Sukhiyan/ Sugiyan- Sweet Mung bean Fritters

Sukiyan is an amazingly delicious evening snack and is perfect for tea time munching. Tea time is like a tradition in every Indian household, usually a light meal in the late afternoon, with hot piping tea accompanied with a sweet or savory snack. Sukiyan is a traditional evening snack from Kerala. It is deep-fried cooked mung beans balls sweetened with jaggery and coconut. Jaggery has a rich molasses taste, and coconut adds a crunch. It is made somewhat like the South Indian bonda, but it is a sweet version. Recipes like this have been passed down generation after generation and devoured by young and old. If you love exploring local food, Sukiyan is a snack you need to try. These golden beauties are displayed on glass shelves in every local tea shops and thattukadas in Kerala.

Sukhiyan was a snack that my mom rarely made at home. There was a local tea shop near home, which served the best sukhiyan, so we could easily buy them and enjoy with tea. But now far away from home, I often find myself craving for tea time snacks like sukhiyan. So now I make them at home. The filling is freezer friendly. So next time, make a large batch, roll into small balls and freeze it. So when you are craving for an afternoon snack, thaw it, dip in batter, and deep fry. Give this recipe a try and let me know how it turned out for you. Enjoy!

Mung Bean filling
The filling for sukhiyan is delicious and healthy. Green gram/Mung beans are rich in vitamins and minerals. They are a good source of potassium, magnesium, and fiber. It is good to soak the mung beans, and pressure cook till it is soft and slightly mushy. The mung beans are further cooked along with coconut in jaggery syrup till it comes together as a homogeneous mixture. The filling is flavored with ghee and cardamom. Jaggery is a natural sweetener and a healthier option for refined sugar. It is obtained from the sap of the palm tree and is rich in iron, magnesium, and calcium. Darker colored jaggery has a rich molasses taste that goes well with coconut. But you can use sugar or brown sugar instead.
The batter has all-purpose flour and gently laced with the flavor of cardamom. Turmeric powder gives a vibrant yellow color, but it is optional. The batter should be of medium consistency, neither too thick nor too thin. For authentic Kerala flavor, deep fry in coconut oil.

Ingredients

For the batter
Maida/ All purpose flour- 1 1/2 cup
Rice flour- 2 tbs
Baking powder- a pinch
salt- a pinch
Sugar- 1 tbs
Turmeric powder- 1/8 tsp
Cardamom powder- a pinch
Water- 1 1/2 cup
Oil for frying- 2 cup

Filling
Mung beans cooked cooked- 1 1/2 cup
Grated coconut- 3/4 cup
Jaggery powdered- 3/4 cup
Cardamon powder- 1/2 tsp
ghee - 1 tbs
Finely chopped cashew nuts- 1 tbs

To prepare the mung bean filling.
Cook Mung beans till it is soft and slightly mushy. Powder the jaggery, and mix with one cup of water and bring jaggery to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer till all the jaggery melts. Strain out the impurities. In a heavy bottom, pan adds the strained jaggery and simmer it till it starts thickening. Stir in between and cook till it and attains a two tread consistency. Add the cooked mung beans and grated coconut and mix well. When you add coconut, the mixture will lose its thick consistency. It will start thickening after three or four minutes. Allow the mixture to simmer till all liquid evaporates, and the mixture leaves the edges of the pan. Add ghee, cardamom powder, and chopped cashew nuts and mix well. Allow this mixture to cool down completely. You can make small balls and refrigerate for an hour.

Frying the Sukhiyan
To make the batter mix, all-purpose flour, rice flour, a pinch of turmeric, salt, and a tsp of sugar. Baking soda is optional. Add water and mix all this into a smooth batter (dosa batter consistency). Let it rest for ten minutes.
Meanwhile, heat two cups of oil in a pan. Take the sweet balls and dip it in batter, and drop carefully into the hot oil. Deep fry till all sides are golden and slightly crispy. Fry in batches in medium flame. Strain into a paper towel and serve warm with tea