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Chalimidi
Rice flour and jaggery sweet
చలిమిడి: moist Telugu sweet of fresh rice flour, jaggery syrup, coconut and cardamom (plus 3 hours soaking)
Chalimidi is a no-cook-flour sweet from Andhra and Telangana, offered to the goddess at Navaratri and Nagula Chavithi and handed out at naming ceremonies and baby showers. Soaked rice is dried, pounded into fresh flour and stirred into a thick jaggery syrup with coconut, so it sets into a soft, damp, slightly crumbly dough that is shaped into small balls. It tastes of molasses and cardamom and is eaten as it is, at room temperature. The most common mistake is undercooking the syrup: a thin syrup leaves the chalimidi sticky and pasty, so cook it to a firm soft-ball stage. Chef's tip: use freshly ground soaked rice, not shop rice flour; the slightly damp flour is what gives chalimidi its tender bite.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
- 7 oz raw ricesoaked 3 hours
- 6 ½ oz grated jaggery
- ¼ cup water
- 2 ⅛ oz fresh coconutcut into tiny bits
- 5 green cardamomseeds ground
- 1 tbsp white sesame seeds (optional)toasted
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Drain 7 oz raw rice and spread on a clean cloth in the shade for 20–30 minutes until no longer wet but still slightly damp.
25 minStep 2: Grind in a dry blender to a fine flour and sift it. It should feel cool and faintly moist, and hold a print when pressed.
6 minStep 3: Heat 6 ½ oz grated jaggery and ¼ cup water in a heavy pan over medium until the jaggery melts, strain out any grit, and return to the heat.
4 minStep 4: Boil the syrup for 5–6 minutes until a drop in a bowl of cold water forms a soft ball you can roll between your fingers.
6 minStep 5: Take the pan off the heat, add 2 ⅛ oz fresh coconut and 5 green cardamom, then tip in the rice flour gradually, stirring fast so no lumps form.
3 minStep 6: Mix to a soft dough that holds together, cool for 5 minutes, then shape into 16 small balls or simply press into a bowl. Scatter with 1 tbsp white sesame seeds. Best within 2 days.
8 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 165 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chalimidi take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of raw rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of grated jaggery?
- Dark brown or muscovado sugar, same amount.
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