Assamese Mithoi Ladoo

Mithoi ladoo means ladoo or balls made from rice flour. There are two types of mithoi ladoo . One is Kesa mithoi and the other one is Poka mithoi . Kesa means raw. So from the name kesa mithoi it reveals that it is a no-cook ladoo which is generally served or distributed in religious functions with Maah-prasad.  Assamese maah-prasad is the traditional offerings to GOD during any ritual function which is a combination of chickpeas , green gram,  some fruits and mithoi ladoos and are served on banana leaves. The picture above is  of Maah-prasad served during my father-in-law's death anniversary(hokam). The round white coloured balls are kesa mithoi.

Poka mithoi is also a kind of rice ball which is also served or distributed during religious functions among the devotees  specially on Krishna Janmasthami celebrated on Namghar(prayer house of Assamese community). Poka mithoi is also distributed on religious ceremonies like Akhondo Bhagawat Path(continuous day and night recitation of the Holy Bhagawata).

Kesa mithoi is a soft rice flour ball which cannot be preserved for a longer period. While poka mithoi is a harder one which can be preserved for many days.  The longer you preserve the harder it will be. Here I have some sweet memories of my childhood related to poka mithoi. My late grandmother used to make poka mithoi. As she lived in Nalbari district which is little far from my place Dibrugarh,  we couldn't visit her regularly. Only my father often visited her. So when my father came back home, my grandmother packed for us some poka mithoi ladoos which sometimes were so hard that we were unable to break those ladoos with our tooth.

Recipe of Kesa Mithoi:

Kesa mithoi 

Ingredients :

• 2 cups rice powder or rice flour
• 1/2 cup suger
• 1/2 cup grated coconut
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 2 tbsp honey
• milk as required (for shaping the mithois)

Method :

1. In a big and flat pan take all the ingredients and mix well.
2. Now make round shaped balls.
3. You can make 8-10 ladoos from 2 cups of rice flour
4. Kesa mithoi is ready to serve. Enjoy!

Recipe of Poke Mithoi 

Poka mithoi 

Ingredients :

•  1 cup rice powder or rice flour
•  1 cup jeggery
•  1/4 cup of water
•  1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper

Method :

1. Roast the rice flour in a heavy bottomed pan. Stir constantly until you get a sweet aroma of the rice flour.
2. Remove from heat and add freshly grated black pepper. Mix well. Keep aside.
3. Heat another pan. Add Jeggery to melt. Make a syrup of jeggery and water.
4. Take little jeggery syrup and mix it to roasted rice flour and make round shaped balls.
5. Poka mithoi is ready to serve. Enjoy!