Ponsa Moolik
Deep fried, sweet jackfruit fritters - crispy on the outside and soft on the inside - a traditional, seasonal Konkani delicacy.
Ingredients
- 1 cup 180 grams sooji/rava
- ½ cup about 40-50 grams shredded coconut
- ½ cup jaggery See Recipe Notes
- ½ cup 150 grams/about 3-4 bulbs jackfruit (remove the seeds if any)
- 10-12 pistachios optional
- 2 cardamom pods; husked and ground to a fine powder
- a pinch of salt
- Oil to deep fry
Instructions
- Grind jackfruit bulbs, coconut, and jaggery into a paste.
- Mix the sooji, salt, and ground cardamom to the paste and let it rest for 20 minutes.
- Add the crushed pistachios.
- Heat oil over medium-high heat.
- Divide the thick batter into 24-26 equal-sized balls. Shape the balls into either round or flatten them a little to form small discs.
- When the oil is hot, add the discs/balls into the oil, and deep fry till golden color.
- Drain on a paper towel.
Notes
1. Instead of jaggery, you can also use brown sugar, though the taste will not be as authentic as using jaggery. Adjust to taste (the actual amount of jaggery depends on the sweetness of the jackfruit)
2. If you are using canned jackfruit, drain the juice before grinding.
3. Flip the mooliks over to the other side occasionally to ensure even cooking.
4. Make sure the oil is not too hot - if the oil is too hot, the mooliks will brown quickly from the outside and will not be properly cooked on the inside.
5. Tastes best - crispy, crunchy outside and soft, tender on the inside - the day it is prepared. But leftovers can be saved in an airtight container.
6. You can also add 1-2 teaspoons of rice flour if the batter becomes too runny.