Pori Urundai

Name: Pori Urundai
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 10 servings
Cuisine: Tamil
Ingredients: 150 g puffed rice (pori); 200 g Jaggery; 60 ml Water; 20 ml Ghee; 2 g dry ginger powder; 2 g cardamom powder; 30 g roasted peanuts; 10 g Sesame seeds

Crunchy puffed rice balls bound in a hot jaggery syrup, sold outside Tamil temples and railway stations and made at home during Karthigai Deepam.

🇮🇳India· Tamil Nadu

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 25 min
Servings: 10
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 110 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 8 gathered

Servings

Equipment

•Heavy pan
•Bowl of water for shaping

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 110 kcal
fat: 2 g
carbs: 24 g
fibre: 1 g
protein: 1 g
calories: 110 kcal

Instructions

1
Sift the puffed rice to remove any husks or hard grains. Keep it ready in a large bowl.
2
Heat the jaggery (unrefined cane sugar) with water in a heavy pan until melted. Strain the syrup to catch any grit.
3
Pour the syrup back into the pan and boil. Check by dropping a little into cold water until it forms a soft, bendy ball.
4
Stir ghee (clarified butter), cardamom powder and dry ginger powder into the syrup. Mix well.
5
Turn off the heat and quickly pour the hot syrup over the puffed rice. Toss rapidly to coat every grain.
6
Stir in the crushed peanuts if you are using them.
7
Rub your palms with a little ghee while the mixture is warm. Press and roll the mixture into tight, round balls.
8
Let the urundais (sweet balls) cool completely until firm before storing.

Chef's tips

Work quickly while the mixture is still warm, as it sets fast. Lightly greasing your palms with ghee or water prevents the sticky mixture from sticking to your hands.

Ingredient substitutions

jaggery → palm sugar

Storage

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

Reheating

No reheating needed; serve at room temperature.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Boiling the jaggery syrup for too long, which makes the finished balls rock hard
•Waiting for the mixture to cool down before shaping, which stops the balls from sticking together