Shathasyam is a special offering made in the temple in my hometown Muvattupuzha in Ernakulam district, Kerala. Shatha means hundred and the recipe in full measure uses 100 coconuts.
What you need
Coconuts (depending on size) - 4-5
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Jaggery - 800 gm
Raw rice – 500 gm
Cardamom, powdered – as required
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Coconut pieces – as required
Ghee – for frying
Cooking instructions
Coconuts (neither tender nor too dry) should be scraped, ground to a soft paste and squeezed through a thin cotton cloth to get the first filtered milk.
Again grind the same mixture adding water (double the quantity of the first filtered milk). Squeeze and get the second filtered milk.
Grind again the mixture adding water four times the quantity of the first filtered milk. Squeeze and get the third filtered milk.
Add the washed rice to the third milk and boil until well cooked.
Add pounded jaggery to the second milk, heat on sim till well blended. Add this to the cooked rice, allow to mix and turn off the flame.
Now add the first milk, powdered cardamom and thin coconut pieces fried in ghee to the above. Warm for a minute. Do not heat or boil lest it breaks.
Uma R.N. Kumar is a consultant biotechnologist who is also interested in collecting and trying not-so-common recipes.