Kavuni Arisi Puttu with Thengai Paal

Ingredients

• 2 cup Freshly Grated Coconut (From one large, mature coconut)
• 0.75 cup Jaggery Powder (Adjust to your preferred sweetness)
• 0.5 tsp Cardamom Powder
• 0.25 tsp Dry Ginger Powder (Also known as sukku podi)
• 4.25 cup Warm Water (4 cups for extracting milk and 0.25 cup for jaggery syrup)

Instructions

1. 1

   Extract Fresh Coconut Milk

   • In a blender, combine the 2 cups of grated coconut with 2 cups of warm water.
   • Blend on high for 1-2 minutes until the mixture is smooth and milky.
   • Place a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth over a large bowl and pour the blended mixture through it. Squeeze the pulp firmly to extract all the thick milk (first press).
   • Return the squeezed coconut pulp to the blender. Add the remaining 2 cups of warm water and blend again for 1 minute.
   • Strain this mixture into the same bowl to get the thin milk (second press). Discard the remaining pulp. Whisk both milk extracts together.
2. 2

   Prepare the Jaggery Syrup

   • In a small saucepan, combine the jaggery powder and 1/4 cup of water.
   • Heat over a low-medium flame, stirring continuously for 2-3 minutes until the jaggery has completely dissolved. Do not let the syrup come to a boil.
   • Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the syrup cool for a minute.
   • Strain the warm jaggery syrup through a fine sieve directly into the bowl of coconut milk. This removes any impurities from the jaggery.
3. 3

   Combine and Flavor

   • Gently stir the strained jaggery syrup into the coconut milk until fully combined.
   • Add the cardamom powder and dry ginger powder to the mixture.
   • Whisk well to ensure the spices are evenly distributed and there are no lumps.
4. 4

   Serve

   • Thengai Paal can be served immediately while it is warm.
   • Alternatively, you can chill it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and serve it cold.