Pootharekulu (Andhra Paper Sweet)

Nov 3, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Dessert Candy confections Medium

Paper-thin rice sheets are brushed with ghee, sprinkled with powdered sugar and cardamom, and folded into crisp-then-melting rolls. This is a home adaptation: the village sheets are made by specialist hands on hot clay pots, so we cook thin rice crepes in a nonstick skillet instead. Makes 6 rolls in about 55 minutes.

Prep 30 min

Cook 25 min

Total 55 min

Yield 6 rolls

Ingredients

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rolls

¾ cup (100 g)rice flour, fine, not glutinous
1 ¼ cups (300 ml)water, cool
1 pinchfine salt
1 tsp (5 ml)neutral oil, for the pan
1 ½ oz (45 g)ghee, melted
¾ cup (90 g)powdered sugar, sifted
½ tsp (1 g)ground cardamom
3 ½ tbsp (25 g)cashews, finely chopped, toasted

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Instructions

Whisk the rice flour, water and salt until completely smooth and as thin as heavy cream. Rest 15 minutes, then stir again.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and wipe with the oil on a paper towel. The pan should be hot but not smoking.
Ladle about 3 tablespoons of batter in, swirl very thinly to cover the base, and cook 1 to 2 minutes until the edges lift and the sheet turns opaque and dry. Do not flip.
Peel the sheet onto a clean cloth and let it dry 5 minutes so it turns papery. Repeat to make 6 sheets, stacking them between cloths.
Mix the powdered sugar, cardamom and chopped cashews in a bowl.
Working with one sheet, brush the surface lightly with melted ghee and scatter on 1 heaping tablespoon of the sugar mixture. Add a second thin ghee brushing if the sheet is very dry.
Fold the sheet in half twice, or roll it loosely, to make a neat packet. Press gently so the layers stay together.
Repeat with the remaining sheets. Rest 10 minutes so the ghee softens the paper, then serve the same day for the best melt-in-the-mouth texture.

Tips

Keep the batter thin; a thick sheet turns chewy instead of papery.
Work in a dry kitchen. Humidity makes the sheets limp before you fill them.
For a jaggery version, grate soft jaggery very fine and use it in place of the sugar.
Good with hot masala chai.

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Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make pootharekulu (andhra paper sweet)?

Plan on 30 minutes of prep and 25 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes 6 rolls.

How should I store pootharekulu (andhra paper sweet)?

Layer in a dry airtight container with parchment and keep at room temperature for up to 2 days; refrigerating makes the sheets soft.

Can I make pootharekulu (andhra paper sweet) ahead?

It is at its best the day it is made; prepare it a few hours before serving.

Pootharekulu, or paper sweet, comes from Atreyapuram in East Godavari, Andhra Pradesh, where paper-thin rice sheets are folded around ghee and sugar or jaggery. Serve it with hot masala chai.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 6 servings this recipe makes.

210 Calories / serving

9.6g Fat

29.7g Carbs

1.8g Protein

15.0g Sugar

Whole recipe (6 servings): ~1260 cal · 58g fat · 178g carbs · 11g protein · 90g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.