Vishu Katta

Vishu Katta is a popular and traditional breakfast recipe which is made during the Vishu festival ( Kerala New year). It is a must-have traditional breakfast dish during the New year in certain parts of Kerala especially central Kerala region. It is basically a rice cake made with coconut milk and spiced with cumin powder n dry ginger powder to make it more flavourful. It is traditionally served

with jaggery syrup. Moreover, they use special brown rice variety called Unakkalari rice which is also called payasam rice, it is nothing but Kerala raw rice with bran in it if you don't have that variety you can use ordinary raw rice for this recipe. Do check out the recipe for Vishu Katta below.

Ingredients 

Unakkalari rice ( brown raw rice ) or Raw rice -1 cup
Thick coconut milk 1st milk (onnam paal)-1 cup
2 nd coconut milk (irandam paal) -2 cups
3rd coconut milk (moonram paal) -3 cups
Salt to taste
Dry ginger powder -1 Tsp
Roasted cumin powder -1 Tsp
Cumin seeds -1 Tsp
Ghee -1 Tsp
Banana leaf 1 no

For jaggery syrup

Jaggery -1 cup
Water -1/2 cup

Method

👉Wash and soak the rice for 30 mins.

👉First, take thick coconut milk by just sprinkling little water and grinding freshly grated coconut to a fine paste. 👉Squeeze the milk out of the paste by placing a strainer over a vessel or bowl. Mix roasted cumin powder to this 1 st milk and set aside.

👉Now again transfer the same coconut back again to the mixie jar and add 2 cups water and grind it again strain the milk and collect it another vessel this milk should be slightly watery than the 1 st milk.this is 2 nd milk.

👉Repeat the process for the 3 rd time and now add 3 cups water and grind ,strain it and collect this very watery milk in a vessel this is 3 rd milk.Keep all the three coconut milk ready.

👉Now in heavy bottom kadai add the 3 rd coconut milk and bring to a boil.

👉 Once it comes to a rolling boil and slightly reduces in quantity add the rice after draining the water completely. Cook covered for 5 mins.Stir occasionally.

👉After 10 mins when the 3rd coconut milk is all soaked up by the rice add the 2 nd coconut milk, salt and continue to cook until the rice is 3/4 th done. Keep stirring.

👉Once the rice becomes mushy finally add the 1 st coconut milk, dry ginger powder mix well. Cook until the rice starts to thicken and leaves the sides of the kadai.

👉Meanwhile, keep a plate lined with a banana leaf which is greased with ghee ready.

👉Simultaneously make jaggery syrup by dissolving the jaggery in water and boiling it for 2 mins then strain it and keep it ready.
👉Now pour this cooked rice into the plate and flatten it using a spatula.Sprinkle cumin seeds on top.

👉Allow it to cool down a bit,then make markings to cut the rice mixture to square pieces.

👉Once the rice is completely cooled remove from the plate and serve along with the jaggery syrup .

Preparation Time -30 mins.
Serves -4

Note

✍️I didn't get unakkalari rice so I have used ordinary raw rice .
✍️Using banana leaf imparts flavour to the rice.