Adirasam

Adirasam is a popular South Indian sweet dish made during festivals like Diwali and special occasions. It is a deep-fried sweet made with rice flour, jaggery, and spices. Enjoy the delicious and crispy Adirasam as a festive dessert or as a sweet treat any time of the year.

Adirasam

0.0 from 0 votes
Recipe by S Kamala
Course: SweetsCuisine: Indian, TamilDifficulty: Medium
Servings

35

servings
Prep time

9

hours 
Cooking time

40

minutes

Adirasam is a beloved South Indian dessert often made during festivals such as Diwali. This deep-fried sweet, crafted from rice flour, jaggery, and spices, can be enjoyed during celebratory events or as a year-round treat, presenting an enticing blend of delicious and crispy flavors.

Ingredients

  • Raw Rice – 4 cups

  • Jaggery powdered – 3 cups

  • Khus Khus – 1 teaspoon (optional)

  • Dry Ginger Powder – 1 teaspoon

  • Cardamom powder – 1 teaspoon

  • Oil – for deep frying

  • Ghee – two to three teaspoon

Directions

  • Wash the rice well and soak it in water for about one to two hours.
  • Drain the water completely and spread it in a clean cloth and leave it for just 5 to 10 minutes to enable the cloth to absorb any water content in the rice.
  • Still the rice should have moisture content in it. If you touch the rice, you should feel damp in your palm and few rice will stick to your hand.
  • Put the rice in a mixie jar and grind it to a fine powder. Sieve it and keep it closed with a lid so that it will not dry.
  • Dry roast the khus khus (if you are using) till it is slightly brown and keep it aside.
  • Add 2 cups water to the jaggery powder and make a soft ball consistency syrup. (If you put little syrup in cold water, it should stay under the water and if you remove it with your fingers, you will be able to gather it to a soft ball or a soft pearl).
  • At this stage, switch off the stove.
  • Add the fried khus khus, dry ginger powder and cardamom powder. Mix well.
  • Add the rice flour little by little and keep stirring while you add the flour. Mix well. It looks semi solid now and will harden once it cooled down.
  • Transfer to another bowl and sprinkle little ghee over the dough (to prevent drying) and keep it aside for at least one day.
  • Next day, start preparing the adirasam.
  • Heat oil in a kadai. Apply ghee to your hands, take little dough and make a lemon sized ball. Flatten them round like a small disc. Drop gently in the hot oil and deep fry on medium flame till it becomes golden brown.
  • Remove and press it using a flat spoon or small bowl so that the excess oil will drain off.
  • For the above quantity, you will get 30 to 35 adirasams.

Recipe Video

Notes

  • When you are soaking rice, you can add one more cup of rice and make powder. Sometimes, the quality of rice and jaggery may differ and we need more or less rice powder. Hence, when you are adding rice flour to the jaggery syrup, you can add till you get a thick flowing consistency dough and stop adding rice flour. This way we will get right dough.
  • You can prepare adirasam immediately. However if you keep this dough over night and prepare adirasam on next day, adirasam will be soft and more tasty.
  • If you find the flour is too hard to make balls, then just sprinkle little hot water and make the dough soft.
  • Also make sure you use only “Paagu” vellam.

49 Comments

  1. Ananya Mahadevan

    Thank you so much for this. Infact I thought I had looked up your site before asking you this question. Somehow I had missed this. The recipe is quite different from what my mother makes and the picture is mouth watering. I dint know keeping the dough overnight will make softer adhirasams. As you say, the rice type and the mix varies from place to place. I really hope I get it right. Will update you once I try. I am soaking rice right away.
    Thanks again. I know your recipes will always work fine. We just finished your paal halwa that I made for diwali.
    Best Regards
    Ananya Mahadevan

  2. Hi Ananya,

    Wish you all the best for getting nice adirasam.

