New Delhi: The cold weather has left us feeling down and sluggish. One of the things that can lift our spirits is warm, delicious food! This January, indulge in the flavours of a traditional South Indian dessert with the Thiruvathirai Kali recipe.
Thiruvathirai Kali is a traditional dish prepared on the auspicious day of Thiruvathirai (Arudra Darisanam) as prasadam (sacred offering). Thiruvathirai is a festival celebrated on the full moon night of Margazhi during December–January in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The festival, dedicated to Lord Shiva, has been celebrated for the past 1,500 years.
Thiruvathirai Kali is traditionally made using rice, moong dal, and jaggery as its main ingredients. This mildly sweet dish is prepared by coarsely grinding rice and dal and simmering them with jaggery syrup. Let’s explore how to make this mouth-watering Thiruvathirai Kali at home with these simple steps!
Thiruvathirai Kali Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw rice
- 2 tablespoons moong dal
- 1 cup jaggery
- 2 tablespoons coconut
- 2 teaspoons ghee
- 5 cashews
- 1 1/4 cups water
Instructions
- Begin by adding crushed jaggery to enough water to submerge it and heat it until it melts.
- Once the jaggery has fully dissolved and bubbles begin to appear, turn off the heat. Strain the syrup to remove impurities and set it aside.
- Dry roast the raw rice and moong dal separately until they turn golden brown. Let them cool completely, then pulse-grind them coarsely to break them down.
- Pressure-cook the ground rice and dal mixture with 1 cup of water for 2 whistles on a medium-low flame. Once the pressure releases, mix gently. It may appear sticky at this stage; if so, fluff it lightly.
- Heat the prepared jaggery syrup and add the cooked rice and moong dal mixture to it. Stir briefly to combine.
- Add the roasted cashews, coconut, and cardamom powder. Stir well until the mixture thickens and forms a fluffy mass.
- When this change occurs, add ghee and turn off the heat.
Your Thiruvathirai Kali is now ready! Serve it hot with a generous drizzle of ghee and enjoy the compliments that are sure to follow.
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