Essence of Life

AKKARAVADISAL RECIPE - AKKARA ADISIL

Akkaravadisal/Akkara Adisil is a divine sweet made in the temples of Srivilliputhur and Sri Rangam. Srirangam Temple has an inscription that mentions the method of preparing Akkaravadisal and the honours with which it should be served. Akkaravadisal is an authentic Iyengar(Vaishnava) Delicacy usually prepared as an Offering to God (Prasadham/Naivedhyam) during the month of Margazhi, a Tamil month(mid of Dec to mid of Jan). Akkaravadisal is offered to Lord Vishnu in Sri Rangam Temple on the auspicious Day of Panguni Uthiram.
Akkaravadisal is a heavenly combination of Rice & Moong Dhal cooked in Milk, sweetened with Jaggery Syrup, flavoured with Cardamoms, edible camphor, Cashewnuts & Raisins along with copious amount of Ghee which gives a melt-in-mouth texture. Sweet Pongal/Sarkkarai Pongal comes from the same regime, but is the simpler version of the former. The taste and flavour of this dish are elevated by traditional cooking methods used in Madapalli (Temple Kitchen), slow cooking in Wooden Fire in a Bronze Pot. As a part of Pongal, I thought I could share the recipe for Akkaravadisal which is my favourite.

This particular dish has a lot of significance and mentions in history and mythology.

Andal expresses her deep love for the Lord through her verses in Thiruppavai and Akkaravadisal gets a special mention in her verses.

Nooru Narum Pozhil
Malinrunchlai Nambikku Naan
Nooru Thadavil Vennai
Vainerndhu Paravi Vaithen
Nooru Thada Nirainda
AKKARA ADISIL Sonnen
Yeru Thiruvudaiyan

Indru Vandhu Ivai Kollunkolo...

Which means,
Oh, the divine Lord, who lives in the fragrant garden of Thirumaalirunjolai,
I have filled a hundred pots of Butter
And a hundred brimming pots of Akkara Adisal
Will the most praised Lord come & accept it today?

Koodaravalli is an auspicious day observed on the 27th day of the Tamil month Marghazhi as a part of PAVAI NOMBU. For each day of Margazhi, Sri Andal sang a verse of Thirupavai in the praise of Lord Vishnu. In her 27th Pasuram she along with other Gopikas, will happily dress and adorn herself with various ornaments and share Akkaravadisal, the sweetest and divine dish to mark the end of PAVAI NOMBU. The preparation of Akkaravadisal is similar to Sweet Pongal /Sakkarai Pongal with a couple of differences like the Rice and Dhal are cooked entirely with milk and copious amount of ghee, as Andal herself stated that the ghee should drip down the elbows in Akkaravadisal.

The verse goes as such...

27th Pasuram from Thiruppavai

Koodarai Vellum Seer Govindha! Unthannai
Paadiparai Kondu Yaam Perum Sammaanam
Naadu Pugazhum Parisinaal Nandraga
Soodagame Thol Valiye Todesevippove
Paadagame Yenranaya Palkalanum Yamanivom
Addaiuduppom Athan Pinne Parchoru
Moodanei Peithu Muzhangkai Vazhivara
Koodi Irundhu Kolirnthelo Rembavai

I always remember the verses from 'Nalayira Divaprabhandham' by 'Mudharakavi Azhwar' about Lord Shri Krishna -

Annikkum Amuthoorumen Naavirkke!!!

Which means,

'He who is sweet to my tongue(taste) as nectar!

Whenever I eat Akkaravadisal, and if it is a prasadham the note goes to an extra level.

For more PONGAL RECIPES, Click here...

Cuisine - South Indian
Recipe Type - Sweet, Dessert
Difficulty - Medium
Serves - 3 - 4
Author - SM

Preparation Time - 15 - 20 Minutes
Cooking Time - 30 - 45 Minutes

HOW TO COOK AKKARAVADISAL - AKKARA ADISIL

AKKARAVADISAL RECIPE - AKKARA ADISIL

INGREDIENTS:

To Cook Rice & Dhal:

Raw Rice - 3/4 Cup
Moong Dhal - 1/4 Cup
Milk - 31/2 Cups

Water - 2 Cups
Salt - a Pinch (Optional)

For Jaggery Syrup:

Jaggery - 3/4 Cup
Water - 1/2 Cup
Ghee - 1 Teaspoon

For Akkaravadisal/Akkara Adisil:

Ghee - 1/3 Cup
Cashew nuts - 10–12 Nos.
Raisins - 1 -11/2 Tablespoons
Cardamom - 4–5 Pods
Saffron - few Strands (Optional)

Edible Camphor - a Pinch (Optional)