  3. Ananya Mahadevan

    அன்புள்ள கமலாம்மா ,

    அதிரசம் மிக சுவையாக இருந்தது. வழக்கம் போல நான் சொதப்பி விடுவேனோ என்று பயந்து கொண்டே செய்தேன். உங்கள் புண்ணியத்தில் அது நன்றாக வந்தது. மீண்டும் உங்கள் வலைத்தளத்தை பற்றி என் வலைப்பதிவில் சொல்லி இருக்கிறேன். வாருங்களேன்
    http://ananyathinks.blogspot.com/2009/10/happy-birthday-naa.html

    ( வலைத்தளத்தில் படம் சேர்த்துள்ளேன்).

    என் கணவருக்கு உகந்த பிறந்தநாள் பரிசு. ரசித்து சாப்பிட்டார்.

    ஒரே ஒரு doubt . மத்தியில் மிருதுவாக இருந்த போதும், edges இல் கரகரப்பாக இருக்கிறதே. நான் ஏதேனும் தவறு செய்து விட்டேனோ? பாகு முற்றிவிட்டதா? அப்படிஎன்றால் விளக்குங்கள்.
    இனிமேல் தைர்யமாக அதிரசம் செய்துவிடலாம் என்ற நம்பிக்கை ஏற்பட்டுள்ளது. நன்றிகள் பல.

    அன்புடன்,
    அனன்யா

  4. அனன்யா,

    அதிரசம் நன்றாக வந்தது குறித்து மிக்க மகிழ்ச்சி. தங்கள் வலைத்தளத்தில் படத்தைப் பார்த்தேன். வடிவம் சரியாக அமைந்திருக்கிறது. சுவையும் நன்றாக இருந்ததாக கூறியுள்ளீர்கள். அதனால் பாகு பதம் சரியானதாகவே இருக்கும். தீயை அதிகமாக வைத்து, அதிரசத்தை எண்ணையில் போட்டால் மேலே உடனடியாக வெந்து கருகி விடும். உள்ளே சரியாக வேகாமல் மாவு அப்படியே இருக்கும். அல்லது மாவு சற்று கெட்டியாக இருந்திருக்க வேண்டும். மாவை பாகில் போட்டு கிளறி வைக்கும் பொழுது, கெட்டியாகவும் இருக்க வேண்டும். அதே சமயம் தளரவும் இருக்க வேண்டும். அதாவது சப்பாத்தி மாவை விட சற்று தளர இருக்க வேண்டும். மாவை உருட்டினால் இலேகியம் போல் இருக்க வேண்டும். தட்டும் பொழுது இலகுவாக பரவ வேண்டும். இப்படி செய்து நிதானமான் தீயில் சுட்டால், நிச்சயம் நன்றாக இருக்கும்.

    முதன் முறையிலேயே அதிரசம் உடையாமல், சுவையாக வந்ததே வெற்றிதான். இன்னும் ஓரிரு முறை செய்தால், நீங்கள் அதிரசம் செய்வதில் தேர்ந்து விடுவீர்கள்.

    தங்களுக்கும், தங்களின் கணவர் பிறந்த நாளுக்கும் வாழ்த்துக்கள்.

  5. Ananya Mahadevan

    தங்கள் வாழ்த்துக்கு நன்றி
    நீங்கள் கூறினார்போல மாவு சற்று கெட்டியாக இருந்தது . உங்கள் அறிவுரைப்படி சிறிது Fresh Milk தெளித்து பிசைந்து லேகிய பதம் வந்ததும் ஈசியாக தட்டி எடுத்து அடுப்பை ஸிம்மில் வைத்து பொறித்தேன் . ஒரு டிஷ்யூவில் அதிரசங்களை அடுக்கி ஒரு டபராவை வைத்து அழுத்தி எண்ணெய் பிழிந்தேன் . அதன் பிறகு edges கொஞ்சம் உடைந்து crispy யாக மாறிவிட்டது .
    எப்படியோ , அடுத்த முறை இன்னும் சற்று கவனமாக பண்ணினால் சரியாக வரும் என்று நம்புகிறேன் . இந்த கிரெடிட் எல்லாம் உங்களுக்கு தான் .
    நன்றியுடன் அனன்யா

  6. hi kamala,
    the adirasam i prepared today according to yr receipe has turned out verywell in colour and taste but instead of soft itm was very crispy first it started spreading when i put it in oil then i mixed little milk then it was slightly better. where have i gone wrong i don't know kindly advise me waiting for your comment

  7. HI usha,

    Thank you for visiting my site. I think the jaggery is overcooked. You have to remove the jaggery syrup when it reaches soft ball consistency. If it is overcooked to a hard ball consistency, then the dough become hard and it tends to break when you put it in hot oil.

