Mug Pakon Pitha

Dry roast the yellow lentil on a low flame till its aromatic (approx. 8-10 minutes). Wash and pressure cook with water, ghee and cardamom powder. Cook for 4-5 whistles on medium flame. Let the steam dissipate itself.

Whisk to make it smooth. The lentil should be of paste consistency by now. You can cook it in a pan and boil it for 1.5 - 2 hours to get to this stage.

While the water is still warm, add the salt and the rice flour. Using a sturdy spatula start mixing it till you see no loose rice flour. Cover it tightly and let it cool down. Then knead it to get a smooth yet soft dough.

Now divide the dough in five portions. That is a rough measure. Depending on the design you choose you will have to use different size dough ball. Roll the ball on a flat surface to make it smooth.

On an oiled surface roll it out to 1/2" thickness. Lightly smear some oil/ melted ghee on the surface. Using a toothpick draw rough designs on it. Use the pick to insert halfway through the thickness and make cut marks.

Cut the sides with a cookie cutter or a sharp knife. You need to be patient and gentle with the dough while carving. Once done carefully transfer it on some greased butter paper. Keep covered till you are done with all.

To fry, heat enough oil in a heavy bottom frying pan. Deep fry on very low heat so that its fried uniformly and is crisp. It takes a lot of time (approx. 15 minutes to fry a batch).

In the mean time make the sugar syrup by mixing and heating the sugar and water. It will result into a very thick syrup. Once the pakon pithas are fried, dip them in the warm syrup and cool on a plate.

Serve warm or at room temperature. Pairs well with evening tea.