METHOD :

To Cook Rice & Dhal:

Clean and wash the Rice and Dhal for 2–3 times or until water runs clear.
Drain the Rice-Dhal mixture and keep it aside.
Heat Ghee in a pan and roast the Rice Dhal Mixture for about 5–7 minutes until the colour changes slightly, and it turns fragrant. (Do not over roast)
Add Rice Dhal Mixture into heavy bottomed pan/place it inside a bowl with a lid in a Pressure cooker.
Pour 2 Cups of Water and 2 Cups of Milk and a pinch of Salt to the Rice Dhal Mixture and give a quick stir.
Cover the Pressure cooker and cook for 3 Whistles on a high flame.
Lower the flame and cook for another 3–5 whistles.
Switch off the flame and allow the pressure to release.

For Jaggery Syrup:

Melt Jaggery with 1/2 a Cup of Water and a Teaspoon of Ghee, on a medium-low flame until the Jaggery pieces dissolve completely, and it starts to boil.
Switch off the flame, filter the melted Jaggery to remove any impurities and keep it aside.

For Akkaravadisal/Akkara Adisil:

Grind Cardamom Pods with Mortar and Pestle into a fine Powder and keep it aside.
Soak Saffron strands in a few teaspoons of Warm Milk and keep it aside.
Slightly mash the cooked Rice and Dhal mix.
Pour the melted Jaggery to the above along with powdered Cardamom and mix well.
Leave this on a very low flame until Jaggery is well absorbed into the Rice and Dhal mix.
Pour in the remaining 11/2 Cups of Milk and mix well.
Cook this on a low flame for a few minutes.
Pour in the Saffron Milk and cook for another few minutes.
Meanwhile, heat Ghee in a pan and roast Cashew nuts until golden brown colour and Raisins fluff-up.
Pour this onto the Rice-Dhal Mixture and mix well.
Cook this on a low flame for a few more minutes until you get the desired consistency.
Pour in the remaining Ghee to the Akkaravadisal/Akkara Adisil and mix well.
Serve Akkaravadisal/Akkara Adisil hot with a hearty drizzle of Ghee over it.

NOTES:

Roasting both rice and dhal in Ghee enhances the aroma and gives an even texture while cooking.
Roast it on a very low flame until fragrant, over roasting can alter the flavour of the dish.
Adjust the amount of Milk as for your rice variety.
Use full-fat milk to cook Akkaravadisal/Akkara Adisil.
Can substitute half the amount of Milk with Water if you prefer a simple Akkaravadisal.
We need the rice and dhal to be well cooked, so a bit of extra Milk & Water would be needed (more than what we use normally for cooking the rice).
Do not over boil the Jaggery mix. We don't need to boil it into string consistency for Akkaravadisal.
Adjust the sweetness to suit your taste preference.
Adding extra ghee is strictly optional, but gives a wonderful flavour to Akkaravadisal/Akkara Adisil. Traditionally the Pasurams mention about the extra note of Ghee in Akkaravadisil.
Can flavour Akkaravadisal/Akkara Adisil with your choice of powdered Dry Ginger powder/Cloves/edible camphor. But adding these ingredients are purely optional.

January 15, 2019 No comments

January 10, 2019 No comments

January 07, 2019 No comments

RAVA KICHADI RECIPE

      If there is one Tiffin Item that I love the most then it is 'RAVA KICHADI', that I can eat this for any meal of the day. This was one of the dishes I learnt to cook during my school days from my friend Meenakshi. I would never miss a chance of ordering Rava Kichadi may be from Annapoorna Gowrisankar or CS Hotel, a small eatery near Coimbatore Railway Station. Hot Rava Kichadi with a note of Ghee and mild spices when eaten with Coconut Chutney or Sambar tastes divine.
   Rava Kichadi is one of the popular South Indian Tiffin items served for Breakfast/Dinner.   We can always find this Rava Kichadi in the menu list of most of the South Indian Restaurants. Even a Mini Tiffin platter at Annapoorna Gowrisankar & Saravana Bhavan has Rava Kichadi as one of the dishes. Even they serve Rava Kichadi as one of the dishes at South Indian Weddings for breakfast.
     My husband always comments that the Kichadi has less Semolina compared to Vegetables, though an overstatement and which has made me super-reduce the amount of Vegetables in Rava Kichadi, still my husband and kids tease me though.   Rava Kichadi is an easy recipe which can be prepared within minutes. Well roasted Semolina/White Rava, the perfect amount of Water and Ghee gives a soft texture to Rava Kichadi. Semolina/White Rava and Water Ratio in the recipe gives a foolproof Soft Rava Kichadi.

