As Diwali approaches, tables in Tamil Nadu gleam with sweets like Okkarai (or Ukkarai), a humble yet heartwarming festive treat. Made with roasted moong dal, rice flour, jaggery, and ghee, this delicately sweet preparation features simple ingredients transformed into something truly special.
Okkarai is a traditional Diwali sweet made by steaming a mixture of roasted moong and chana dal, which is then broken into small crumbs and cooked with jaggery syrup, coconut, ghee, and cardamom.
It results in a crumbly and aromatic sweet eaten after the early morning oil bath during Diwali. Okkarai stands out for its crumbly texture and offers a lovely contrast to the syrupy sweets, such as laddus and halwas.
With its toasty aroma of roasted dal, richness of ghee, and the mellow sweetness of jaggery, Diwali Okkarai is a unique sweet you must prepare in your homes this Diwali.
