Easy Avurudu Treats to Make With your Family

I’m sure we can all agree that one of the best things about avurudu, leaving aside gifts and dressing up is the breathtaking food. It’s the festival food that tops all others. From Kavums to Pongal to Payasam, everything about the culture is immersed into seasonal, exotic flavors . Even talking about it is making me drool, and you’d be lying if you said otherwise. Now, if you don’t come from a home that prepares Avurudu Treats, then we can all relate to how we wait for our share from friends or neighbors. But guess what? Some of the most iconic Avurudu treats are quite simple and can be made in your own kitchen.

 So smack that apron on, because we’re looking at 7 Easy Avurudu Treats that you can make with your family right at home.

Kevum

Not necessarily the healthiest sweetmeat, but whoever said that festival food is healthy? In any case, it is healthy in the manner that there are no artificial ingredients added, it’s all natural! What’s more, completely vegan!!

It’s soft, it is moist with thin, caramelized crunchy crust bits here and there once you bite into it, oily, but satisfying so that you will keep reaching for more. It is treacly from the sugar and the treacle while the fennel seeds give it a herb-y touch that pierces through the moist richness of the oil cake. In short, you simply have to bit into one to really know what it tastes like. So yum!

Ingredients

• Rice – 500g (Red rice preferably since it gives the oil cake that rich brown colour)
• Flour – 100g
• Sugar – 100g
• Kithul treacle – 100ml
• Coconut milk – 200ml
• Salt – A pinch
• Fennel seed – 2 tablespoons
• Coconut oil – frying
• Water – 200 ml (or as necessary)

Method

1. Wash the red rice thoroughly. Soak it in water for 2-3 hours (not more than that), dry the rice and powder it to fine flour. Sift the flour through a fine sieve.
2. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Do not let the flour form any clots. The mixture must be smooth and slightly thicker than the consistency of a regular pancake batter. Add water as necessary. Keep it aside for about 1 hour for the flavors to merge and disperse.
3. Heat a pan with oil. The batter needs to be deep fried, so fill the pan about half way with oil.
4. When the oil is hot (you can test this by pouring in a bit of batter), slowly pour about 1 ladle of battle into the pan. Make sure you are pouring the batter in a horizontal line, not letting it flatten.
5. Once the mixture is poured, immediately stick the long metal stick to the middle of the batter. With the oil spoon, swirl the oil towards the metal rod (this way, the batter will amalgamate towards the rod, forming the ‘konde’) To form the ‘konde’ properly, you might have to shape it with the spoon as well.
6. Fry till golden brown and firm. Drain the excess oil on tissue paper. Yep my mouth is drooling too!

Pani Walalu 

This is among one of my favorite Avurudu Treats. I don’t know if its the soft, crunchy batter or the juicy, sweet syrup. Everything about this dessert screams YUM to me. And as you would have guessed, it’s really not that hard to make. One look at this recipe, and you’ll be whipping it up by the end of the day 

Ingredients

• 250g White lentils (Urad Dal/Vigna Mungo)
• 250g Rice flour
• Pinch of Salt
• 1 cup Coconut Milk
• Coconut oil for frying
• For The Syrup
• 100ml Kithul Treacle
• 150g Sugar
• 2 tblsps Ground Cinnamon
• 80ml Water

Method

1. Soak Urad Dal in water overnight or for 4-5 hours. Drain the water and grind to a thick paste in a blender/grinder/food processor.
2. Add the salt and the coconut milk and mix to a thick paste. The consistency of the paste should be about twice as thick as a pancake mixture. You should be able to pipe the mixture through a piping bag. Keep this aside for 2-3 hours.
3. To make the syrup, combine the treacle, sugar, water and cinnamon in a saucepan over heat. Bring to the boil and simmer while stirring gently until it slightly thickens. Take off heat.
4. Heat the oil in a pan. With a piping bag, pipe the undu mixture into the oil in a circular shape or as desired. Fry till golden brown.
5. Take the fried undu mixture off the oil and straight into the sugar syrup. Let it soak in the syrup while coating it well. Afterwards, Drain odd excess syrup and serve! Absolutely YUM!

Kokis

We can’t have an Avurudu Treat Recipe article without our OG Avurudu Treat. Kokis! The Savory crunchy treat that makes Avurudu exactly what it is. This may take a little longer than usual, but the turn out is absolutely worth it. Trust me on that!

