Ukkarai Recipe Without Ghee | Okkarai Recipe | Diwali Recipe

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Ukkarai is an indulgent Tamil delicacy for Deepavali. Try out this easy, yet amazingly tasty ukkarai recipe!

Whole Food Plant Based Ukkarai Recipe

Course: Dessert for Course 3 (Grain Dishes) at Lunch & Dinner Meals; Festival Recipe; Diwali Recipe
Cuisine: Tamil Recipe from South India
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4 people

INGREDIENTS

Gram Pudding for Ukkarai Recipe

1/2 cup Bengal Gram Dal / Kadale Bele / Kadalai Paruppu
1/2 cup Moong Dal / Petite Yellow Split Lentils
1 cup Date Syrup
Water as required
1/4 tsp Cardamom Powder / Elakkai / Elaichi

Garnishing

2 tbsp Coconut grated
2 tsp Almonds & Walnuts
1 tsp Raisins

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Soak bengal gram dal and moong dal for an hour.
2. Grind soaked grams into thick batter, along with date syrup. Add minimal water so ukkarai remains fluffy and not gooey!
3. Pour batter on idli plates and steam cook until well cooked.
4. Let it cool down. Put the cooled gram idlis into a blender and pulse a few times until you get fluffy ukkarai!
5. Add cardamom powder. Mix well.
6. Switch off the stove and garnish with grated coconut, nuts, and raisins. Serve fresh!

Plant Based Chef Pro Tips for Best Ukkarai Recipe

1. Any nuts can be used. There is no need to fry or even roast the nuts. If you want nuts to be crunchy, dehydrate nuts in a dehydrater for 6 hours. If you want nuts to be juicy, soak nuts in water overnight.
2. Ukkarai should be consumed within a few hours of preparation, like any freshly prepared dish.

Nutrition Science Highlights for WFPB Ukkarai Recipe

1. Why not honey, sugar or jaggery? Sugar and Jaggery are processed foods. Although jaggery is healthier than brown sugar, which, in turn, is healthier than white sugar, all forms of processed foods are unhealthy when compared to whole plant foods. Honey is healthwise as good as jaggery, which isn't saying much. In addition to not being very healthy, honey production kills millions of bees every year, affecting our environment adversely. The best sweetener alternative is a whole fruit or dry fruit. The easiest method of using these is date syrup, as it does not involve peeling or chopping.
2. Why not dairy? Ukkarai is usually made with oodles of ghee. Dairy products have been found to be associated with increased risk of chronic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, obesity, asthma, PCOS, and heart disease. We can still enjoy our milk, cream, and butter though - as long as they are made from whole plant foods!
3. Why legumes? Legumes are the #1 number food associated with long life in many recent large studies! They also fuel your gut microbiome through their resistant starch content and slow down glucose absorption, keeping your blood sugar levels steady - even in the next meal! This has been called the Second Meal Effect. This recipe is one of the yummiest ways to include pulses and legumes in your daily diet.