Name: Black Rice Modak (Sijha Manda Gets A Makeover)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 1 cup black rice; 2 teaspoon semolina; 2 tbsp almond meal (powdered almonds); 1/2 cup grated coconut; jaggery as per taste (3-4 tbsp); 1 teaspoon ghee; 2 pinch cardamom; 2 pinch Salt

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Sijha Manda or Sukla Manda is one of the most popular 'pithas' from Odisha. It is an integral part of all the Lakshmi pujas. It can be described as a steamed rice dumpling with a sweetened stuffing. Hardly surprising that it was one of the first few recipes that came to my mind when I wanted to experiment with black rice as an ingredient in a traditional Odia dish. It is mildly sweet, chewy and with a wonderful nutty flavor !

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 30

Total Time 1

Served AsBreakfast, Snacks

CuisineIndian

Servings

Ingredients

Instructions

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Wash and soak the rice for 1 hour.
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Strain and spread out the rice grains on a flat surface. Let it dry in the sun for 2 hours or till surface moisture is no longer perceptible. Grind into a fine powder.
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Boil 2 cups of water in a pan. Add the jaggery, ghee, coconut and almond meal.
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Once the jaggery is completely dissolved, add the rice in small batches while stirring continuously. Take care to avoid the formation of lumps.
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Cook on low flame for about 10 mins. Then add the semolina and cook for another 5 mins till everything forms a tight dough. Remove and keep aside to cool it down.
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Once the temperature is bearable, rub a little ghee on your hands and knead the dough for 5 mins.
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Divide the dough into 10-12 portions . Give a desired shape to each portion.
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Steam the dumplings for 10-15 mins.
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Serve warm.