Thiru Karthigai pori urundai

 Karthigai pori urundai is a healthy snack which has no oil. It can be made for the festival or any other time. There are three types of pori: Arisi pori, Nel pori and Aval pori. All can be used to make the urundai, But for Thiru Karthigai, we use Nel pori and Aval pori.

Ingredients: (10 to 15 numbers)

Aval pori - 4cups

Jaggery (pagu vellam is preferable) - 1cup

Cardamom powder - 1tsp. 

Dry ginger powder - 1tsp.

Coconut ( cut into small bits like the teeth of the comb) - 1/4 cup

coconut oil - 2tbsp.

water -1/4 cup

Method:

1. Heat the pan and dry roast the coconut bits thoroughly till it turns brown. Keep aside. Grease a big plate with coconut oil and keep aside.
2. Heat the water and add the jaggery. Stir well till it dissolves. Filter for the small stones and impurities.
3. Add cardamom powder, dry ginger powder and roasted coconut bits to the jaggery syrup and heat it in the pan till we get the pagu. Check the Note below to make pagu.
4. Switch off the stove. Add the pori to the pagu and mix well. Allow it to cool a bit. Do not cool too much. With out some optimum heat you can not roll them into balls.
5. Grease your hand with coconut oil and start make the balls. Do not press too much in the beginning. Slowly throw in the air and make them into balls by catching it in different positions. 
6. Make the balls completely and spread them on a big greased plate. Slowly rotate the plate so that the balls keep moving and get harder.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
7. Now take each ball and press tightly so that no air is trapped in between. If air is trapped the balls will slowly loose the shape when left aside.
   
   
   

Note : Making jaggery pagu:

To get the pagu, keep checking by dripping down the jaggery syrup from the ladle we use for stirring. First the thread will be discontinuous when we stop pouring. When it comes a like continuous thread, heat for one more minute and add to a cup containing very little water. when you take the jaggery from the water and try to roll it, it will come easily into a small ball. When you throw it on plate or vessel you will hear the noise as if we have thrown a stone. This is the correct texture for the pagu.