Cuisine - South Indian
Course - Main Course
Difficulty - Easy
Serves - 3-4
Author - SM

Preparation Time - 15-20 Minutes
Cooking Time - 20 - 30 Minutes

For more recipes on TIFFIN ITEMS, Click here...

HOW TO MAKE RAVA KICHADI

INGREDIENTS :

For Tempering :

Mustard Seeds - 1 Tspn
Urad Dhal / Black Gram Dhal - 2 Tspn.
Bengal Gram Dhal - 1 Tspn
Cashew Nuts - 10 -12 Nos.
Curry Leaves - 1 Sprig
Ghee/ Oil - 3 Tbspns

For Rava Kichadi:

White Rava / Semolina - 2 Cups
Onion - 1 No.
Green Chillies - 5-6 Nos.
Ginger - 1/2" Piece
Garlic - 2 Cloves(Optional)
Tomato - 1 No.
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 Tspn
Carrot - few pieces
Green Peas - few Nos.
Water - 6 Cups
Salt - To Taste

METHOD:

Dry roast Semolina(White Rava) until colour changes slightly for 5-8 minutes on a very low flame.
Keep it aside to cool down.
Chop Onions, Green Chillies, Garlic and Ginger.
Clean, Peel and cut Carrots into tiny cubes.
Peel the Green Peas and keep it aside.
Heat Ghee in a pan, splutter Mustard seeds, fry Bengal Gram Dhal and Urad dhal until they turn into light golden brown in colour.
Add Cashew nuts to the above and fry until it turns into light golden brown in colour.
Saute Onions, Green Chillies, Ginger, Garlic and Curry Leaves, until Onions turn translucent.
Add Turmeric powder and give a quick stir.
Add finely chopped Tomatoes to the above and cook until tomatoes turn soft and oil separates from the mix.
Add Carrot, Green Peas and cook on a very low flame for few minutes.
Pour 6 Cups of Water into the pan and boil.
Add Salt to taste.
When Water starts to boil, lower the flame and add a tablespoon of Ghee or oil into it and give a quick stir.
Slowly add Roasted Semolina(White Rava) in small batches.
Stir continuously while adding the Semolina(White Rava) into the boiling water to avoid forming lumps.
Mix well and close the pan.
Leave it on a low flame for 3-4 minutes or until the mixture turns slightly thicker.
Add some ghee(optional) and stir it at regular intervals.
Cook on a very low flame until Semolina (White Rava) turns soft.
Serve Rava Kichadi hot with Coconut Chutney & Sambar.

NOTES :

Perfectly dry roasted semolina plays a major role in the texture of Rava Kichadi.
Over-roasted semolina tends to become dry even after adding enough water, and under-roasted semolina turns gooey.
Can add few drops of lemon juice, if you prefer a slight tanginess in your Rava Kichadi.
Can add few teaspoons of Ghee to Kichadi, at the final stage too.
Adding Ghee to Rava Kichadi gives a nice flavour and gives a soft texture to the dish. Can substitute it with any Vegetable Oil too.
I usually add a small stick of Cinnamon, a Cardamom and 2-3 Cloves while tempering for Rava Kichadi.
Adding the above spices are truly optional, but gives a nice aroma to Rava Kichadi.

January 04, 2019 No comments

GINGER WINE

     Let's welcome this New Year with a toast, with my home-made, heartwarming Ginger Wine. Also my blog 'ESSENCE OF LIFE- FOOD' has completed 3 years and stepping into its 4th year this 2019.
     This Ginger Wine Recipe was in my mind for a long time, literally for years I should say. Every time I buy Ginger I buy a batch for this Ginger Wine, but I always procrastinate the process thinking, next time maybe. And after all these years, when I was thinking what Wine I could make for this year, I finally convinced myself to prepare Ginger Wine. And all the more I had few batches of Raisin Wine and Banana Wine already lying in my refrigerator.
     Ginger Wine is something quite warming, with a wonderful aroma, soothing and satisfying flavour. Fresh Ginger Roots give a wonderful aroma to the Wine along with a note of Spiciness from the dry chillies added to the Wine. Some recipes even call for adding Raisins and Yeast, but this ginger Recipe is prepared without adding Yeast. Also adding Caramelized Sugar to the Ginger Wine gives a fullness with a slight bitter note and yields a wonderful colour to the Wine.

Wishing you all a 'HAPPY NEW YEAR 2019'

Recipe Type - Wine
Difficulty - Medium
Yields - 11/2 Bottles
Author - SM

Preparation Time - 30 -45 Minutes
Brewing Time for Ginger Wine - 1 Week to 10 Days

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HOW TO MAKE GINGER WINE