Adhirasams bubbling away in a pot of oil. This is how it must smell in heaven.
Krishna scurried out of bed and into the kitchen. Amma was at the stove, sari tucked above her knees, a hand splayed at her waist, the other holding a long-handled, pock-marked ladle.
The deep-fried sweets made a neat, golden mountain at her elbow.
If only I could get one, Krishna thought. If only, if only. How can I get one?
He had to be quiet so Amma wouldn't catch on he was standing nearby. "Sneaky," as Amma had told him countless times, wagging a finger in his face. But what could he do? It's not as if he could just ask for one
"It's too early to eat sweets," Amma would say. "I'll give you one later."
Later. Krishna hated that word. He lived for the urgency and perfection of Now.
His jaw had dropped open and the juices were bubbling up in his mouth. It was no secret Krishna loved to eat. He didn't mind it when Appa told him he ate "like a pig." Or when guests looked at him and went, "Krishna, you've put on some weight!"
Besides, being called greedy was a small price to pay for one of those adhirasams. They were his favorite sweet in the wide world. Amma made them just once or twice a year, and then all Krishna usually got was one.
"Deep-fried foods are not good for you," Amma would say when he asked for more. "You ought to be glad I'm letting you eat one."
If they are not good for me, how come they taste so good, Krishna wondered. And they were so, so good. The juicy crunchiness, the rich, cloying sweetness, and that intoxicating cardamom...
Krishna heard the door open and Appa's voice carried into the kitchen. "They're here!"
Krishna's heartbeat rocketed. Guests. At least four of them by the sound of it. Gosh, what if they ate up all the adhirasams, leaving none for him?
He snuck closer to Amma, who hurriedly put the ladle down, pulled at the sari tucked in at her waist, and smoothed it down with one hand. "Come in, come in!" She called out, picking up the plate of adhirasams. "Look what I made for you-- your favorite sweet."
Next thing she knew she was sprawling across the floor, plate still in hand, and the adhirasams were flying across the room. Everyone ran in. "Oh, what a mess," Amma grumbled in embarrassment as Appa helped her up. "Where's that dog? He's always sneaking up on me! This time I'll teach him a lesson!"
Everyone turned to look at the golden pooch sitting in a corner of the room. His tail wagged even more furiously as the faces turned toward him. There was no mess. Nor a single adhirasam in sight.
Boy, those were good, Krishna seemed to be saying. Thanks, Amma!
***
What? You really didn't think I'd tell you a story that wasn't about a dog, did you?
I wrote this up for Chalks and Chopsticks, an event that calls for a marriage of food and fiction. How tempting is that?
As busy as I've been with Lucy and all else, I didn't find out about the event until after the deadline. But Sandeepa, the host this time (for the event started by Aqua), was kind enough to let me in. Thanks, Sandeepa!
There's a pinch of me and a pinch of Opie in this story, if you hadn't guessed it already. Adhirasams are my favorite sweet in the whole wide world, although I don't think I ever sent Amma (my Tamil mom-in-law who fed me the first adhirasam I ever had), sprawling across the floor in my quest to get some. But that's something my smartassed Opie just might do.:)
Hope you enjoyed reading it. And if you didn't -- you'll definitely enjoy the adhirasams. Here's the recipe:
Adhirasam
Ingredients
2 cups brown rice flour (use white rice if you can't find this)
1 cup grated jaggery (an unrefined, Indian sweetener made with sugarcane juice. Sugar's not a good substitute. You can find this at any Indian store where it's sold in little bales or chunks. To grate it, I take a big knife and chop at it like you would a slab of chocolate)
1 teaspoon cardamom powder
1 tablespoon sesame seeds (you can substitute with poppy seeds)
A pinch of salt to taste (not traditional, but the salt enhances the sweetness of the jaggery)
1 tablespoon canola or other vegetable oil
Oil for deep frying
Place the jaggery in a saucepan. Add ¼ cup of water and heat on a low flame until the jaggery melts. Bring to a boil and let it bubble for around 5-10 minutes on a medium-low flame. You want the jaggery to reach a "soft-ball" consistency. What this means is that the jaggery syrup is ready when you fling a bit of it into some water and it balls up into a soft ball.
Place all the other ingredients in a bowl, mix well, then add the jaggery syrup. With a ladle, mix it up until you have a soft dough that holds together.
Heat the oil. You don't want it to get too hot because the adhirasams will burn on the outside without cooking thoroughly inside. About 325-350 degrees is perfect.
Break off a piece of the dough and form a ball about ¾ths of an inch in diameter.
Place it in the palm of your hand and flatten with your fingers into a disc.
Fry a few adhirasams at a time in the oil, without overcrowding the saucepan. Flip them over when they start to turn golden-brown and cook the other side.
Remove to a paper-towel-lined sheet and allow them to cool a little before you dig in.
And share them with your pooches, if you have any! Mine really do love these. 🙂 But don't go overboard-- as Amma would say, neither of you ought to be eating too much of that deep-fried food!
More posts for Chalks and Chopsticks!
Loved this adhirasam recipe? Check out more Indian Vegan Sweets on Holy Cow!
Anonymous
Hi vaishali, i would certainly like to try this one. Winters the best time to eat jaggery in any and every form. U r so good at fictions!!!!!!!!
God Bless
Nisha.
