Janta Poda Pitha / Rice cake

If using basmati rice, soak it for 10-15 minutes. Wash and drain all the water ( use a colander, do not dry under the fan or the sun ). Put in a grinder and grind into a fine powder. Here I used rice flour, you can use it for a quick process.

Grate the coconut and keep it aside.

Bring the milk and water to boil. Add salt, jaggery, cardamon and pepper powder. Add the rice flour in small batches and mix continuously so that no lumps are formed. Finally add the coconut slices.

Stir the mixture on a low flame for about 10 minutes till it takes on a softer consistency like the dough used for making rotis . Switch off the flame at this stage and allow the dough to cool down a few degrees till it is tolerable. Rub ghee all over your hands and knead the still warm dough for 5 mins to make it smoother.

Heat a pan add ghee followed by the raisins and stir fry for 1 minute. Add grated coconut and jaggery at this stage. Fry for 5-6 minutes and remove from the stove.

Line a baking tray with foil. Spread a little ghee on the foil and add a layer of the dough about 1.5 cm thick. Spread a layer of the pura or coconut stuffing over it ( 0.5 cm thick ). Cover it with another layer of the dough ( 1 cm thick ). Spread about 1/3 teaspoon of ghee over it

Pre-heat the oven to 170 degrees celsius. Put in the baking tray and bake at a temperature of 150 degrees celsius for 40 minutes. Do not overdo it as the cake should remain soft and should not harden .

Serve with kheer or aloo dum/ ghuguni/ dalma. (The poda pitha is not overly sweet and hence it goes well with the curries.)