Thiruvaadhirai Kali

Thiruvaadhirai is a festival celebrated in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Lord Shiva is worshiped on the day. Yesterday was Thiruvaadhira. There are some dishes made particularly for the occasion and given as offerings to God. My mother doesn't celebrate this festival and so I didn't know about it until a few years back. My neighbour used to make Thiruvaadhirai Kulambu and Appam and she used to share it with me every year. This year I am in another house ans so no thiruvaadhirai kulambu from her this year. So I decided to make it myself. Yesterday was also Dattatreya Jayanthi. So I prepared Thiruvaadhirai Kali, Thiruvaadhirai Adai and Thiruvaadhirai Kulambu for neivedhyam.Though this is called Kali, it resembles fluffy pongal. It tasted great. The original recipe mentioned about adding 1 1/2 cups - 2 cups of water for 1 cup of rice used. But when I opened the cooker, the rice remained uncooked. So I added an extra cup of hot water to the rice and cooked it further to get completely cooked Kali.

Ingredients:

Raw Rice-1 cup

Moong Dhal-3 tbs

Jaggery/ Vellam-1 cup

Water-2 1/2 - 3 cups

Grated Coconut-1/4 cup

Ghee-3-4 tbs

Raisins-2 tbs

Cashew-2 tbs

Procedure:

1. In a pan dry roast rice until brown. Transfer to a plate to cool.

2. Roast the moong dhal until brown. Add it to the rice.

3. Grind it in a mixer grinder to rava consistency.

4. In a pan add water and jaggery and heat it until the jaggery dissolves.

5, Strain the syrup into a pressure cooker.

6. Add ghee and coconut and bring it to boil.

7. Add the broken rice to the water, cover the lid and put on the whistle.

8. When the first whistle comes, lower flame and cook for 4 minutes.

9. Remove from flame and let the pressure drop down.

10. Remove lid and mix the rice with a spoon.

11. Roast raisins and cashew in ghee and add it to the rice. Mix well.

12. Serve along with Thiruvaadhirai Kulambu.

P.S: The water used varies according to the rice. If the rice is larger, you need more water to cook. IF it is ground to finer rava consistency, then the water required will be only 2 cups. Adjust it accordingly.