Achappam / Rose Cookies with Raw Rice

Achappam / Rose Cookies is a traditional Kerala deep fried snacks prepared using dedicated mold. It can be prepared by grinding soaked raw rice or with unroasted rice flour. This time I prepared Achappam / Rose Cookies using raw rice.

Ingredients

• Raw Rice (White Rice) - 1 cup
• Egg - 1 no:
• Thick Coconut Milk - 3/4 cup
• Sugar - 4-5 tbsp
• Salt -  a pinch
• Sesame Seed - 2 tbsp
• Oil - as required for deep frying

Preparation Method

1. Wash clean and soak the raw rice for 2-3 hours. Drain the water and keep the rice in strainer for 20-30mins: to remove excess water.
2. To the wet grinding jar of add rice, egg and grind by gradually adding the coconut milk. Add coconut milk as required. The batter should be smooth and without any grains and the consistency should be as that of dosa batter. 
3. Transfer the batter to a large bowl and add sugar (you can add sugar as per the desired sweetness). Mix well.
4. Add salt and sesame seeds; mix well and keep aside for 30 mins:
5. Heat oil in a deep bottom wide pan. While heating the oil immerse the Achappam mold in the oil and heat up.
6. Mix well the batter and transfer a small portion to a small deep bowl.
7. Once the oil start to bubble, reduce the flame to medium; take out the mold from oil and dip it to the batter in the small bowl, keep for 2 seconds and keep the mold back in oil. Make sure the batter should cover only till 3/4th of the mold and while keeping the mold back in the oil the mold should not touch the bottom of the pan.
8. Hold the mold for 30 seconds and after that gently shake the mold; the achappam will easily slip out to oil.
9. After 1 mins: flip the achappam with a skewer and fry the other side.
10. Once its turn golden in color, remove the achappam from oil and keep in a kitchen towel to remove excess oil.
11. Same way you can make achappam from remaining batter.
12. Keep the achappam in kitchen towel till it cool down completely.
13. Crispy, traditional Kerala style Achappam / Rose Cookies is ready to enjoy.

Notes :  

• I used 250 ml standard measuring cup.
• While grinding the rice, add coconut milk to maintain the batter consistency. Keep in mind that batter will become slightly loose while mixing sugar.
• If you are using a non-stick mold or a well seasoned iron mold, immersing the mold in oil while oil is heating up is good enough to season it. If you are using new iron mold, keep the mold in tamarind water over night to season the same.
• Transferring small portion of batter to small bowl will be make it easy to hold the bowl and dip the mold.
• Make sure the batter should cover only till 3/4th of the mold while dipping mold in the bowl.
• While keeping the mold back in the oil, the mold should not touch the bottom of the pan.
• Mix the batter every time before dipping the mold. 
• Immerse the mold in the oil while each batch is getting fried.
• Fry only 2-3 achappam at a time. Each achappam will take only 3-4 mins: to get ready.