    Next time try with small quantity and make right consistency of jaggery syrup. You will get perfect adirasam. Moreover, the adirasam will be crisp when you remove from the hot oil, but it will become soft once it is cooled down.

  8. Hi Kamala,

    Your athirasam looks yummy and tasty. Thanks for the recipe.I need to know what rice to use for this recipe.I don't get much varieties of rice here in US or can u suggest me a substitute like ready made rice flours will it do any gud??
    Waiting for u're reply

  9. Hi Soma,

    You can use rice flour, but the adirasam will be hard eventhough the taste is OK.

    You will get "Ponni Raw Rice" in Indian Stores in US. It is good to use for this recipe.

  10. Hai Kamala Tons of thanks for sharing ur Adirasam Receipe. I tried out and it turned out very yummy. Thanks once again.

  11. Hi Maya,

    Thank you for your kind feed back.

  12. Hi, I tried your recipe, thou’ it turned out good..it retained shape and taste, it was crunchy on the outer . I have tried it couple of times and end up with the same. I tried with 1 cup of rice for 3/4 cup jaggery. Do you have any suggestions for me.

  13. Hi Uma,

    May be you are over frying the adirasam. Or the dough is very hard. The dough should be soft and when you pat it, it will spread very easily. Moreover, when you shape the dough it should be slightly thick and not too thin. Try it once more and I am sure you will get soft adirasam.

  14. Do you leave this dough overnight in the refrigerator? or room temperature? Should be cover it with a wet towel?

    • Shanthi,

      No. We should not refrigerate the dough. We have to keep it at room temperature. No need to cover it with wet cloth. But sprinkle little melted ghee over the dough and cover it with a lid.

  15. Kamala amma,

    I am so happy,we made it and it was soooooooooo tasty and i couldnot believe that i made adirasam.All credit goes to you amma.

    My neighbour aunty helped me in getting soft ball consistency and on the second day of it we made it.We tried with small batch for the first time and it’s all over now.My husband really enjoyed this adirasam and asked to make more this time.

    Thanks amma for sharing such a wonderful recipe and for your help in making it.I am now confident to make it in the next time.Thanks once again.

  16. Hi kamala Amma,
    How do we grind the rice?if we soak it ,how will it become powder?

    • Hi Sharmila,

      After soaking, drain the water completely and grind it. Since there is no water in the rice, after few seconds of grinding you will notice wet rice powder in the mixie. Remove and sieve it. Then put the remains on top of the sieve in the mixie and again grind it. You will get perfect soft wet flour. Try once and let me know the result.

  17. Hi Kamala Amma,
    Thank you so much for your prompt reply,
    I’ll try this and let you know for sure!

  18. Hi Aunty Kamala I’d like to try making the ADIRASAM and would like to know what is jaggery power.I’m South african Tamil hope to try some of the interesting recipes on this website.I’ll need advice fron you on what is available here in Lenasia which is a suburb in Johannesburg SA .I also would like to know if I used rice flour which is available here would the result be the same as grinding it in a mixie.Your website is so interesting and I am excited to try the recipes.You’ve really inspired me to try all these south indian dishes.I’m online awaiting your reply.
    Thanking you kindly,
    Shamala

  19. Thank you AUNTY KAMALA for your response.I’m going to definitely cook and make items from your recipes.You’ll be hearing from me again about my cooking results.I have a passion for cooking and baking so trying all these new recipes is going to really going to make a deference in our house hold.Looking forward to seeing a photo of you.I’d like to see who I’m talking to.
    Kind regards
    Shamala.

