Munthiri Kothu is a sweet usually prepared in southern part of Tamil Nadu. This is the healthy and guilt free sweet snack as it doesn’t contain any refined sugar or refined flour. Munthiri kothu is prepared with green gram or moong dal and jaggery and then it is coated with a thin layer of wheat batter and deep fried. I am adding black sesame seeds and roasted coconut in this recipe for extra flavor. Moong dal tastes better than green gram. Wheat batter is used instead of rice batter. Rice batter gives a rubbery consistency after a day.
When I first heard this name from my mom, I though this is a sweet made from munthiri (tamil word for cashew). Well, most people think the same. But later I know there is no connection between cashew and this sweet. May be it is being called because these munthiri kothu will be fried in cluster (kothu kotha).
Preparation Time : 20 mins
Cooking Time : 15 mins
Total Time : 35 mins
Ingredients :
1 1/2 cup of moong dal
1 cup of grated coconut
4 cubes of jaggery
A pinch of salt
1 cup black sesame seeds
2 cardamon
For batter
1 cup of wheat flour
A pinch of salt
Water as needed
Method :
In a pan, add the moong dal. Dry roast it over medium heat till it becomes light brown in color. Then transfer it to a plate.
In the same pan, add the sesame seeds. Dry roast it till it splutters. After that, transfer it to a plate. Let it cool down.
In the same pan, add the grated coconuts and dry roast over low flame. The coconut has to become golden brown in color and crispy. Stir it often while roasting to get even color. Remove the pan from heat and transfer the coconut to a separate plate. Keep this aside.
Take the cooled down moong dal, sesame seeds, salt and cardamom in a mixer jar and grind into little coarse powder(like rava) consistency. Transfer this to a bowl.
Now, take the roasted coconut and give it one pulse mode. Transfer this ground coconut powder to the bowl with moong dal powder and keep it aside.
Heat a saucepan with jaggery and little water. Allow it to boil till the jaggery dissolves and it becomes glossy like honey. Do not boil further into any string stage. We are just trying to dissolve the jaggery. Now, strain the jaggery syrup through a strainer. Add the hot jaggery syrup to the ground moong dal mixture.
Mix everything well with a spoon till the jaggery syrup mixes with the powder. Once it becomes warm enough to handle with your hand, form small ball like ladoo from the mixture. If you let cool the mixture, it will become hard. So it's important to shape ball still the mixture is warm.
Allow the ladoo to rest for a while.
After that, heat a pan with oil to deep fry.
Meanwhile take wheat flour along with salt. Add water little by little and make the batter. The batter has to be thick but not too thick.
Now, take one ladoo and dip it in the batter either with your hand or with spoon. Drop it carefully in hot oil. You can also take three ladoos together like a triangle shape and dip it in the batter. Then add it to the oil. This way you will have that cluster of kothu.
Since it is only a thin layer of wheat flour outside, it will cook fast. After they are done, take them out and put it in a paper towel to drain excess oil
Delicious munthri kothu is now ready!!
Pictorial :
Take your ingredients.
In a pan, add moong dal. Dry roast it over medium heat till it becomes light brown in color. Then transfer it to a plate.
In the same pan, add the black sesame seeds. Dry roast it till it splutters. After that, transfer it to a plate. Let it cool down.
In the same pan, add the grated coconuts and dry roast over low flame. The coconut has to become golden brown in color and crispy. Stir it often while roasting to get the even color. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the coconut in a separate plate. Keep this aside.
Once cooled down grind moong dal, cardamon, salt and black sesame seeds to coarse powder in a mixer. In the same mixer give one pulse mode for the grated coconut. Combine altogether in a bowl.
Heat a saucepan with jaggery and little water. Allow it to boil till the jaggery dissolves and it becomes glossy like honey. Do not boil further into any string stage. We are just trying to dissolve the jaggery. Now, strain the jaggery syrup through a strainer. Add the hot jaggery syrup to the ground moong dal mixture.
Mix everything well with a spoon till the jaggery syrup mixes with the powder. Once it becomes warm enough to handle with your hand, form small ball like ladoo from the mixture. If you let cool the mixture, it will become hard. So it's important to shape ball still the mixture is warm.
Heat a pan with oil to deep fry. Meanwhile take wheat flour along with salt. Add water little by little and make the batter. The batter has to be thick but not too thick. Now, take one ladoo and dip it in the batter either with your hand or with spoon. Drop it carefully in hot oil. You can also take three ladoos together like a triangle shape and dip it in the batter. Then add it to the oil. This way you will have that cluster of kothu.
Delicious munthiri kothu is now ready to serve.
Tips :
The wheat batter consistency should not be too thick or too runny. It has to be little thick just enough to coat the ladoos.
Making ladoos while it's hot is important. Form the ladoos as soon as it comes to warm enough to handle. If you let it cool down completely, it will become hard and you won't be able to shape the ladoos.
This munthiri kothu stays good for two to three weeks. Make sure to roast the coconut well if you are going to store this long.
Add black sesame seeds instead of white ones as it's good for health.
Do not boil the jaggery syrup till any string consistency. The jaggery just needs to be dissolved and the syrup has to be slightly thick like honey.
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