Crunchy Speckled Bubble Bars or Borugula (Murmura) Laddu

Name: Crunchy Speckled Bubble Bars or Borugula (Murmura) Laddu
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 1 Batch
Ingredients: 2 cups rice, puffed & toasted (Mamra, Murmura, Mumra, Indian Puffed Rice, Rice Crispies if you don't have access to the other); 1/2 cup grated jaggery (brown sugar); 1/2 cup water (lemon or lime juice is nice variation, then leave out the cardamom); 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder; 1/2 cup toasted sesame seeds (optional OR other Variations -- Peanuts, cashews, roasted edamame, pretzels, rice crackers, wasabi p)

Submitted by Ambervim

"Basically the bars are formed in a pan like rice crispy treats and the Laddu are balls formed of the same mixture. Mamra is puffed rice with just a touch of salt from India. I found it in a great new market and am finding new recipes to use it. If you use Rice Crispies add just a little salt. It will not be the same, but should work well. With peanuts added it tastes like a crunchy PayDay or Peanut Bar. Variations: Peanuts, cashews, roasted edamame, pretzels, rice crackers, wasabi peas, coconut, raisins, almonds, pecans etc etc."

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photo by Ambervim

Ready In:: 20mins
Ingredients:: 5
Yields:: 1 Batch

ingredients

2 cups rice, puffed & toasted (Mamra, Murmura, Mumra, Indian Puffed Rice, Rice Crispies if you don't have access to the other)
¹⁄₂ cup grated jaggery (brown sugar)
¹⁄₂ cup water (lemon or lime juice is nice variation, then leave out the cardamom)
¹⁄₂ teaspoon cardamom powder
¹⁄₂ cup toasted sesame seeds (optional OR other Variations -- Peanuts, cashews, roasted edamame, pretzels, rice crackers, wasabi p)

directions

If the Mamra is not toasted, place in a pan in a 200F oven for about an hour. The color may change some.
Cut into 2"x 1' bars and allow to cool completely.
In a heavy bottom pan add 1/2 cup water to the jaggery. Cook on medium-high heat. Jaggery melts and begins to concentrate. When it starts foaming, it has reached the consistency we want for this recipe. To test, add few drops of jaggery syrup to the cold water. When pushed with fingers, if the syrup can be rolled to a round and keeps share without melting in spite of tilting the plate to different directions, it is done and the syrup is ready. This whole process takes about 15 to 20 minutes.
Turn off the heat and, constantly stirring, add murmura. Also sprinkle in cardamom powder and add the toasted sesame if you are using it. Within one or two minutes, murmura starts to soak up the syrup and comes together in to dry mass.
Remove the pot from the stove top to counter top.
Place in a silicone pan or just form on a silicone sheet (or a greased pan), let cool. Then cut into 2"x1" pieces.
OR.
Wait for about 5 minutes for murmura-jaggery mixture to cool down and then start making laddus. Take a spoonful of mixture into wet hands and press gently into round shape. Keep a bowl of cold water on the side. Dip your hands in-between laddu making to keep hands unsticky and cool.
Variations: Peanuts, cashews, roasted edamame, pretzels, rice crackers, wasabi peas, coconut, raisins, almonds, pecans etc etc.
Store in a Container.