Causing the chilmadde (sweet rice cones)

There's always been a connection with rice cakes and South India. My connection comes with the fact that I am a South Indian. This sweetmeat was being prepared at ours since I was a little girl but it is something you appreciate with time. Your palate has to accustom itself to the joy of a steamed rice cake filled with goodness.

Let me introduce for the first time the "Chilmadde",  a rice cake made in leaves of Jackfruit and our guest author Varija-akke, my dear grandmother. A recipe that has trailed down for generations has been appreciated and shown the thumbs up by my two year old, for me to have the nerve to bring it to you.

With news of a new member coming into the family comes great joy, celebrations and revelation of a whole load of recipes. It has brought out the chef in my grandmother as she prepares for the customs involving food. I'm drooling with joy as I watch her begin with what looks like a batch of leaves. One is transported to the old fruit groves and green fields that were so much a part of every Bunt (a community of people belonging to the South Karnataka district) child's summer vacation if not the whole reality of their lives. This recipe has brought with it not only the sunshine that is evidence the life of the leaf it's made with but also smiles and conversations about games played with pebbles and swims in the pond somewhere near the mango tree.

 Picture courtesy: Saujanya Shetty

                                 

Ingredients
Print this recipe

• 30 jackfruit leaves
• 2 cups brown rice (washed and soaked for 5 hrs)
• salt to taste
• 2 cups coconut
• 1 1/2 cup jaggery
• 2 tsp cardamom powder

Method

1.  Prepare the cones as shown in the video.

2. For outer cover, grind the soaked rice and salt using little water to make moist and thick dough.
Keep this aside.
3. Prepare the sweet filling:
Place a pan on medium flame,add jaggery, when it melts add the coconut and cardamom powder and mix well,cook till you get a thick but moist filling.
4. Fill cones as shown in the video.Place 2 tbsp of rice dough into the cone and spread it around the cone, make a hole and fill the cones with coconut and jaggery filling. Cover with 1/2 tbsp of rice dough.
5. Place the cones in a steamer and steam for 45 minutes.
6. Serve with homemade ghee.

My granny Varija-akke with Chilmadde :)