After struggeling with the original recipe for the classic anarsa cookie for weeks, coming up with a variation was not that difficult at all! Instead of cardamom I used coriander and sesame seed in my version of the classic anarsa cookie and added a nice nutty touch with some roughly chopped pistachios. I find it does add a little more interest to this classic Nepalese cookie, but then: I don’t have fond childhood memories of the original recipe…..
Anarsa cookie with pistachio and sesame seed
for about 30 cookies
250 grams of rice flour
200 grams of icing sugar
1 tablespoon coriander powder
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons ghee + extra for frying
6-7 tablespoons water
25 grams of shelled pistachios
1 tablespoon sesame seed
Mix the rice flour with the icing sugar, the coriander powder, the lemon juice and the ghee.
Rub together into a crumbly mass and leave to rest covered for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Add 3 tablespoons of water and try to bring together in a ball. Add extra water tablespoon by tablespoon if needed.
Form little balls of 10 grams of dough each.
Chop the pistachio’s roughly and mix with the sesame seed.
Press the dough balls flat between 2 layers of cling film. Sprinkle with the pistachios and sesame seed. Press again.
Heat the fat in the wok or wide and deep pan. Don’t heat the ghee to a very high temperature, it should not smoke. Put 1 or more pieces of dough in the pan and fry until light brown. Do not turn the cookies but spoon hot fat over the top for even browning. Leave to drain on kitchen paper.
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