Native to the Southern state of Kerala in India, Sukhiyan or modakam is a traditional Kerala sweet snack made using green gram, jaggery and coconut. These bite-sized balls are dipped in a flour and rice batter and are then deep fried to perfection using coconut oil.
So, the next time you're in the mood for a snack with your steaming cup of tea, try out this food guide to making Sukhiyan at home...
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time : 20 minutes
Serves: 10 pieces
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 250 gms green gram
- 200 gms jaggery, powdered
- 100 gms coconut, grated
- 8 cardamom pods (for powdering)
For the batter:
- 100 gms all-purpose flour (maida)
- 50 gms rice powder
- Salt to taste
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp sugar
- 125 ml water
- Coconut oil (for deep frying)
Step 1: Soak the green gram for 3 hours. Next, using a pressure cooker, add the soaked green gram and water (1 cup). Drain the excess water out after cooking and then set it aside to cool.
Note: Make sure you do not overcook the green gram, so 2 to 3 whistles should be just fine.
Step 2: In a pan, melt the jaggery powder in 100 ml of water. Once melted completely, strain the liquid to remove the impurities. Set it aside.
Step 3: Using another thick-bottomed pan, heat the grated coconut and stir continuously for a minute to dehydrate it.
Step 4: Add the melted jaggery to the grated coconut and mix it well. Allow it to boil on a low flame and continue stirring it for another 3 minutes.
Step 5: Once the mix starts to thicken (just before the one thread consistency), add the cooked green gram, a pinch of salt and ground cardamom. Mix it well, again.
Step 6: Continue stirring till the mix thickens well. Then turn off the flame and allow it to cool.
Step 7: Roll the mix into medium-sized balls and keep it aside. Make sure you have lightly greased palms before rolling.
Step 8: For the batter, combine the all-purpose flour, rice powder, salt, turmeric powder, sugar and water. Mix it well till you get a thick and smooth batter without any lumps.
Step 9: Heat coconut oil in a pan for deep frying.
Step 10: Dip each ball in the batter and deep fry them in oil on a low-medium flame. Fry both the sides till the Sukhiyan gets a golden-brown colour. It takes approximately 2 to 3 minutes to fry.
Step 11: Remove the Sukhiyan from the oil and place it on a tissue paper to rid it off excess oil. Serve hot with a cup of tea.
Note: You can also substitue coconut oil with refined oil for deep frying.
