Rice flour and jaggery deep-fried into crispy sweet fritters — the essential festival sweet of Jharkhand made for Karam, Sarhul and other tribal festivals.

Ingredients

Method

  1. Combine rice flour, cardamom powder, sesame seeds and a pinch of salt in a bowl.
  2. Add dissolved strained jaggery water gradually, mixing into a smooth thick batter.
  3. It should hold a round shape when dropped from a spoon — not runny.
  4. Rest the batter 5 minutes.
  5. Heat oil for deep frying on medium.
  6. Drop heaped tbsp portions carefully into the hot oil.
  7. They form rough disc-shaped fritters 6 to 7 cm wide.
  8. Fry on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes per side until deep golden and crispy.
  9. Drain on paper towels. Cool slightly before eating — the hot jaggery inside remains very hot.
  10. Arsa becomes crispier as it cools.