Recipes - Anarasa

Ingredients:

• 3 cups Basmati rice, soaked for a few hours
• 1 cup soft butter
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon rose water
• 1 tablespoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 cup almond nuts
• 1/4 cup cashew nuts
• 1/2 cup whole milk or as needed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 cups melted butter for frying
• 1 cup almond slices

Cooking Instructions:

In a blender, grind soaked rice, soft butter, almond, cashew nuts, sugar, rose water, milk, baking powder and salt into a relatively dry dough. Reserve in a large bowl, cover and let rest for overnight in refrigerator. This resting process is critical to this preparation, and would allow sugar to melt down and as a result the dough will have attained a softer, more pliable texture.

Make two-inch balls from the cookie dough. Place a plastic wrap on a board; coat surface lightly with melted butter; sprinkle almond slices. Flatten a dough ball into a one-quarter of inch thick patty of approximately 4-5 inches in diameter. With a fork, pierce holes on the patty. Repeat with other dough balls. Heat butter in a shallow cast-iron frying pan; gently drop a rice patty in the oil with the almond-coated side facing upwards. Allow frying until the oil side of Anarasa is golden brown, gradually scooping up hot butter and applying to the top surface; do not turn over on the other side. Remove from oil once the cookie is cooked to golden brown and crispy. Place on a sheet of paper towel to absorb excess oil. Continue frying until all the other patties are finished. To serve, place two Anarasa cookies on a plate; dust them with powdered sugar.