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Joynagarer moa
Puffed rice and jaggery balls
জয়নগরের মোয়া: puffed kanakchur rice bound with nolen gur and khoya into soft balls
Joynagar, south of Kolkata, makes moa only in winter, when the fragrant kanakchur paddy is harvested and date-palm sap is boiled into fresh nolen gur. Puffed kanakchur khoi is bound with the liquid gur, khoya and ghee into soft balls topped with a raisin and a pinch of cardamom, and Bengalis queue for the first boxes each December. The common mistake is overcooking the gur, which sets the moa hard as stone; it should reach only the soft-thread stage so the balls stay tender and squash slightly when bitten. Chef's tip: if you cannot find kanakchur khoi, use the freshest, crispest puffed rice you can buy and warm it briefly in a dry pan.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the moa
- 4 oz kanakchur khoi or puffed ricepicked over
- 2 ⅛ oz khoya (mawa)grated
- 1 tbsp gheeplus extra for your hands
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
To finish
- 16 raisins
- 1 tbsp pistachios (optional)chopped
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Warm 4 oz kanakchur khoi or puffed rice in a dry pan over low heat for 2 minutes, just until very crisp. Tip into a large bowl.
3 minStep 2: Heat 7 oz liquid nolen gur (date-palm jaggery) with 1 tbsp ghee in a heavy pan over low heat. Simmer 6–8 minutes, stirring, until it thickens to the soft-thread stage: a cooled drop pulled between fingers draws a short, soft thread.
8 minStep 3: Stir in 2 ⅛ oz khoya (mawa) and ½ tsp ground cardamom for 1 minute, then pour over the khoi and mix quickly with a greased spatula until every grain is coated.
2 minStep 4: With greased palms, press the warm mixture into 16 balls the size of a small lime, pressing just firmly enough to hold.
8 minStep 5: Top each with one of the 16 raisins and a few 1 tbsp pistachios. Cool and eat within 3 days.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 190 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does joynagarer moa take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 20 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 vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- 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 kanakchur khoi or puffed rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of ghee?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
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