Thiruvathirai Kali

Happy New Year To All!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Im back With the Thiruvathirai Special!!

Thiruvathirai is  the auspicious day celebrated when the Thiruvathirai natchatram (star) falls on Margazhi month (December). The festival is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is believed that, on this day Lord Nataraja (Shiva) performed the dance dance called 'Thandavam'. The festival is also called as "Arudra Darisanam".

On this day Kali a sweet made with rice and jaggery is prepared along with a sambar/kootu called Thiruvathirai kootu with lots of vegetables. Here goes the recipe for both the dishes,

Thiruvathirai Kali:

Ingredients:

Raw Rice (Pacchai arisi) - 1 cup
Jaggery - 1 1/2 cup
Water - 2 cups
Bengal gram/Chickpea dal - 2 tbsp
Moong dal - 1 tbsp
Karamani/ cow peas (Cooked)- 1/2 cup
Cardamom powder -1/2 tsp
Shredded coconut - 1 tbsp
Cashews - 1 tbsp chopped
Ghee - 1 tbsp

Method:

Wash the rice, drain the water and keep aside to dry.
Heat a heavy bottom pan and fry the rice for few minutes till it become crisp and little brown. Make sure you are not over frying, till brown. 
Fry the Chickpea dal and moong dal.
Cool down the rice and both the dal's and grind it to a coarse powder in a blender. Keep aside.
Fry the cashews in ghee and keep aside.
Boil the 2 cups water, broke the jaggery into small pieces and add it to the boiling water. 
Remove the water from the stove and mix well the jaggery till it completely dissolves.(I'm doing this because sometime jaggery gets heated much and become a thick solution when it is on the stove)
Now bring back the jaggery water to the stove. Keep the flame in medium low.
Once you see the bubbles in the jaggery water, slowly add the rice powder and give a stir.
Always keep the flame in medium low or low while this process.
Close the pan with a lid and cook till the rice get cooked well.
Add the cooked karamani, shredded coconut, cardamom powder, fried cashews and mix well. Close and cook for another few min and remove from stove.
Serve with a dollop of ghee over the kali for added flavor and taste. 

Notes:
               If the rice is not cooked properly, sprinkle some water and cook for few more min.   
               The jaggery water should be in the water consistency.
               If it become pagu (sticky) you wont get the desired texture.