Appam for Avani Avittam

Yesterday August 24, 2010 was Avani Avittam and also happens to be Rakshabandhan ....I made Potato Karamadu (Veggie), Satruamudhu (Rasam), Keerai Moolagootal, Kesari (since it also happens to be pournami and as always I do Satya Narayana Pooja) and last but not the least Urad dhal Vadai (and also had left overs Sambhar and my fav chepankiyangu roast). I had postponed the appam which is quintessential to be made on the day of Avani Avittam for the evening snack. I haven't made this in years...do not ask me what happened in the previous years....  Then I remembered that I did not have a shallow pan...and I knew that this is a must for making appams but I have only flat bottom frying pans...so I ventured making this in with my paniyarakal. I am planning to Pancake Puffs Cast Iron set soon....since my paniyarakal moulds are very small and it gets cumbersome to flip it. After a heavy lunch I set out to make the yummy appams....as mentioned in my earlier posts I am big fan of sweets made with jaggery so I was even more excited in making this.....I did have hits and misses the first two rounds but did get it right...though my first two sets turned dark....it still tasted good...crunchy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside.....this can be made with rice flour or maida (all purpose flour). But I love it only the ones made with rice...the maida stuff does not turn that tasty....I could not get good photos...but it was too good....hence decided to post it.

Ingredients: (16 pieces)

3/4th Cup Rice soaked in water for an hour or two
1/2 Cup Jaggery
4 Cardamom
1/2 Cup Coconut
Oil for frying

Drain the water completely from the rice and grind it well. Add the jaggery, cardamom and coconut and blend it along with the rice. Heat the paniyarakal with little oil and lower the heat. Pour into the moulds. Once you see it is cooked and is turning brown ...flip it over to the other side carefully using two spoons. Add some more oil on top the appams. Take it out and place it on a kitchen towel to drain out excess oil when you see the flipped side has also turned brown.
If you are making it using a fry pan always remember that you should only do "ONE" appam at a time and also do it on a shallow pan. I know couple of my friends have been looking for this recipe in my blog...sorry could not post it earlier. Hoping it will come in handy for the upcoming Sri Jayanti and future Avani Avittams....Enjoy!

Chakkarai Pongal

You guys might be wondering how come she is posting the recipe for Chakkarai Pongal a month after Sankranthi.. I thought it is better late (or little early for next Pongal...No No no..... Do we need a reason or festival to eat good Chakkarai Pongal?? The minute you think of Chakkarai Pongal..you are reminded of  Parthasarathy Temple (a famous temple in Triplicane , near Marina Beach, Chennai ,TN)...wondering what that means...any Chennaite would know it I guess!!... Chakkarai Pongal and Parthasarathy Temple go hand in hand....You should taste it atleast once in your life time...and that taste remains for ever...It will be loaded with cashew, raisins and dollops of ghee....Adhu dhan original Chakkarai Pongal...Probably I was thinking on these terms (thinking of Parthasarathy) that I felt the one I made this year also came close (can never beat that one!!) to what is made at the temple. 

As to how we make chakkarai pongal  back home on the day of Sankranthi...we make this in vengala panai ....  we mark it with the thiruman kappu (similar to the mark on the fore head of maha vishnu) and then tie it with a piece of  sugar cane (which is reaped only during that month), a piece of coconut, a banana and raw turmeric (which is also reaped during this time)...but when I make it here - all these go around my pressure cooker!! I have to find out from my mom or patti as to why we tie these around the pot. This Chakkarai Pongal is cooked with the new rice that was harvested that year entirely in milk (but here I pressure cook rice, dhal with enough milk). Back home after the jaggery is added and when it boils over ....all the kids gather around and shout "Pongalo Pongal" along with the playing of damaram (that damaru is also used on the day before  - for bhogi too ...when we burn the old stuff in front of the house...and this damaru is played...I guess to ring in the good things and to ward of evil!!)  As you finish the gosham of Pongalo Pongal accompanied  by the humble damaram...you will start hearing the same at your neighbour's house. You must visit the mada veedi and around the kulam (in Mylapore, Chennai , Tamil Nadu) ..to see the kolams (rangoli) drawn in front of the house and to witness the kolam competition, to do shopping for the karumbu (sugarcane), thoranam (decorative piece for the house during festivities), vazhai ilai (banana leaf) , pasu manjal and what not........Mylai (in short for Mylapore) holds a special place in my heart....nostalgic memories!! Having travelled from Triplicane to Mylapore...you must all be tired and starving...lets take a plunge into the ingredients for making the Sugar Pongal...

