YERE-APPA

YERE APPA IS A SWEET DISH...which is normally done during  "DEEPAVALI" time. In South Canara ( Dakshina Kannada) we celebrate Deepavali for 4 days. First day we do pray and make pooja for Gangae ... the water God. This dish Yereappa ( a sweet fried dish), is prepared for Naivedya.on the eve of Deepavali. ( offering some thing during pooja).  Then the next day we do get up early and take oil bath and we have Dosa with PanchaKajjaya.( Panchakajjaya is a sweet dish prepared using beaten rice, jaggery, ghee, cardamom and coconut). Pancha means 5 kajjaya means sweet. Then so many customs and traditions will be followed for another 3 to 4 days.
Yereappa or Yere means put and appa means something sweet. Yereappa is prepared using raw rice, jaggery, coconut and cardamom.
You may think it is oily but as the weather starts cooling down and bringing cold breeze on the land, your skin gets effected by the cold wind in the atmosphere. Oil is very much needed for the body during winter. These things are well known by our elders and they practices the food habit according to it. There is no harm in eating just enough and right kind of food for the seasons. These are completely my opinion.
Here is a recipe of " Yereappa", that is what we call for this dish which is very easy to prepare and yummy to have. I am sure all age group will definitely love eating this  traditional dish and enjoy each bit of it 

Things Needed

Rice : 1 cup

Coconut : 1/2 cup

Jaggery : 2 Table spoon

Cardamom : 2 to 3 pods

Beaten Rice : 1 Table spoon

Salt : a pinch

Oil : 1 cup ( To fry )
Salt : a pinch
Methi Seeds " 1/4 Tea spoon
Urid dal : 2 Tea spoons.

Method:

1, Soak rice and beaten rice for 1to 2 hours in plain water. Grate Coconut.

2. Wash and drain water from rice and grind with beaten rice and coconut . It should be a fine paste.

3. Now add jaggery and cardamom and grind for two to three minutes. Add a pinch of salt. Remove the paste from grinding jar and put it in a bowl.

 4. Now keep a frying pan on the fire and heat oil.
5.When oil is heated put a spoonful of ground paste and deep fry on both sides on medium flame. Remove once it turns golden red. Place on kitchen tissue so that tissue absorbs extra oil. Repeat the same with remaining dough and prepare Yereappa same way.

 6. Yereyappa is ready to serve.

Note :

The dough should not be watery..You can add little rice powder to thicken the dough if it turns watery. If the dough is watery Yereappa may take (absorb) more oil which is not good. Adding cashew nuts is also an optional. Adding more or less jaggery is according to your wish. Do not soak rice mixture more than 2 hours. Prepare Yereappa just after grinding the dough. Do not allow them to get savoury. ( It absorb more oil if it is left ).
Time : 2 hours to soak.
Preparation time : 30 minutes.
10 to 12 Yereappa can be prepared.. (According to the size of the spoon you use).