Andhra Ariselu

Name: Andhra Ariselu
Prep time: 12 h
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 12 h 30 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: Andhra
Ingredients: 500 g raw rice; 400 g Jaggery; 50 g Sesame seeds; 0.5 tsp dry ginger powder (sonth); 1 tsp cardamom powder; 2 tbsp rice flour; 500 ml oil or ghee

A classic Sankranti sweet made from fermented rice flour and jaggery, shaped into discs, coated with sesame seeds, and deep-fried until crisp outside and chewy within.

🇮🇳India· Andhra Pradesh

Prep: 720 min
Cook: 30 min
Total: 750 min
Servings: 12
Difficulty: Hard
Calories: 220 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 7 gathered

Servings

500 g raw rice — soaked overnight and dried, then ground to flour
400 g Jaggery — grated
50 g Sesame seeds — for coating
½ tsp dry ginger powder (sonth)
1 tsp cardamom powder
2 tbsp rice flour — for dusting
500 ml oil or ghee — for deep frying

Equipment

•Kadai
•Banana leaf or plastic sheet for shaping

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 220 kcal
fat: 7 g
carbs: 38 g
fibre: 1 g
protein: 2 g
calories: 220 kcal

Instructions

1
Melt the jaggery with a little water over low heat until a drop stretches into a single thread. Strain to remove bits.
2
While the syrup is warm, slowly stir in the rice flour to make a soft dough. Mix in cardamom and dry ginger powder.
3
Cover the dough and rest it in an airtight container for at least 24 hours to mature.
4
Grease your hands and a plastic sheet with oil. Shape small balls of dough into flat discs.
5
Press sesame seeds firmly onto both sides of each disc.
6
Heat oil or ghee (clarified butter) in a kadai (deep pan) until medium-hot. Slide in the discs one at a time.
7
Fry on medium heat and press gently with a ladle to puff it up. Cook until golden brown on both sides.
8
Drain the discs and let them cool completely on a rack before storing.

Chef's tips

Do not skip resting the dough, or it will fall apart in hot oil. Keep the heat steady on medium so the ariselu cooks through without burning.

Ingredient substitutions

jaggery → a mix of jaggery and sugar for a lighter sweetness, though less traditional

Storage

Store in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Reheating

No reheating needed; serve at room temperature.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Skipping the resting time, which causes the discs to break apart in the oil.
•Frying over high heat, which burns the sesame seeds before the inside cooks through.