Handesh

Make a batch of sweet, golden-brown handesh, a Bengali deep-fried snack made from flour and date molasses. Delicious with a cup of tea or eaten with warm milk like cereal

Prep:15 mins
Cook:1 hrs
plus resting

Easy

Nutrition per serving

kcal 103
fat 3g
saturates 0.7g
carbs 18g
sugars 0g
fibre 0.4g
protein 1g
salt 0.01g

Ingredients

320g rice flour
145g plain flour
320g date molasses (morsa gur)
50g white granulated sugar
vegetable oil, for frying

Method

Mix together both the flours, the molasses and sugar in a large mixing bowl until well combined.
Gradually add up to 150ml tepid water to make a very thick batter, mixing in with clean hands. Crumble up any large bits of flour, molasses or sugar with your fingers. Add up to another 250ml water, a little at a time, until you have a batter that pours in a constant stream without breaking – the amount of water will vary depending on the consistency of the molasses. If the batter still seems too thick, add a little more water until you get the right consistency. If you add too much water, add more flour until you have the right consistency. Cover the bowl and leave to rest at room temperature for 4-5 hrs or overnight.
Heat a generous amount of oil in a large wok over a high heat (around 200C if using a thermometer). When it's very hot, reduce the heat to medium – this will ensure the oil is hot enough for the handesh to puff up immediately without burning. Pour a little of the batter directly into the centre of the wok with a jug or ladle and wait a few seconds for it to puff up slowly and rise to the surface of the oil. Move it away from the centre of the pan with a spoon and cook for 25-30 seconds on each side until brown all over and cooked inside – you can tear one open to check that it's cooked through. Remove from the wok using a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with kitchen paper. Repeat with the remaining batter. Enjoy hot with a cup of tea or tear into small pieces and cover in warm milk to eat like cereal.

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