Manda pitha with sweet moong dal stuffing

Ingredients:

1 cup rice flour

1 1/2 cup water

1 cup moong dal soaked in water for 4-5 hrs

Handful of coconut cut into bite size pieces

1/2 cup sugar or to taste

1 tsp ginger cut into slice

Pinch of salt

Pinch of cardamom powder

Preparation:

For the filling, strain the moong dal properly. Now put the dal in a blender and pulse it 4-5 times. If water needed add spoon by spoon to the blender. Careful do not add too much water. make to a very coarse paste.

Then, put the moong dal in a cheese cloth and steam it for 20 minutes.

After it get steamed properly, place the dal in a plate add sugar, ginger, coconut pieces and cardamom powder. Knead the mixture very well so that the sugar get dissolve in the dal. And make small balls.

In another non-stick pan boil the water. Add little salt in the boiling water and stir. Reduce the flame, add the rice flour while stirring continuously.

Whisk well so that no lumps remain. Cover with a lid and keep aside for about 5 minutes.Grease your palms with a little oil and knead the dough while it is still warm; if the dough cools it will get lumpy.Make even size small balls of the dough using oil. with the palm make a big hole out of the ball.Or you can roll the ball out to around 3 inch diameter.

Add one ball of the filling into the dough.Bring all the ends together and press to seal. Prepare a steamer by adding water, a teaspoon of oil and heat it till the water comes to a boil. While the water is simmering, place the pithas on a greased steamer plate and steam for 6 to7 minutes.Once the pithas are cooked they will turn translucent.