Rice - 1 Cup

Moong Dhal - 1 fist full (1 TBSP)

Jaggery - (we call it pagu vellam) - 1 1/4 cup

Water - 1/2 Cup

Milk - 4 Cups

Cardomom powder

Cashew, Almonds, Raisins

Ghee - 1/2 Cup

Nutmeg - 1/2 tsp

Wash rice and dhal. Add 4 cups milk to the rice and dhal and pressure cook it for four to five whistles.
Always roast cardomom in ghee and then grind it to get better results.
Take ghee in a heavy bottom pan and roasts the nuts and keep it aside (this way you need not use one more pan to roast them at the end for adding it in the Chakkarai Pongal).
In the same heavy bottom pan and add water. Dissolve Jaggery in it - allow it to thicken to one string consistency.
Add the cooked rice and dhal to the jaggery and mix well.
Add the ghee to the pongal and keep it in the stove for few more minutes.
Add the nutmeg, cardomom and the nuts.
The yummy sugar pongal is ready to be served.

Akkaravadisal

This is one of my favorite desert …right from my childhood. I never liked the much loved Payasam (made out of sugar and milk or vermicelli payasam). I used to call this brown payasam (it gets the color from jaggery). Whenever there was a special occasion this used to be one of the items and I loved it (still do).
There is a special significance to this dish -
We all know about Kothai, the daughter of Periazhwar, the only woman azhwar out of the 12. Sri Bashykarar (Sri Ramanuja) went to Thirumalincholai to do mangalasasanam for Azhagar. He was reciting Nachiyar Thirumozhi Pasasuram and while reciting “Narunarum pozhil mAlirunchOli nambikku nAnnooru thadAvil vennai vAinErindhu parAvivaiththEnnooru thadA niraindha akkAravadisil sonnEnAruthiruvudaiyAn endru vandhu evai kollungolO?”
Sri Bashyakarar realized that though Andal made a vow to make Nooru (100) Thada Vennai (Butter) and Nooru (100) Thada Akkaravadisal for Azhagar she could not make her dream come true as mentioned in her pasuram since she united with Sri Ranganatha even before making that happen. Hence, Sri Bashyakarar decided to make Sri Andal’s wishes come true by doing that for Thirumalincholai malai Azhagar. So that makes this dish even more special …isn’t it.


Ingredients –
Rice – ½ Cup
Moong Dhal – 1 Tb Spoon (oru karandi)
Jaggery – 1 Cup Powdered (or 6 to 8 pieces depending upon the taste)
Milk – 6 – 8 Vitamin D Milk (full cream) Cups
Saffron dissolved in milk
Cardamom, Cashew and Raisins
Traditionally we make this in vengala uruli (thick bottom vessel) by boiling the rice and milk together. However, I am going to write it the way we make it in these modern days!!
Wash the rice with water. Pressure cook the rice with 5 cups of milk up to 5 whistles.
Take a tsp of ghee and roast the cardamom in it and let it cool. Powder this and keep aside.
Take 2 tsp of ghee and roast the cashew and the raisins and keep it aside.
After the pressure is released take the rice cooked in milk and mash it well to a paste. If you feel that it is in the semi-solid state and add 2 -3 more cups of milk. Take a heavy bottom pan and add the contents and let it boil. Add the powdered Jaggery to it and boil for some more time.
Finally add the saffron, cardamom and the nuts.
Akkaravadisal is ready for serving. Enjoy this yummy desert. It can be served hot or cold.


I wanted to start my blog with a sweet note....will post more in another couple of days!!