Athirasam goes by many names in Malaysia, ie. peneram, denderam, etc. It is one of the favourite for Diwali / Deepavali celebration. This snack can be traced back to the 16th century during the reign of Vijayanagara Emperor Krishanadevaraya in Southern India. This snack was brought to Malaysia by Indians who settled down in Malaysia.
This snack is similar in shape to vadai but is a sweet snack. These are not easy to make and require patiences and time to get the perfect athirasam. The dough need to be mixed and allowed to ferment for 2 to 3 days before being shaped & deep fried in oil.