SS blogs here
Great story. I didn't expect Krishna to be a pooch. 🙂 Thanks for the read, look fw to more!
Miri
Hee hee 🙂 good story 🙂
Aparna
Great story, Vaishali. Krishna got lucky this time. 😀
Kumudha
Adhirasams look so YUM! In Karnataka, a similar sweet called kajayya is prepared during diwali...
sheba
Totally enjoyed reading this..and ur description of the sweet has left me craving for them too..
Sanjeeta kk
Crispy and tasty recipe to try. A must sweet dish on many of the festivals in south of India. Good read.
Zengirl @ Heart and Mind
Vaishali,
Wow!, I was so intrigued by your story telling that I kept little P, hanging on until I finished and re-read it. You are one great story teller. You have my winning vote!
I knew you were journalist, but this is beyond journalism. You should pen a book. I will be first one to buy it.
Never had Adhirasams before, should try it. Zenguy will love it as he has super sweet tooth! Thanks for the captivating story and recipe as always.
I hope lucy, opie and all of you are getting better.
aquadaze
Ok you totally got me with the end!! Lovely story and very nicely told!
And you've got me craving adhirasams now 🙂
Rajee
Loved the story Vaishali and awesome adhirasam. I love adhirasam too especially now that I dont get to eat them as often as I would like to 🙂
A_and_N
OMG! I love love love love adirasam. Its been years since I ate them.
You've hit that part of my memories that brings me to tears!
Thank you!
Artist At Work
Your website is quite a find! So happy to have come across it. Your recipes look incredibly delicious!
Veggie Belly
oh my these adirasams look so golden and lovely! yum!
Usha
That is such a cute story ! And the adhirasams look fabulous and very tempting...
Bong Mom
:):) I really didn't think Krishnaw ould be a pooch, you got me there.
The adhirasams look too good, I could send someone sprawling for those
Thanks for the entry
Vaishali
Inji, Thanks, and yes, they can be tough insofar as getting the consistency of the jaggery syrup is concerned.
Sharmila, Thanks, dear, and Lucy's doing well now. I'll keep you guys updated about her health on the blog.
She sends you a woof! 🙂
Rachana, thanks!
Vaishali
Jaya, thanks! I can certainly see Opie doing something like that, although on second thoughts he's just too much in love with his mom to trip her over 🙂
Skay, thanks. Adhirasams are certifiably craveable 🙂
Indhu, thanks.
Jayasree, glad you were surprised-- thanks 🙂
Mints, thanks, dear 🙂 You are really kind.
I know anarase that we Maharashtrians make are similar to adhirasams-- had not heard of Gharge. Will have to look them up.
Nupur, thanks.
Bangalorebaker, waiting on your grandmom's recipe!
Ameya, AMA, Priya, Uma, Divya, Voracious: Thanks, all! 🙂
DJ: That's a good way to describe these-- they are indeed gluten-free Indian donuts. 🙂
Rachana Kothari
A lovely read! Adhirasams look absolutely delicious!
Sharmila
Beautiful story Vaish! We call it Arisa ... and I would never share my Arisa with anybody ... well ... except my pooch ... if I had one. 🙂
That final twist to the story is so endearing ... just like Opie. 🙂
Hope Lucy is better now.
Inji
Cute story 🙂 I can totally see myself doing what Krishna did. I don't know what it is - the chewy texture or the complex sweetness of jaggery but Adhirasams are my favourite sweet too! It is traditionally supposed to be a difficult sweet to make though.. great job making these - they look good.
DJ Karma (VegSpinz)
An Indian donut! I'm bookmarking- very cute story too 🙂
The Voracious Vegan
Haha, I love this story! Beautifully done. And your delicious treats look so tasty. I love how light and crisp they are, must make these!
Divya Vikram
Nice story Vaishali 🙂 Adhirasam is one of my favorite sweet! Looks so appetizing 🙂
Uma
that's a nice read Vaishali! Well written. Adhirasams looks absolutely delicious. Yum!!
Priya
Fabulous story Vaishali, adhirasams looks super crispy and delicious..
AMA's AnythingVegetarian
All did after reading this post is :):):):).
Ameya
Great story Vaishali!! The adhirasams look scrumptious 🙂
BangaloreBaker
I loved the story. I wouldn't have guessed it to be a dog though. I still haven't mimiced my grandmother's athirasam which was to die for.
Nupur
You got me!!! Great little story, Vaishali.
But I can see myself knocking just about anyone over to get a bite of those adhirasams 😉
Mints!
Oh so lovely. As I always said, you have a great writing style. This post made me chuckle for sure 🙂
So adhirasams are similar to gharge in marathi?
jayasree
Coming from you, one could have guessed its not a regular story of a boy Kirshna. But I least expected it. You have written it well.
And Adhirasams are definitely a treat to look for.
Skay
Loved this one, Vaish! Nice story too.
And now I am craving sweets. 🙂 🙂
Jaya Wagle
Vaishali, I fully expected the story to be about boy Krishna but never thought he would turn out to be a pooch! That was some suspense and I enjoyed every bit of it. 🙂 I guess the best stories are the ones inspired from your life. I am still smiling as I write this.
Anonymous
Wow, nice looking adhirasams. Haven't had them in a long long time. Brings back special memories of my childhood days in India when my athais (dad's sisters) used to make them at home on special occasions on wood fired stoves! I used to think the process was tedious.
Indhu.