Anarsa can’t be rushed. It starts days before the festival, with a bowl of rice soaking in water.
Days in the making
The rice is soaked, dried and ground into flour, then mixed with jaggery or sugar and left to rest. Only then is the dough shaped into small rounds, pressed into sesame seeds and fried slowly, so the outside turns crisp while the middle stays soft.
A festival sweet
In Bihar, anarsa is made for festivals, especially around Diwali, and many families make it for Teej too. In some homes it’s a sweet only made once or twice a year, which is part of what makes it special.
The taste
Crisp sesame on the outside, chewy and gently sweet inside: a sweet that tastes like the person who had the patience to make it.