Anarsa Recipe: Traditional Diwali Sweet Recipe You Must Try

A festive treat prepared in India during the festival of lights, anarsa is a crispy, crunchy and delicious dessert. A recipe that resembles a work of art, anarsa mithai is a deep-fried dessert which has the perfect golden brown colour and crunch both on the outside as well as on the inside. A rice-based biscuit, with just the right amount of sweetness and melt-in-your-mouth texture, anarsa sweet is the perfect dessert delight that is best enjoyed around family and friends during special occasions. Learn how to prepare the best anarsa recipe at home with a few simple steps.

What is anarsa?

A traditional Indian sweet dish that is prepared during the festival of Diwali, anarsa is often prepared as an offering to Goddess Lakshmi, during the rituals that take place in Diwali. Prepared from a mixture of rice, sugar, jaggery and semolina, anarsa Diwali sweets is an absolute delight to have. A deep-fried dessert, anarsa is a round and flaky, disc-shaped sweet that is rolled in white poppy seeds. A sweet dish that is prepared from locally sourced ingredients, the anarsa recipe is one that has evolved over time.

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Ingredients for anarsa

You will require the following anarsa ingredients to prepare this delightful sweet dish at home: 

1. ½ kolam cup rice
2. ½ cup grated jaggery
3. 2 tbsp semolina
4. 2 tbsp sugar
5. 7 tbsp ghee

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Anarsa Recipe

Follow the given step-by-step anarsa recipe to prepare anarsa sweet at home: 

1. To prepare anarsa mithai, soak the rice for up to 6-7 hours. Thereafter, drain the rice and spread it on a towel for about 15-20 minutes, so that the moisture from the rice is absorbed.
2. Add the rice to a blender jar and grind it into a smooth paste. Place the ground rice in a sieving bowl and sieve it thoroughly. 
3. Along with the ground rice, add in the jaggery along with 1 tbsp of ghee, and knead the mixture into a fine dough without using water. Add milk if required, and let the dough rest for up to 5-6 hours. 
4. Thereafter, divide the dough into equal portions and shape them into small round balls.
5. Mix the semolina and sugar in a container. Place the balls made from the dough and flatten them to evenly coat the dough with the semolina and sugar mixture. 
6. Add 6 tbsp of ghee in a non-stick pan, and add the anarsa balls to the oil and shallow fry until they turn golden brown in colour. Keep pouring hot ghee from the sides of the pan on the anarsa. Do not flip the anarsa. 
7. Once cooked, place the anarsa on a kitchen towel to drain off the excess oil. Serve hot.

Pro tip: Do not dry out the rice too much, the rice should ideally be a little damp when you place it for grinding. You can consume the anarsa right after preparation, or store them in an airtight container for up to 15 days.

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