  20. pallavi prasad

    namaste kamala aunty
    today i make adhirasam. it was testy but little hard. for first time it was good but i want to know that where was i gone wrong plz advise me
    thank u so much.
    withe love
    pallavi

    • Hi Pallavi Prasad.

      If it is hard, then the jaggery syrup is over boiled. Or the dough is very thick. The dough should pliable and when you press it it will easily spread. Also overfrying will also make it hard. Try few more times and you will get perfect soft adirasam.

  21. i would like to thank ..you for this amazing ,work out recipes and interesting site.

    God bless you for sharing with all the viewers!!
    keep it up, “KAMALA’S CORNER”a well done site!!!!!

  22. hi kamalama,
    i’ve khus khus which is poppy seed , i guess. But i’ve black poppy seeds.Can i use that for making adirasam?

  23. One more doubt kamalama. What is the shell life of adirasams?

  24. Hello Madam,
    For the past two year I made adirasam for diwali. I got Pagu that you said in your Recipe. But when I put adirasam in the oil it turned separated in the oil and all the dough and oil became waste. This year I am very much afriad to do adirasam. I couldn’t identify the mistakes what I made. Please tell me the solution for this Problem.

    • If you add more jaggery, it will break in the hot oil. You can reduce the quantity of the jaggery. If you have already prepared the dough, then add more rice flour and try.

  25. When I put the dough in the oil, it doesn’t stay together and splits apart. I tried with varying oil temp and still the same result . Could you let me know what the problem is?

  26. aarthijagan

    Hai mam,
    I tried adirasam as per ur menu, I dnt know where I went wrong it was very hard to bite and also less sweet it was, can u suggest me where I made mistake.waiting eagerly for ur reply.

    With regards,
    Aarthijagan.

    • I think you overcooked the jaggery syrup. Some variety of jaggery may not be very sweet and sometimes tastes little salty. You should not use that variety. Have to use only Paagu Vellam.

  27. Thank you for ur valuable suggestion mam.I will try again with little amount of ration as per ur idea.

    With regards,
    aarthijagan.

  28. “Soak the rice in water for about one hour. Drain the water completely and grind it to a fine powder. ” We should grind it immediately after draining the water from rice?

    I made adhirasam for this Diwali using 1:1 ratio of rice and jaggery. It went dark outside. Also, I spread the soaked rice for some time (1 1/2 hours) to remove the wetness and then made flour and the adhirasam was prepared after 7-8 hours of grinding. Will these be the reasons for not getting proper adirasam?

    • Hi Jayanthi,

      Yes. You have to grind it immediately after draining the water. We call it “eera arisi” (Wet rice). Moreover the colour of the adirasam depends on the colour of the jaggery we use. If you use dark colour jaggery and fry it very hot oil, it will turn black. Quality of rice/jaggery and the consistency of the jaggery syrup – all these make the adirasam turn good or not as per our expectation. Try with little quantity first and correct the mistakes.

  29. Hai mam,
    I am so happy about ur site, all ur recipes are easy and good,I am trying all of ur variety & my husband feels good about my cooking, l have a small query in making adirasam.can we make adirasam in murukku mavu, will it be good. ?

    With regards,
    Aarthijagan

    • Thank you for writing Aarthijagan. No. You cannot make adirasam with murukku mavu. You have to use freshly made rice flour only to get the soft and authentic adirasam.

  30. Shaila Pillai

    Thank you for the delicious South Indian sweet recipes. I’ve been searching for few of these and I’m so thankful to you for the easy to follow recipes. Excited to get cooking with these recipes. Best Wishes, shailaja

  31. Hai amma,

    I happened to see tat we get ready made adhirasam maavu at shops can we try tat

    • I think the rice flour is sold for adirasam. I am not sure whether it is mixed with jaggery etc. If it is instant adhirasam flour, there is nothing wrong in trying it.

  32. Can the rice flour also be steamed in the cooker for 2-3 whistles. Place in a cloth bundle inside a bowl ?

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