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A traditional Maharashtrian festive sweet, Anarsa boasts a unique texture—crispy on the outside from poppy seeds and wonderfully soft and chewy inside. Made from a fermented dough of rice flour and jaggery, these golden discs are a cherished treat during Diwali and other celebrations.
For 4 servings
Soak the Rice (3 Days)
Prepare the Rice Flour (45 minutes)
Make & Ferment the Dough (10 minutes + 2-3 Days)
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A traditional Maharashtrian festive sweet, Anarsa boasts a unique texture—crispy on the outside from poppy seeds and wonderfully soft and chewy inside. Made from a fermented dough of rice flour and jaggery, these golden discs are a cherished treat during Diwali and other celebrations.
This maharashtrian recipe takes 70 minutes to prepare and yields 4 servings. At 379.99 calories per serving with 5.08g of protein, it's a moderately challenging recipe perfect for dessert or snack.
Shape the Anarsas (15 minutes)
Fry the Anarsas (20-25 minutes)
Cool and Store
Instead of poppy seeds, you can use white sesame seeds (til) for a different nutty flavor and texture.
Add a pinch of nutmeg powder or a tiny bit of edible camphor (kapur) to the dough along with the cardamom for a more complex aroma.
While not traditional, you can make an instant version using store-bought rice flour. The texture and taste will differ, and you should skip the soaking and fermentation steps, binding the dough with a mix of milk and banana.
The primary ingredients, rice and jaggery, are rich in carbohydrates, providing a quick and substantial source of energy, making it a traditional sweet for festive energy boosts.
Jaggery is an unrefined sugar that retains more minerals than white sugar, including iron, magnesium, and potassium, which are beneficial for overall health.
When prepared with ghee, Anarsa provides healthy fats, including butyric acid, which is known to support gut health and reduce inflammation.
This usually happens if the dough has too much moisture, often from too much banana or if the jaggery melts too much. Ensure your dough is soft but firm. You can add a tablespoon of rice flour to the fermented dough if it feels too loose.
You can make an instant version, but the authentic taste, tangy flavor, and unique porous texture of traditional Anarsa come from the fermentation process. It is highly recommended not to skip it for the best results.
A new, short-grain, starchy rice is ideal. In Maharashtra, varieties like Ambemohar are preferred. If unavailable, any short-grain rice used for sticky rice or khichdi will work better than long-grain varieties like Basmati.
Let them cool completely to room temperature, then store them in an airtight container. They will stay fresh and crispy for up to a week.
Anarsa is a traditional festive sweet and is high in calories, carbohydrates, and fats due to jaggery and deep-frying. It should be enjoyed in moderation as an occasional treat. The use of jaggery instead of refined sugar provides some minerals.
One serving of Anarsa (approximately 4 pieces) contains around 500-550 calories, primarily from rice, jaggery, and the ghee it's fried in. The exact number can vary based on size and the amount of ghee absorbed.