, and the center should stay soft and sweet.

Getting it right

Tip

Add milk only by drops when shaping. Too much moisture makes anarsa spread or dissolve in the ghee.

What to serve it with

Serve anarsa as part of Maharashtrian Diwali faral with chakli, chivda, shankarpali and karanji.

Common mistakes

The anarsa spreads in the ghee.: Keep the dough firm, add only drops of milk if needed, and fry poppy-seed side up without flipping.

Storing and reheating

Store cooled anarsa in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 10 days. Keep it in a single layer until completely dry.

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