Bellam Pala Thalikalu for Atla Taddi and Vinayaka Chavithi

I have been meaning to share the recipe for Pala Thalikalu for a while now, but have never gotten around to it. October 8, 2017 is Atla Taddi, a festival in which Pala Thalikalu play an important role as naivedyam and so here I am with the recipe.

As I mentioned in my earlier post on Timmanam, Atla Taddi is Karva Chauth as celebrated in Andhra Pradesh. While the women fast on this day, they also have a lot of fun. They eat before sunrise and then at night after seeing the moon and offering prayers.

Today I am here with the recipe for Bellam Pala Thanikalu, which I have seen described as Andhra Rice Noodle Kheer. 😀

Step-by-Step Recipe to Make Bellam Pala Thalikalu

• Preparation Time: 10 Minutes
• Cook Time: 60 Minutes
• Serves: 4-6 People

Ingredients for the Thalikalu

1. Rice Flour – 1/2 Cup
2. Jaggery – 1 tbsp
3. Water – 1/4 Cup
4. Ghee – 1 tsp

Ingredients for the Payasam

1. Milk – 2 Cups/500 ml
2. Grated Coconut – 1/4 Cup
3. Cardamom Powder – 1/2 tsp
4. Jaggery – 1/3 Cup (use more if you want a sweeter taste)
5. Water – 1/3 Cup

Making the Dough for Thalikalu

1. Place the rice flour in a deep bowl.
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2. Make a thin jaggery syrup by boiling 1/4 cup water with 1 tbsp jaggery.
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3. Make a well in the rice flour.
4. Add the jaggery syrup in small amounts.
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5. Using a spoon, mix well to form a soft dough.
   • I used jaggery syrup to make the dough so that the Thalikalu have some taste. You can also use boiling hot milk or water to knead the dough. If you use milk or water, add just the tiniest pinch of salt to the dough.
   • Let the dough be soft and sticky 
6. Let the dough cool for 5 minutes.
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7. Grease your palms with a few drops of ghee.
8. Take small pinches of the dough and make into chick-pea sized balls. Keep greasing your palm with ghee as the dough is sticky.
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9. Grease your palms with ghee and roll each ball of dough between your palms to form a thalika/noodle about 2-3″ in length.
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10. Set aside.

Making the Jaggery Syrup

1. Mix 1/3 cup jaggery and water.
2. Boil the syrup till it is thick.
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3. Set aside to cool. This step is important because if you add hot syrup to the milk, the milk will split.

Making the Payasam

1. Boil the milk.
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2. Lower the heat to medium.
3. Add the Thalikalu to the simmering milk and let them simmer in the milk for about 10 minutes. 
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4. Gently stir at regular intervals. Do not be very vigorous or the thalikalu will break.
5. Let thalikalu cook, and the milk thicken and reduce to 2/3 the original quantity.
6. To check that the thalikalu are cooked, take one out of the milk and cut with a spoon. It should be firm but break easily. You can also taste it to see that the raw flavour of the rice flour is gone.
7. Add the coconut and cardamom powder.
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8. Mix well.
9. Turn off the heat and set aside to cool. This step is important because if you add syrup to the hot milk, the milk will split.

The Final Step in Making Bellam Pala Thalikalu

1. When the jaggery syrup and milk are warm, add the syrup to the milk.
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2. Using a spoon, mix gently till the syrup is well-incorporated.
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3. Offer the Bellam Pala Thalikalu as naivedyam and savour as Prasadam.