Beaten Rice Cakes

Ingredients

• 2 seers (approximately 1.9 kg) beaten rice (poha / flattened rice) (Use thick or medium beaten rice. A seer is a traditional Indian unit of weight; 1 seer ≈ 933 g.)
• 1 seer (approximately 930 ml) whey (The liquid drained from yoghurt or during cheese-making. Plain thin buttermilk may be used as a practical substitute.)
• 50 small bundles fresh coriander leaves (cilantro) (Cut off and discard the roots. Use only the stems and leaves. Fifty small bundles is a very large quantity — this recipe is designed for large-batch preservation.)
• 0.0625 seer (approximately 58 g / 3.5 teaspoons) salt (One-sixteenth of a seer. Adjust to taste if scaling the recipe down.)
• 0.0625 seer (approximately 58 g / 4 tablespoons) sesame seeds (gingillie seeds), cleaned (Also called til or gingelly seeds. Pick out any grit or husks before using.)
• 0.0625 seer (approximately 58 g / 4 tablespoons) chilli powder (Use a red chilli powder of your preferred heat level.)
• 0 as needed for frying ghee (Used only at serving time to fry the dried cakes. Use enough to shallow-fry the cakes in a pan.)

Instructions

1. 1Place 2 seers (approximately 1.9 kg) of beaten rice into a large, clean bowl or pot. Pour 1 seer (approximately 930 ml) of whey over the rice. Stir gently to ensure all the rice is submerged and coated. Cover the bowl with a clean cloth and set it aside in a cool place. Allow the rice to soak in the whey for a full fortnight (14 days). Check on it every couple of days to ensure no mould forms — if it smells sour but not off, it is progressing correctly. This long fermentation softens the rice and develops a tangy flavour.
2. 2After the fortnight of soaking, drain off any excess whey from the beaten rice. Transfer the soaked rice to a large stone mortar. Using a heavy pestle, pound the rice firmly and repeatedly until it forms a rough, cohesive paste. Work in batches if your mortar is not large enough to hold all the rice at once. The pounding breaks down the softened rice grains and helps bind the mixture together. If you do not have a stone mortar, a heavy-duty food processor can be used on a pulse setting, though the traditional texture is best achieved by hand-pounding.
3. 3Take 50 small bundles of fresh coriander leaves. Hold each bundle and cut off the roots at the base, discarding them. Keep the stems and leafy tops. Rinse the trimmed coriander bundles well under cold running water and shake off the excess moisture. Allow them to drain briefly on a clean cloth or paper towels.
4. 4Add the trimmed and drained coriander leaves to the stone mortar (you may need to clear or move the pounded rice temporarily, or use a second mortar). Pound the coriander leaves firmly and thoroughly with the pestle until they are broken down into a fine, wet, green paste. Work in batches if necessary. The goal is a well-broken, almost paste-like consistency — not just roughly chopped leaves.
5. 5Combine the pounded coriander leaf paste with the pounded beaten rice in a large mixing bowl or directly in the mortar if it is large enough. Stir and press the mixture together so the green coriander paste is evenly distributed throughout the rice.
6. 6To the combined rice and coriander mixture, add one-sixteenth of a seer (approximately 58 g) of salt, one-sixteenth of a seer (approximately 58 g) of cleaned sesame seeds (gingillie seeds), and one-sixteenth of a seer (approximately 58 g) of chilli powder. Scatter them evenly over the surface of the mixture so they distribute more easily in the next step.
7. 7Using clean hands, mix the entire mixture thoroughly. Knead and press the salt, sesame seeds, and chilli powder into the rice and coriander paste, working from the outside of the bowl inwards and folding repeatedly. Continue for several minutes until all ingredients are evenly combined and the mixture feels uniform in colour and texture. The mixture should hold together when pressed in your fist.
8. 8Take small portions of the mixture — roughly the size of a golf ball or a tablespoon — and press them firmly between your palms to form small, flat round cakes, similar in shape to a thick coin or patty. Apply firm and even pressure so the cake holds together without cracking. Repeat until all the mixture has been shaped into small cakes. Try to keep them a consistent thickness so they dry evenly.
9. 9Spread a large, clean sheet of cloth (such as a cotton muslin or a clean bedsheet) on a flat surface in a sunny outdoor spot, or on a large tray. Arrange the shaped cakes in a single layer on the cloth, leaving a small gap between each one so air can circulate around them. Make sure the surface beneath is clean and the cloth is taut so the cakes sit flat.
10. 10Leave the cakes to dry in direct sunlight. Bring them indoors overnight and take them back out into the sun each morning. Flip the cakes over once per day so both sides dry evenly. Continue sun-drying over several days until the cakes are completely hard and dry all the way through — they should feel rock-solid, not soft or moist in the centre. The number of days required will depend on the strength of sunlight and humidity in your climate; in strong sun, this may take 3 to 5 days. If sun-drying is not possible, you may place them on a baking rack in an oven set to its lowest temperature (around 60–70°C / 140–160°F) with the door slightly ajar, checking every hour until fully dry.
11. 11Once the cakes are completely and thoroughly dry, transfer them carefully into a clean, dry vessel or airtight box. A clay pot, glass jar, or any container with a well-fitting lid is suitable. Store in a cool, dry place away from moisture. Label the container with the date.
12. 12While in storage, take the cakes out frequently and spread them in direct sunlight for a few hours. This prevents any moisture from building up inside the container, which could cause mould, and keeps the cakes crisp and well-preserved. Aim to do this every week or two, or whenever the weather is particularly sunny. Bring them indoors before evening when moisture in the air increases.
13. 13When you wish to serve the cakes, heat a generous amount of ghee in a flat frying pan or skillet over medium heat. Once the ghee is hot and shimmering, place a few of the dried cakes into the pan. Fry them, turning once, until they are golden brown and crisp on both sides. The dry cakes will absorb some of the ghee and become richly flavoured. Remove from the pan and serve immediately as a savoury accompaniment to dinner. Do not fry more than you intend to eat at one sitting — the remaining dried cakes should be returned to their storage vessel for later use.