Vishu Katta ~ Vishu ashamsakal

This year i tried my hands on making vishu katta that is very popular in thrissur. Vishu katta is a part of vishu in thrissur. This is served for breakfast  along with tender cashew nut curry  or jaggery syrup. Also can be served along with chicken / mutton curry or stew.

I started off getting unakkalari, which was labelled red raw rice on the packet. Now you have to soak this rice for half an hour or more before you start cooking. It's a rich coconut milk flavored rice preparation with a dash of cumin and dry ginger powder to enhance the taste.

 Now to make this, you need ample amount of coconut milk. So extract coconut milk from two medium size coconut in three extracts.  1 cup - first extract , 2 cups - second extract , 3 cups - third extract. Keep the extract ready before you start.

Ingredients

1 cup - Unakkalari ( red raw rice )

2 medium size - coconut, to extract milk

1/2 tsp - Cumin /jeera, crushed

1/2 tsp - Dry ginger powder

Salt to taste

Method

1 ) Soak the rice in water for half an hour or more. Extract coconut milk, three times. First, second and third extract.

2 ) In a big kadai or uruli, pour 3 cups third extracted coconut milk and bring it to a slight boil. Stir occasionally. Add the washed and soaked rice, close with a lid, simmer and cook till all the coconut milk is used up.

3 ) Now pour in the second extract, stir and cook the rice on simmer. When the rice is half cooked add salt to taste. Now when all the second extract is used up and rice is 3/4 th cooked up add first extract with jeera powder and dry ginger powder. Stir and cook till the rice thickens and oil comes out.

4 ) Transfer and pour on to a plate or banana leave. Spread evenly with a spoon and cool. When fully cooled cut into pieces to serve.

Serve along with tender cashewnut curry / jaggery syrup or chicken/ mutton curry.

Wishing every one a Happy Vishu !