Thiruvadhirai Kali

What a busy week it had been. Though I was working in the computer all day long I could'nt find time to post a recipe. Shame. The thing is I was quite busy with my hubby's new machinery purchase project and I had to liaise with the bank people and Auditors for all the paper work to get completed. Now it is all finished.


What an auspicious day for a New year. Aruthra Darisanam falls on the same day this year. As the temples were closed during the mid night due to lunar eclipse we went for the early morning darshan to our nearby temple. After returning home I made this kali which is usually done as a neivieidhyam for Lord Shiva during this auspicious day.









You’ll need:


Raw rice – 1 cup

Yellow moong dal – ¼ cup

Jaggery (molasses) – 1 ½ cup

Freshly grated coconut – ½ cup

Cashew nuts – 2 tbsp

Raisins – 1 tbsp

Ghee – 2 tbsp

Cardamom powder – 2 tsp

Water – 4 cups





Method:


Dry roast rice and yellow moong dal separately till a nice aroma rises and they both change color to a lighter shade of brown. Grind them coarsely to a rava consistency. Heat a little water in a vessel and add the jaggery to it. Stir till they completely dissolve and pass it thru a metal strainer to filter any dust or find sand. Keep the strained jaggery syrup separately.



In a kadai heat 3 tsp of ghee. Add the cashew and raisins and sauté till they become golden in color. Add the grated coconut and sauté till changes color and a nice aroma arises. Keep it separately.



In a vessel heat 4 cups of water. Add the coarsely ground rice and moong dal and mix to avoid lumps. Close the vessel with a lid and cook over medium flame till the water is absorbed and mixture becomes soft. This should take about 10 – 15 minutes.



Add the jaggery syrup, cardamom powder, roasted cashewnuts, raisins, coconut and the remaining ghee and mix well. Cook for 2 – 3 minutes over high flame or till the syrup is also absorbed into the cooked rice mixture.


This was the break fast we all had on New year. I was quite skeptical whether my children would take a  liking to it. Bu they did. Infct they loved it very much. Arjun remarked that it tasted like chakkarai pongal. As it is a sweet dish I did'nt have to cajole them to try.


What a healthy dish as we get all the nutrients from it. Carb from the rice, protein from the dal, iron from the jaggery, fat from the ghee. What a healthy lifestyle people of those led. I hope we don’t forget our tradition but pass it on to our next generation and enable them to live a healthy life.


This is off to Kids's Delight - Wholesome breakfast. hoted by Srivalli.