Diwali / Deepavali Legyam ( Medicine )

 

 

 

DIWALI  LEGYAM

 

Diwali Legyam is a must along with Sweets and Savories during the festival , Diwali.

This Legyam helps in digestion. 

As we are consuming lot of sweets and snacks during festival time , its good to have a teaspoon of this Legyam , Once a day , which helps in proper digestion.

 

Diwali  Legyam / Medicine.  ( can get ingredients in Siddha medical stores )

1.  Caram seeds / Omam / Ajwain  ...     25 grams

2.  Black pepper / / Milagu /  Kali mirch ----  13 grams

3.  Cumin seeds / Jeeragam / jeera             ---- One and half teaspoons.

4.  Dry ginger  / Sukku / Saunth                     ---- 6 grams

5.   Thai ginger / Sitharathai /  Kulanjan   ----- 6 grams

 

 

 

 

 

6.   Dried Long pepper / Arisithipili  / Pipali  ---  6 grams

 

 

 

 

 

7.   Dried Long pepper root / Kandathipili / Pipali ----  6 grams

 

 

 

 

 

8.  Coriander seeds /  Malli / dhania         -----  6 grams

9.  Turmeric stick / Virali manjal / Haldhi   ---- 6 grams

10.  Cardamom / Ealakai / Ilaichi                 ---- 5 pieces

11.  Cloves / Kirambu / Lavang                     ---- 2 pieces

12.  Mace / Jathipathri / Javathri                 ---  Half of a small flower

 

 

 

 

13.  Ghee  --- 75 grams

14.   Jaggery /  vellam / Ghud      -- 125 grams

15.  Palm Sugar / Panangkalkandu / thaad ke cheeni     --- 40 grams

 

Soak ingredients from 1 to 9 , overnight in water

Next day morning grind everything nicely to a paste  .

Heat jaggery in a ladle of water and strain to remove dust and stones .

 In non-stick Pan, cook the ground paste by adding jaggery syrup, stirring frequently.

When you get  sauce like consistency,    add powdered palm sugar  and 25 grams ghee , ..  Keep stirring.  

Add remaining ghee gradually .

    At one stage, the legyam will come like halwa consistency ... i.e... the ingredients leaves  vessel from its sides and form a mass. 

Remove from flame.   Add  powdered Cardamom , Cloves and  Mace when the Legyam is still hot...

 

 

Let it cool. 

Store it in air tight box.   

 

 

Sweet Pongal / Sarkarai Pongal

Sweet / Sarkarai Pongal

Rice :  1 cup

Green gram / Moong dal :  1/4 cup

Jaggery Powder : 1 + 1/2  cup

Sugar Powder :  1/4 cup

Ghee :  1/4 cup

Cashews : 8

Nutmeg powder : 1 pinch

Green Cardamom :  4

Raisins :  10

Edible camphor : 1 pinch

Coconut pieces :  1 tbsp ( optional )

Almond : 5 ( optional )

Water :  2 + ½ cup

Milk : 1 cup

         

  Easy cooker method :  

In half tsp of ghee , roast green gram lightly.

Cook Rice & green gram with water & milk in a pressure cooker, using inner vessel for 3 whistles.

In a ladle of water add jaggery powder and heat to get it melted.

Filter it to remove impurities and keep it aside.

After opening cooker , mash rice very lightly.

In a heavy broad pan or Brass pot / Vengalapaanai  , add rice mixture + jaggery syrup + sugar powder + half the portion of ghee , cardamom powder, Edible camphor, nutmeg powder and cook in low flame for 10 to 15 minutes …. Stirring frequently . 

In a small pan, Heat remaining ghee and add chopped almonds,  coconut .  When it starts to become golden brown , add cashews & raisins.  When the raisins puffs up, switch off and Pour over Sweet Pongal .

Mix everything nicely and serve hot.

Direct Brass pot (Vengalapanai )method: 

In half tsp of ghee , roast green gram lightly.

 Add Water & Milk in Vengalapanai and let it boil nicely.  Traditionally it is allowed to over flow a bit as a sign of auspicious .  While praying 'Pongalo Pongal' loudly by all the family members, rice & dal mixture is poured into the boiling milk . Add extra half a cup of water if you are cooking in brass pot.  keep it closed with a deep lid and add a ladle of water in the lid.  

Cook rice in low the flame . 

Keep stirring frequently to make sure , rice did not stick to the bottom of the vessel. 

let the rice mixture cook nicely. 

Mash rice a bit. 

In a ladle of water add jaggery powder and heat to get it melted.

Filter it to remove impurities and mix the syrup in mashed rice nicely.

Add sugar powder + half the portion of ghee, cardamom powder, Edible camphor, nutmeg powder  and cook in low flame for 10 to 15 minutes …. Stirring frequently . 

In a small pan, Heat remaining ghee and add chopped almonds, cardamom skin & coconut .  When it starts to become golden brown , add cashews & raisins.  When the raisins puffs up, switch off and pour over Sweet Pongal.  Mix everything nicely and serve hot.

Sweet Pongal is prepared for many festivals like Pongal , Navrathri ,  Aadi Velli etc.

In temples , popular prasadham is Sweet Pongal

Note: 

·       You can omit sugar powder and replace with jaggery powder.

Carrot Payasam / Ghajar ka Kheer

Carrot Payasam/ Ghajar ka Kheer

 

Carrot : ½ cup ( Grated )

Sugar : ½ cup

Full cream Milk : ½ ltr

Badham : 2

Cashews : 5

Raisins : 5

Cardamom : 2

Ghee : 2 tsp

Kesari Colour : 1 pinch

Soak Cashew for half an hour in hot water.

Grate Carrot . 

Fry Carrot in ghee , in low flame for 10 minutes.

