POT#1 POOTHAREKULA

Pootharekula/Poothareku is a famous dish from Andhra Pradesh, a southern state of India. The history of the sweet goes about three centuries back when a woman in the village of Atreyapuram prepared a sweet by adding sugar and ghee to the leftover rice starch. As the name says, 'Pootha' means coated and 'rekula' means sheets, it is sweet with rice sheets coated with sugar. Now it has become a source of income for many families in the villages of the Telugu states. This dish is also familiarly known to be the 'paper sweet' across the country.

Authentically the rice sheets are prepared in a hot inverted pot. It is seasoned well with oil before the usage. The rice batter is well diluted. A thin cloth is dipped in the batter and is put over the inverted pot with flame under. Instantly the rice sheets form and are stuffed with ghee and sugar.
Here is an easy recipe to prepare pootharekula at home.

Preparation

Dish: Pootharekula

Cuisine: Andhra Pardesh

Time: Resting time             - 3 hours
          Cooking time            - 10 minutes
          Preparation time       - 20 minutes
          Total time                  - 3 1/2 hours
Quantity: 12 pieces

Let us now check out the required ingredients to make the sweet. 

Ingredients

Raw rice               - 1 cup

Sugar                   - 1 cup

   Butter                   - 1/2 cup

   Badam                 - 1/2 cup

   Cardamom pods  - 1/4 cup

    Edible oil              - 1/4 cup

Procedure

1. Cleanse and soak the rice for 2-3 hours, later grind the soaked rice well.

   
2. Meanwhile powder down the badam, sugar, and cardamom pods separately.

   
3. Firstly we need to prepare the rice sheets out of the batter. To get thin and crispy rice sheets, the rice batter needs to be very watery (say buttermilk consistency).
4. Place  Aappam Kadai on the stove. 
5. Pour the rice batter on the Aappam Kadai and a make a thin layer, remove the excess batter.
6. Let the batter cook for 2-3 minutes, sheets are formed instantly.

   
7. Now take a rice sheet, apply the melted butter over it. Place another sheet and apply butter over it.
8. Spread out the powdered sugar, cardamom, and badam over it.
9. Finally, wrap the sheets to enjoy its taste.

   

Tips and Tricks:

• Consistency of the batter is very important, it needs to be very watery to get thin rice sheets.
• Season the Kadai well with oil every time before you pour the batter.
• Advisable to prepare the rice sheets on low flame for better results.
• Grind the nuts coarsely for a crunchy taste.
• You can substitute sugar with caned sugar/ brown sugar/ jaggery.

The stuff can be prepared according to your taste,

                                Various nuts of your taste such as badam, pistachio, and cashew.

                                Roasted and ground peanut with jaggery.
                                Roasted and ground black sesame with jaggery.

• Also, you can stuff aloo masal to enjoy the hot and spicy pootharekula.

Try preparing at home with various variations and enjoy the taste of Pootharekula.