Vishu Katta

 VISHU KATTA - Breakfast for Vishu Day

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
2 or 3 small onion crushed(optional) if the smell likes
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.
          ( squeeze the grated coconut with hand to get 1 cup fresh milk /first extract/onnampal Note : Don't add any water in this step.
 Now add grated coconut t with 2 cup of warm water in a blender or food processor, and process for a minute, then squeeze it for milk in another bowl. This gives you 2 cup semi thick milk /second extract.
Return coconut to processor and add 3 cup warm water and process for couple of minutes and squeeze it for milk in separate bowl. This gives you 3 cup thin milk /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,small onion 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  jaggery syrup.                            
 For coconut milk,we can use
3 can( 400ml/13.5 oz) of thick coconut milk, shake well and pour 1/2 contents in a bowl and mix with 4 to 5 cup . This gives you 5 cup semi thin coconut milk. Remaining milk in can is thick milk /onnampal.

How to make Jaggery Syrup :

1. Mix 1/2 cup jaggery with 1 cup of water and bring it to boil. Keep until the mixure becomes thin syrup.
2. Add little ghee and cardamom powder. Serve it on top of vishu katta.