We celebrate Thiruvaathirai in the month of Maarkazhi. It falls on Thiruvathirai star mostly on poornima (full moon day) This prasadam is offered to siva because Sree parvathi did penance to get Siva as her betterhalf and did fasting and poojas.she did this pooja in a jungle and so we take only bulbs and such vegetables for the prasad. Keralites will not have rice on this day they will make prasad with arrowroot, jaggery and coconut.. I was born and brought up in Palghat, my in-laws are too from the same place but my paternal grand parents from Malappuram and maternal from Thiruvilwamala. Soon after my wedding we stayed in trichur for 8 to 10 years Now you can imagine, my prasad will be a combination of all these places..... THIRUVATHIRAI KALI THINGS WE NEED:- Raw rice- 1 1/2 cups (If you are mixing yellow gram dal (cheru paruppu or paasi paruppu) then take 1 cup of rice and 1/4 cup of dal Ghee-1 or 2 teaspoons Cardamom powder-1 teaspons & Jaggery- 1 1/2 cups (this will be perfect for mumbai jaggery,village jaggery,(achu vellam) the small cakes which requires melting and filtering might require slightly more. Now soak the rice for 2hours then strain it and keep it in a fruit filter for 15 mins and spread it in a thin towel or a newspaper for an hour.Fry it in a pan.let it turn into light brown colour.Then grind it (dry) in a mixer. It should be coarse not very fine like sand. Meanwhile in a frying pan fry the dal into golden brown colour and powder it like the rice. Now mix them both and keep aside. On the oherside take 1 1/4 cup of water, powder the jaggery and make a syrup.when the jaggery dissolves fully put off the stove and sieve it. Take 2 cups of water, boil it in a pan when it boils slow down the fire add the rawa (mixture o dal and rice) slowly like you do for upma.There should not be any lumps.It should be stirred continuously. When the rawa absorbs the water fully add the jaggery syrup,add ghee and cardamom powder.you will get a good smell.When it is cooked slow down the fire and remove it from the fire that's it..... If you want, you can add cashews or groundnuts...... THIS YEAR, THIRUVATHIRAI IS ON FIRST JAN HAPPY NEW YEAR THIRUVAATHIRAI KOOTTU This is called as ezhu kai koottu or ombadhu kai koottu accordingly..... What we need:- Kaavath Yam Sweet potatoes Koorkai Cheru kizhangu Chembu Pumpkin Raw banana Avarakkai- ALL 1/4 KG All are optional you can choose accordingly.Some put elavan and most of them never put cheru kizhangu and koorkai. Coarse powder of rice and dal-2 teaspoons(which we've prepared for kali) Coriander leaves splited green chillies-4 or 5 Turmeric powder-1/2 teaspon Asofoetida powder-1/4 teaspoon Salt coconut oil- 3 teaspoons 1 for seasoning and the rest for pouring at the end. All the vegetables should be cleaned and the skin should be peeled off. Cut them into cubes. It looks good if you cut it uneven. Now take enough water put all the vegetables add turmeric and asofoetida powder and keep the pan on fire when the vegetables are half cooked add salt required and the split chillies and the coarse powder. Once it is cooked pour the oil and garnish with coriander leaves. Now remove it from the fire and season it with mustard seeds. I will post puli kuzhambu alongwith microwave kali and koottu please wait
THIRUVAATHIRAI PULIKKOOTTU With the above said vegetables some more vegetables should be added like- Drumstick ladiesfinger Ash gourd etc For pulikkoottu masala- Unseeded tamarind-One small lemon size Toor dal-2 table spoons Fenugreek seeds-1teaspoon Coriander seeds-3 tablespoons Black gram dal-1 spoon Asafoetida-2 small pieces Turmeric powder-1 teaspoon Sambhar powder-3 teaspoons Red chillies-3 plus two Oil-3 teaspoons Salt required First soak tamarind in warm water and extract the juice from it and keep it aside. Now cut vegetables into cubes and cook it in water. Add turmeric powder, 1 small piece of asofoetida,sambhar powder and very little salt.when it is half cooked add the thick tamarind juice. Take a pan,put 1 teaspoon oil and fry coriander seeds,blackgram & red chillies-3 Then fry fenugreek, remove it and keep it aside and fry toordal and 2 chillies and powder these three together. If you want you can add a tablespoon of fried rice powder. Do not over cook the vegetables, once its cooked add the first masala and after three minutes add the toordal masala,season with 2 teaspoons of oil and mustard seeds then add coriander and curry leaves...OVER
