Aval Vilayichathu (Sweetened Rice Flakes)

Put your jaggery pieces in a saucepan with the water. Bring to boil, and keep boiling until the jaggery melts in the water and becomes liquid. Take off heat and keep aside.

Heat ghee in a deep sided and heavy bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Add coconut flakes, dal and cashews and brown them over medium heat. Once browned, pour the jaggery liquid into this,

Add the coconut to the mixture. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium and continue to cook until the liquid becomes a syrup of single thread consistency (when syrup drops from a spoon, it forms thin threads in water). On a candy thermometer, this reads 223° F.

Switch off heat. Mix in the powdered cardamom.

In intervals, using a wooden spoon, slowly add in the rice flakes, coating each addition fully, and continuing until all of the rice flakes are glazed and covered.

It makes a large amount, but keeps well, unrefrigerated for a week or two.

Notes:
This is basically an Indian preparation, so most of the ingredients can be purchased at any Indian grocer.