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Kasar
Puffed rice and jaggery balls
कसार (kasar): puffed-rice and jaggery balls for weddings, Tihar and the bride's gift basket
Kasar is a sweet of good fortune: Bahun and Chhetri families in the hills make it by the basketful to send with a bride to her new home, to hand out at bratabandha thread ceremonies and to fill the Tihar plates. It is the simplest of sweets, puffed rice stirred into bubbling jaggery syrup flavoured with cardamom and pressed into balls while warm, sometimes with sesame, coconut or peanuts added, and it is crunchy, light and caramel-sweet. Children love making it because it is all about quick hands and a bowl of cold water. The pitfall is syrup that is not cooked far enough, which gives soft, sticky balls that collapse in a day. Chef's tip: test the syrup by dropping a little into cold water; when it sets into a firm ball that cracks if you squeeze it, it is ready.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
- 5 ½ oz puffed rice (murai)
- 7 oz jaggerygrated
- 3 tbsp water
- 1 /2 tsp ground cardamom
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Toast 5 ½ oz puffed rice (murai) in a large dry pan over a low heat for 4–5 minutes, stirring, until it crackles and feels crisp. Tip into a bowl.
5 minStep 2: Melt 7 oz jaggery with 3 tbsp water in the same pan over a medium-low heat and boil gently for 6–8 minutes until a drop in cold water sets into a firm ball.
8 minStep 3: Take off the heat, stir in 1 /2 tsp ground cardamom and 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, then tip in the puffed rice and stir fast until evenly coated.
1 minStep 4: Rub 1 tsp coconut oil, for your hands on your palms, take handfuls of the warm mixture and press firmly into balls the size of a small orange, working quickly before it sets.
8 minStep 5: Cool on a tray until hard and store in an airtight tin for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 130 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 29 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kasar take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 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.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of puffed rice (murai)?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of jaggery?
- Dark brown or muscovado sugar, same amount.
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