Nei Inippu is one of the traditional and authentic dish prepared for Christmas in my Home Town (Tuticorin). I like this dish to the core, my neighbors prepare and share this with us for Christmas.

This is made up of rava, ghee/clarified butter and sugar with a pinch of shajeera and few cardamom pods. It takes time to get set after preparation almost 6 to 7 hrs. But my kids gave only an hour to get set and then started having it. Let us move on to the recipe…

Nei Inippu

Ingredients:

• Rava / Semolina – 1 cup
• Sugar – 2 cups
• Grated coconut – 1 cup
• Cardamom pods – 2 nos
• Shajeera (cake seeds) – ¼ tsp
• Ghee/Clarified butter – 2 tbsp
• Salt – a pinch

Rava/Semolina getting roasted in ghee/clarified butter

Grated coconut getting roasted in ghee/clarified butter

Grated coconut, crushed cardamom pods and shajeera in sugar syrup

With rava/semolina

Getting cooked

With ghee/clarified butter

Getting cooked

Greased plate

Thick conistency

Getting set

Got set

Nei Inippu

Preparation:

• Heat a tsp of ghee/clarified butter in a non-stick pan, add in the rava and roast until it starts turning golden brown. Transfer it to a plate and keep it aside.
• Heat a tsp of ghee/clarified butter in a non-stick pan, add in the grated coconut and roast until it starts turning golden brown. Transfer it to a plate and keep it aside.
• Crush the cardamom pods and keep it aside.
• Take the 2 cups of sugar with 4 cups of water in a non-stick kadai, and keep in medium flame, keep on stirring every once in a while until it comes to thick consistency takes about 10 mins.
• Now add in the roasted coconut along with the crushed cardamom, pinch of salt and ¼ tsp of shajeera. Keep on stirring once in a while until the coconut gets well blend with the sugar syrup or for 5 mins.
• Grease a plate with a tsp of ghee and keep it aside/
• Reduce the flame to low, and add in the roasted rava/semolina little by little and keep on stirring (be sure no lumps are formed).
• Keep on stirring continuously for almost 15 mins or until the rava/semolina gets cooked.
• Add in a tbsp of ghee/clarified butter and continue stirring until it leaves the sides and becomes thick.
• Transfer the rava/semolina to the greased plate and spread it with a spoon.
• Slice into pieces with a knife and let it set, it takes almost 6 to 7 hrs.
• Take off the pieces gently and store it in an air-tight container.