Anarsa

Last updated • 1 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Anarsa
Anarsa.jpg
Course Dessert
Place of origin India and Nepal
Region or state Madhesh Province

Bihar(Gaya), [{uttrakhand}]

Maharashtra
Main ingredients Jaggery, rice, poppy seed, ghee

Anarsa or Hilsa is an rice-based biscuit in Nepal and Indian states of Bihar and Maharastra. It is commonly associated with the Hindu festival of Diwali (Tihar) in Nepal, Maharashtra and Bihar, along with other special occasions. [1] [2] [3] Its ingredients include jaggery (unrefined cane sugar), rice, poppy seed and ghee (clarified butter).

Contents

Anarasha, which means "without corruption" or "eternal" in Sanskrit, is the root of the name "Anarsa. The word Anarasha also denotes cleanness timelessness and absence of decay. [4]

Cultural significance

In Indian traditions, particularly in the country's north and west, it has a profound and significant cultural significance. This classic treat has a symbolic connection to cultural heritage, festival celebration, and symbol of prosperity. [5]

Preparation

Main steps in preparing Anarsas include soaking rice in water for few days with frequent changes of water, then drying it and then drinding it into a fine powder. The rice powder / flour is then mixed with jaggery to create a dough.The dough is then rolled in white poppy seeds, pressed into 550-75 cm round disks or balls, and then fried in ghee. [2] The disks are fried poppy-coated side first. [6]

In a variation from the standard recipe, a banana is added to the rice flour base. [7] The Bihari variation of anarsa tends to be rounder and ball-shaped as opposed to the flatter one in Maharashtra. [8]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sri Lankan cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan cuisine is known for its particular combinations of herbs, spices, fish, vegetables, rices, and fruits. The cuisine is highly centered around many varieties of rice, as well as coconut which is a ubiquitous plant throughout the country. Seafood also plays a significant role in the cuisine, be it fresh fish or preserved fish. As a country that was a hub in the historic oceanic silk road, contact with foreign traders brought new food items and cultural influences in addition to the local traditions of the country's ethnic groups, all of which have helped shape Sri Lankan cuisine. Influences from Indian, Indonesian and Dutch cuisines are most evident with Sri Lankan cuisine sharing close ties to other neighbouring South and Southeast Asian cuisines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laddu</span> Spherical sweet from the Indian subcontinent

Laddu or laddoo is a spherical sweet from the Indian subcontinent made of various ingredients and sugar syrup or jaggery. It has been described as "perhaps the most universal and ancient of Indian sweets."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhatura</span> Deep-fried leavened bread from the Indian subcontinent

Bhatura is a fluffy deep-fried leavened sourdough bread originating from the India. It is commonly served as a midday meal or a breakfast dish in northern and eastern India. Paired with chickpea curry, it forms a traditional dish called chole bhature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Puran poli</span> Indian sweet dish consisting of sweetened flatbread

Puran poli is an Indian sweet flatbread that is popular in South India and the state of Maharashtra. It is also known as puran puri, holige, obbattu, bobbatlu, poley, bakshamulu, and boli.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chakli</span> Savoury Indian snack

Chakli is a savoury snack from India. It is a spiral-shaped snack with a spiked surface.

Mithai (sweets) are the confectionery and desserts of the Indian subcontinent. Thousands of dedicated shops in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka sell nothing but sweets.

Maharashtrian or Marathicuisine is the cuisine of the Marathi people from the Indian state of Maharashtra. It has distinctive attributes, while sharing much with other Indian cuisines. Traditionally, Maharashtrians have considered their food to be more austere than others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian bread</span> Wide variety of flatbreads and crêpes which are an integral part of Indian cuisine

Indian breads are a wide variety of flatbreads and crêpes which are an integral part of Indian cuisine. Their variation reflects the diversity of Indian culture and food habits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sindhi cuisine</span> Cuisine of the Sindh, Pakistan

Sindhi cuisine refers to the distinct native cuisine of the Sindhi people from Sindh, Pakistan. Sindhi cuisine has been influenced by Central Asian, Iranian, Mughal food traditions. It is mostly a non-vegetarian cuisine, with even Sindhi Hindus widely accepting of meat consumption. The daily food in most Sindhi households consists of wheat-based flat-bread (Mani) or rice accompanied by two dishes, one gravy and one dry with curd, papad or pickle. Freshwater fish and a wide variety of vegetables are usually used in Sindhi cuisine. Restaurants specializing in Sindhi cuisine are rare, although it is found at truck stops in rural areas of Sindh province, and in a few restaurants in urban Sindh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pitha</span> Dessert from Bengal, Assam, Jharkhand and Odisha

Pithas are a variety of food similar to pancakes, dumplings or fritters, originating from the Indian subcontinent, common in Bangladesh and India. Pitha can be sweet or savoury, and usually made from a dough or batter, which is then steamed, fried or griddled. Very few varieties are oven-baked or boiled, and most are unleavened and cooked on a stovetop. Some versions may have a filling, garnish, or sauce. Few may be set or shaped after cooking. They are typically eaten as a snack with chai, or as treats during special occasions.

