- 1/2 kg whole green mung
- 3/4 kg jaggery
- 2 coconuts (grated)
- 1 tsp cardamom powder
- 1 pinch dry ginger powder
For the outer casing
- 11/2 cup idiyappam rice powder
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 pinch salt
- Oil for deep fry
Method :
1. Dry roast the moong. Coarsely grind it. DO NOT grind it into fine powder. Winnow it to remove the chaff.
2. Dry roast the grated coconut. Sauté continuously till it turns evenly brown. Let it cool.
3. Take the jaggery in a heavy bottom wide pan. Add water enough to cover the jaggery and put it on the flame to melt it. Do not overheat it. Switch off the flame as it boils. Strain the melted jaggery to remove impurities, if any.
4. Put the coarsely ground moong, the roasted coconut, dry ginger powder and cardamom powder together and mix well. Pour the hot melted jaggery slowly, little by little and mix well. Do not pour the entire jaggery at one time. Pour in intervals as required, as you mix continuously. Combine the entire moong with the melted jaggery thoroughly. Note that the melted jaggery should be hot enough to be able to blend well with the moong.
5. Grease your hand with ghee. Take enough moong mix to make a lemon sized ball. Make it when the mix is warm. Keep it aside for 7 – 8 hours. (You can store these for future use too.)
6. Take iddiyappam rice powder in a vessel. Add salt, turmeric powder and pour water to make batter. Consistency of the batter requires to be thinner than Dosa batter.
7. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan. Dip the moong balls in the batter. Ensure the moong balls are fully covered with the batter. Slide it into the hot oil. Fry it in medium heat. Move it around until the cover colour turns light brown. Take it out into a tissue to absorb the excess oil.
8. Enjoy your snack time with the sweetness of munthirikutthu. It easily stays fresh for 2 to 3 weeks if stored in air tight containers.