Ingredients

• Rice flour – 500g, sifted (Alternatively, wheat flour also works)
• Coconut milk – 200ml
• Salt – to taste
• Turmeric – A pinch (for colour)
• Sugar – 2 tblsps (optional)
• Curry Leaves – 4 tblsps, chopped (Optional)
• Coconut oil – to fry
  

Method

1. Mix the rice flour, coconut milk, salt, turmeric and sugar together to a pancake like consistency. There should be no lumps in this mixture.
2. Heat the oil in a pan. The kokis is deep fried so the pan must be about half way full with oil.
3. Once the oil is heated, submerge the mould in oil. Keep it for about 1 minute. Lift the mould from the oil and submerge it in the previously made batter. The batter will then coat the mould. Take care not to submerge it in the batter all the way. The top edges must remain free of batter so that the kokis can slip out of the mould easily.
4. Dip the mould in the hot oil. Keep it in for about 30 seconds and with the metal rod, prod the now semi-hardened batter to come loose. Afterwards, Shake the mould simultaneously so that the batter will come free of it
5. Fry till golden brown. Store in airtight container and keep till the 14th!

Kiri Toffee

This dish is undoubtedly a lankan fav. Popular all year round, but hits all the right spots for the festive season. And contrary to popular belief, is quite simple to make when you have all the right ingredients.

Ingredients

• Milkmaid – 510g
• Water – 1/2 tin
• Sugar – 500g
• Butter or Margarine – 1 tsp.
• Vanilla essence – 1 tsp.
• Cashew nuts (chopped)- 50g

Method

• In a saucepan mix Milkmaid, sugar, water and cook on a low flame, stirring constantly unlit the mixture leaves the pan.
• Add vanilla, cashew and butter, just before you take it out from the fire.
• Spread evenly onto a greased tray that is 4 by 5 inches. Cut into desired shapes before it hardens.

 Sesame Rolls 

Also known popularly as “Thala Guli”, these may not necessarily be in the Avurudu Treats category but are a ball of absolute delight nevertheless. From Anniversaries to Funerals and Birthdays to Weddings, the infamous Thala Guli makes a presence without fail. Made only with Sesame Seeds, Kithul Jaggery and Coconut, this three ingredient treat is one to sit at the head of the table, get ready to whip it up right in your kitchen. 

Ingredients 

• Sesame seeds – 300g
• Kithul Jaggery – 100g
• Coconut – 150g, grated
• Salt – A pinch

Method

1. In a stone mortar and pestle, grind together the sesame seeds, the grated kithul jiggery, the coconut and the salt.
2. Add in the pinch of salt.
3. Mix well and form into balls. Delicioso! 

Pol Toffee

Nothing hits the Avurudu palette like the good old classic, Pol Toffee. This Avurudu Treat takes me back to being a 6 year old running across the yard on a sunny April afternoon, while my grandmother cooks up this piece of heaven in the kitchen.

Ingredients

• Baking spray
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 cups unsweetened desiccated coconut (also called finely grated)
• Pinch ground cardamom
• Drop pink food coloring, optional!

Method

1. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper overlapping the sides (for easy lifting).
2. In a heavy bottomed 3-quart saucepan over medium heat, mix the sugar and the water over medium heat. Cook until the mixture reaches the soft ball consistency, or a temperature of 235 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Stir in the coconut, cardamom and add food coloring, if using. (The toffee should be a pale, gentle pink.)
3. Quickly spread the mixture evenly into the prepared pan, firmly pressing it into the corners. Allow it to cool and harden (takes a number of hours!). Cut or break into delicate squares or pieces and enjoy!

Sultana Cake 

Now i’m not one to partake in raisin induced sweets, but the Sultana Cake is a game changer. This cake is a family favorite during tea times or just those late night deep talks. It’s a moist, slightly sticky cake with the perfect balance of sweet cut through with the Sultanas for a slight tang creating the most unique flavor. It’s also not your average fluffy cake as it crumbles very easily but the insides are a rich, thicker texture. Here’s how to make your own ;

Ingredients

• 250g butter (room temperature)
• 500g Sugar ( brown preferred ) 
• 6 eggs
• 250g Sultanas (To adjust the quantity as you wish
• 450g plain flour (sifted)
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tablespoon ground nutmeg
• 5 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla essence (or one vanilla pod)

Method

1. Sift together the flour and the baking powder.Cream the butter and the sugar together.Add to it the eggs. Beat well until everything combines.
2. Add the vanilla essence, ground cinnamon and nutmeg to this mixture. After the addition of each ingredient, mix well before adding the other.
3. Add the flour gradually in about 5 parts. After each addition, mix well. Add the milk. Add the sultanas. Mix well.
4. Line a baking tray with oil paper and butter it well. Pour the mixture onto the tray. Bake for 1 1/2 hours on moderate heat or until a skewer inserted to the middle of the cake comes out clean.

And that covers 4 Avurudu Treats for you to try making from your own kitchen this Avurudu! Don’t forget to stock up on all your gifts, clothing and essentials this Avurudu at the Daraz Avurudu Wasi Sale that goes live on the 25th of March, get upto 70% OFF on all your favorite brands. You don’t want to miss out!