Bhojpuri cuisine is a style of food preparation common among the Bhojpuri people of Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh in India, and also the Terai region of Nepal. Bhojpuri foods are mostly mild and tend to be less hot in terms of spices used. The cuisine consists of both vegetable and meat dishes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Churma</span> Indian dish

Churma is a popular Rajasthani, Bihari, Uttar Pradesi, Haryanvi, and Awadhi delicacy from India. In Punjab, the dish is called churi. It is coarsely ground wheat, crushed and cooked with ghee and sugar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ariselu</span> Indian rice flour sweet

Ariselu or Arisa is an Indian sweet from Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Telangana. It is also called Kajjaya in Kannada, Adhirasam in Tamil Nadu, Neyyappam in Kerala ,Anarsa in Marathi, arsa or anarsa in Uttarakhand, Bihar and Jharkhand.

Bihari cuisine is eaten mainly in the eastern Indian state of Bihar, as well as in the places where people originating from the state of Bihar have settled: Jharkhand, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bangladesh, Nepal, Mauritius, South Africa, Fiji, some cities of Pakistan, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, Jamaica, and the Caribbean. Bihari cuisine includes Angika cuisine, Bhojpuri cuisine, Maithil cuisine and Magahi cuisine. Dal Puri

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Litti (dish)</span> Indian dish

Litti is a wholewheat flour dough ball stuffed with a spiced mixture of sattu. Litti, along with chokha, is a complete meal that is popular in the Indian states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, the Nepalese state of Madhesh. It is also a popular street food in small towns and cities. Over the years it has gained international recognition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Modak</span> The Indian sweet dumpling dish

Modak (Marathi: मोदक) or Modakam (Sanskrit: मोदकम्), Modaka in Kannada, also referred to as Koḻukattai (கொழுக்கட்டை) in Tamil, and Kozhukkatta (കൊഴുക്കട്ട) in Malayalam is an Indian sweet dish popular in many Indian states and cultures. According to Hindu and Buddhist beliefs, it is one of the favourite dishes of Ganesha and the Buddha and is therefore used in prayers. The sweet filling inside a modak consists of freshly grated coconut and jaggery, while the outer soft shell is made from rice flour or wheat flour mixed with khowa or maida flour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adhirasam</span> Dessert made of rice, coconut, and spices

Athrasa in Kannada, or Adhirasam, kajjayaariselu in Telugu, anarasa in Marathi, Airsa in Chhattisgarhi or Arisa pitha in Odia) is a type of Indian sweet made out of rice, jaggery, ghee and sometimes coconut and with spices like cardamom, sesame, pepper and ginger powder from Tamil cuisine, Karnataka cuisine, Telugu cuisine, Marathi cuisine and Odia cuisine. The doughnut-like fried dough has a long history of popularity in Kannada, Telugu, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Tamil civilization. They are similar in shape to vada, but are not savoury and are eaten as a sweet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Munthiri kothu</span>

Munthiri kothu is a unique festival sweet from Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu, South India. It is also known as paniyaram or payatham urundai in Sri Lanka.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dal bati</span> Indian dish of lentils and unleavened bread

Daal bati is an Indian dish of dal (lentils) and bati. It is popular in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra's Khandesh and Vidarbha region, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gulgula (doughnut)</span> U.P. traditional sweet doughnut

Gulgula is a traditional sweet made in different regions of India. It is one of the most popular sweets in the market places, it is traditionally made on specific festive occasions in rural areas. They are common in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, Odisha, Haryana, Rajasthan and are also made by overseas Indians in Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, Jamaica, Mauritius, the United States, South Africa, and Fiji.

References

  1. Prasad, Lalita; Prasad, Ramakant; Upadhyay, Vijay S (1979). Changing dietary patterns and habits : a socio-cultural study of Bihar (first ed.). Concept. p. 42. Archived from the original on 13 March 2023. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  2. 1 2 O'Brien, Charmaine (2013). The Penguin Food Guide to India. Penguin Books Limited. ISBN   9789351185758.
  3. Pathak, Jyoti (2007). Taste of Nepal. Hippocrene Books. ISBN   9780781811217.
  4. Mithainama (18 August 2023). "Anarsa | Anarasha". Mithainama. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  5. Mithainama (18 August 2023). "Anarsa | Anarasha". Mithainama. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  6. "Anarsa in India". India9.com. 23 October 2014. Archived from the original on 21 May 2018. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  7. Vikas Khanna (1 December 2012). My Great Indian Cookbook. ISBN   9788184757989. Archived from the original on 13 March 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  8. Vikas Khanna (1 December 2012). My Great Indian Cookbook. ISBN   9788184757989. Archived from the original on 13 March 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2021.