Diwali Sweets - The Traditional 'Okharai'

Ingredients :
Chana dal - 1 cup
Jaggery - Broken - 2 cups
Ghee - 1/2 cup
Til oil - 1/4 cup

Method :
Fry chana dal slightly till you get its smell. Now boil water well and soak the chana dal in the boiled water for 2 hours. After 2 hours, drain the water and grind it in the mixie coarsely.
Now STEAM this mixture (like for idli) and let it cool.

Once it has cooled down, beat it to become a paste in a mixie.
Now heat the jaggery and make a 'Vella paagu' / cooked jaggery.
[ HINT : To know that the 'Vella paggu' is ready, take a fingertip of jaggery and drop it in water. If you can roll the drop into a little ball, then the jaggery has been cooked correctly. ]

Now add the steamed chana dal paste in the 'Vella paggu' and keep stirring continuously.
Gradually add the Til oil little by little for enabling smoothness of mixture while stirring and finally add the ghee and stir till the mixture separates into a 'Chana and Jaggery' powder.
Add cashewnuts and elaichi powder to this powder.

Njoy the traditional Diwali 'Okharai' sweet that is prepared in both Kerala and Tamil Nadu.