Sugar Pootharekulu

Pandara Pootharekulu.

Pandara poothareku is a famous coastal Andhra sweet made with thin flaky sheets of paper made of rice flour. For pandara pootharekulu, powdered sugar is folded into the rice paper sheets along with pure ghee. Store the pootharekulu tight in a jar and they stay fresh for around a week or two.
Makes: around 5 Pieces of Pandara Pootharekulu.

Ingredients:

• Rice Paper Sheets 15
• Sugar 1/2 Cup
• Pure Ghee 5 tbsps

Method of preparation:

Melt the ghee and keep it aside.
Grind the sugar into fine powder using a spice grinder.
If necessary, process the ground sugar through fine sieve to obtain fine sugar.

Damp a kitchen towel with few splash of water.
Take a sheet of rice paper on the damp cloth.
Damp cloth helps to make the rice sheet little pliable.
Alternatively, sprinkle few tiny drops of water onto the sheet to make the folding easier.

Layer around a tbsp of powdered sugar onto the first rice paper sheet.
Pour a tsp of ghee all over the rice sheet.
Layer another rice paper sheet on the first sheet.
Spread around another tbsp of powdered sugar onto the second sheet.
Pour a tsp of ghee all over the rice sheet.

Spread around another tbsp of powdered sugar onto the third sheet.
Pour a tsp of ghee all over this rice sheet.
Fold one longest side onto the center of the sheets.
Fold other longest side to overlap the first folded side.
Spread around another tbsp of powdered sugar onto the folded strip.
Pour a tsp of ghee all over the rice strip.
Fold the ends of the sheet together once and fold the remaining part into a rectangular strip.
Repeat the same with remaining rice paper sheets.
Store the pootharekulu in a tight jar and serve when necessary.
Notes: Use 2 rice paper sheets during starting stage if one seem to be too thin and flaky.

Suggestions: Adjust the powdered sugar according to the preference.
Variations: Bellam Pootharekulu made with grated jaggery.
Other Names: Pootharekulu, Panchadara Pootharekulu, Pandara Putharekulu