Enjoying these kesa mithoi / Assamese no-cook rice flour laddu after ages. To be honest, the craving for these sweet treats was triggered when ma recently sent a photo and it brought back a whole lot of memories. In the photo, there was a bowl of kesa mithoi which she had made as an offering to the gods. It was Janmashtami- the birthday of Lord Krishna. These laddus (name given to any ball shaped Indian sweet) included rice flour and fresh grated coconut as the main ingredients. The coconut gives a lovely bite.
Kesa mithoi is an Assamese sweet that is usually made as an offering to the gods during special occasions. The sight of the laddus in ma’s photo had me drooling no end; and they are easy to rustle up too, if you have the ingredients, of course. And the best part is that it does not involve any cooking; the word ‘kesa’ means raw.
The laddus also reminded me of those times when we, as kids, would wait impatiently for ma to finish her prayers so that we could enjoy the laddus as they would be a part of the offerings.
Sugar-
I have used granulated sugar. So I mixed it with the coconut and let it sit for a while. I mixed it, firstly with a spoon and then a couple more times with a firm hand. The mixture is ready when it is sticky.
You can avoid the above step by using powdered sugar and adding it to the rest of the ingredients.
Milk-
I did not need any any extra liquid to bind the laddus as the mixture held together and I was able to shape it into balls. If your mixture seems too dry after mixing well, add a tbsp of milk (at room temperature) to the mixture. Add more if needed, but avoid adding a lot of milk at one go.
Camphor-
I have added a pinch of eating camphor to impart that authentic flavour. This is optional. But if you are adding the camphor, make sure you add just a tiny bit as the flavour can be quite overpowering.
Storage-
Store the laddus in an airtight container in the fridge. Use them up quickly as they do not have a long shelf life.
Continue reading for the recipe for these delicious Kesa mithoi / Assamese no-cook rice flour laddu.
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Recipe card-
Kesa mithoi / Assamese no-cook rice flour laddu
Ingredients
- 2 cups rice flour
- 1 cup fresh grated coconut
- 1 cup granulated sugar (see notes below)
- 1 tbsp crushed cardamom seeds
- a pinch of edible camphor (optional, see note below)
- ½ cup ghee
- a few tbsp of milk at room temperature (only if needed; see notes below)
Instructions
- In a bowl, add the coconut and sugar (see notes below).
- Mix together the coconut and sugar and let it sit for a while. I mixed it, firstly with a spoon and then a couple more times, with a firm hand. The mixture is ready when it is sticky.
- In a larger bowl, add the rice flour, coconut mixture, cardamom and camphor (if using) and mix well by hand.
- Add the ghee and continue mixing till the mixture holds together and you are able to shape into balls.
- You can make the balls as big or small as you wish. I made 25 medium sized balls from the mixture; the number will depend on how big or small you have shaped your balls into.
- Store in a airtight container in the fridge. It does not have a long shelf life , so use it up quickly.
Video
Notes
- Sugar–
- Milk–
- Camphor-
All the Assamese recipes in this blog can be found here.
You might also like to try these other recipes from this website-
Until next time,
Sunita
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