Thambittu / Tambittu / Rice - Jaggery laddu / ಅಕ್ಕಿ ತಂಬಿಟ್ಟು

Thambittu is a traditional kannada sweet. It is made for Naga Panchami, Krishna Janmashtami, Mangala Gowri festivals.

Servings : This recipe makes about 12-15 laddus.

Ingredients:
1 cup Rice / ಅಕ್ಕಿ
½ cup water / ನೀರು
½ cup jaggery (grated/powdered) / ಬೆಲ್ಲದ ತುರಿ
4-5 tbsp fresh grated coconut / ಕಾಯಿ ತುರಿ
4 tbsp ghee / ತುಪ್ಪ
a pinch of cardamom powder / ಏಲಕ್ಕಿ ಪುಡಿ
Cashews, Raisins (optional) / ವಣದ್ರಾಕ್ಷಿ , ಗೋಡಂಬಿ

Method:

Soak 1 cup rice (I used sona masoori) in water for about 2 hours. Then drain the water and spread the rice on a cloth or paper towel, leave it for about 30-45 minutes. This removes most of the water. Then put it in a blender and make a fine powder.

In a pan heat ½ cup of water, add jaggery to it. Keep stirring till it dissolves completely. Then add grated coconut, ghee, cardamom to it. When the water starts boiling add the powdered rice slowly and stir it continously to form a single uniform mixture without any lumps. Now reduce the heat , cover and cook it for 4-6 minutes. Switch off the stove.

If you are adding cashews and raisins, deep fry them in ghee and add it to this mixture. Let the mixture cool for 10 minutes, then make it into your desired shape. Grease your hands with ghee and make medium sized balls while still hot. You can also make them as patties. Store it in an air tight container, stays fresh for about a week.

I made the Tambittu for Mangala Gowri festival and used them as diyas to do aarti to Goddess Gowri.

You can also make Tambittu with wheat flour, see the recipe here.