Grind fried carrot with soaked cashews to a fine paste.

In a broad heavy pan , Cook Carrot paste + Sugar + colour , in milk,  till the milk reduces to 3/4^th  of its quantity , in low flame  .

Stir frequently to avoid spilling .

Fry sliced badham till it becomes nice brown and raisins till it puffs up ….  in half a tsp of ghee .  Switch off and add Cardamom powder, when the ghee is still hot and give a stir .  And immediately  garnish in Carrot Payasam.

 

 

Yummy Carrot payasam is ready to serve Hot or Cold.

 

 

White Peas / Vellai Pattani / Safed Vatana Sundal

White Peas  / Vellai Patani  / Safed Vatana Sundal

 

White Peas : 1 cup

Red Chilly : 3 ( Broken )

Curry leaves : Few

Salt to taste

Hing powder / Asafetida : 2 pinches

Turmeric powder : 2 pinches

Raw Mango : 1 tbsp ( grated )

Coconut : 1 tbsp ( grated )

Mustard : ½ tsp

Black gram / Urad dal : ½ tsp

Oil : 1 tsp

          Soak Peas overnight . 

Add turmeric powder and Cook in a pressure pan with sufficient water for a whistle. 

Drain water.  Fill fresh water so that the skin of peas will float on top .  You  can now easily remove skins. 

Drain water.

In oil temper mustard and when it started popping add black gram , red chilly , curry leaves .  When black gram becomes golden brown , add hing powder , cooked peas , salt and mix nicely.  Switch off and garnish with mango and coconut.

 

Very tasty White Peas Sundal is ready for evening healthy snacks.

We can prepare this Sundal during Navrathri Days for Neivedhyam.

 

 

Green Cilantro Rice / Pachi Kothamalli Sadham / Hara Dhaniy Chawal

Green Cilantro Rice /  Pachai Kothamalli Sadham  /  Hara Dhaniya Chawal.

Basmati Rice : 1 cup

Water : 1 + ½ cups

Coriander leaves : 1 bunch

Green chilly :  3

Lemon Juice :  2 tsp

Salt to taste

Til Oil : 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds : 1 tsp

Black gram : 1 tsp

Hing powder : 2 pinches

          Wash coriander leaves and drain them well.

Soak rice for 15 minutes and cook with water in a pressure cooker for 2 whistles , using inner vessel.

Open as and when the pressure drops.

Spread rice on a big plate to cool down.

Meanwhile …  heat oil and temper with mustard seeds and when it starts popping add black gram and when black gram turns into golden brown add green chilly and hing powder and sauté for few seconds. 

Remove  green chilly and grind with chopped coriander leaves to a nice paste , without adding water. 

By this time , rice would have come to room temperature…..

Mix Rice + Salt to taste + Coriander paste + Lemon juice + Tempering nicely.   

Very tasty and colourful Raw Cilantro Rice is ready to serve.

Note :
*  Use only leaf part and not stem of Cilantro 

Coconut Pudding / Thengai Payasam / Nariyal Kheer

Coconut Pudding  /  Thengai  Payasam  /  Nariyal  Kheer

 

Grated Coconut :  1 cup

Powdered Jaggery :  1 cup

Rice : 4 tsp

Ghee :  2 tsp

Grated coconut :  2 tsp

Water :  3 cups

Full cream Milk :  ½ cup

Cardamom : 3

          Soak Rice for half an hour. 

Grind along with one cup of grated coconut using little water ( from 3 cups of water ) ., to a smooth paste.

In a pan, Melt jaggery with remaining water ( from 3 cups of water ) .

Filter it to remove impurities .

Using same pan, Heat jaggery syrup for 5 minutes to remove raw flavor from jaggery.

Add coconut paste , stirring continuously to avoid lumps. 

Cook in low flame for 10 minutes . 

Remove from flame.

Remove skin from cardamom and powder the seeds.

Heat ghee and fry 2 tsp of grated coconut and cardamom skin .  when the coconut turns into golden brown switch off and add cardamom powder and give a stir , when the ghee is still hot.  

Pour immediately over the Coconut Pudding. 

Let the Pudding comes to warm temperature.

Add Milk and mix nicely. 

 

 

Healthy and yummy  Coconut Pudding is ready to serve.

 

Variation: 

·       Can add Coconut Milk instead of Full cream Milk . 

 

Pepper Tamarind Rice / Milagu Puliyodharai

Pepper Tamarind Rice /  Milaku  Puliyodarai.

 

Rice :  1  Cup

Til Oil :  3 tbsp

Mustard : 1 tsp

Bengal gram / Chana dal  : 1 tsp

Black gram / Urad dal : 1 tsp

Cumin seeds / Jeera  : ½ tsp

Cashews :  6

Tamarind  paste : 4 tsp

Sugar : ½ tsp

Hingpowder / Asafetida  : 2 pinches

Pepper powder :  2 tbsp ( freshly ground )

Fenugreek powder :  2 pinches

Curry leaves : 10

Turmeric powder : 2 pinches

Salt to taste

        Wash rice and drain water and keep it aside for 15 mts.

Cook rice using 2 and half cup of water in pressure cooker.   

After opening , spread cooked rice on a wide vessel and let it cool down.

 

In a pan heat oil and temper with mustard seeds and when it starts popping , add bengal gram, black gram, cumin seeds and fry till dal turns into golden brown . 

Add cashews, let it turns into golden brown…. add curry leaves, hing , fenugreek powder and give a nice stir. 

Add ½ cup of water , tamarind paste, turmeric powder, salt , sugar and cook till the gravy becomes very thick sauce like consistency .

Mix Cooked rice + tamarind thick gravy + Pepper powder  nicely.

 

 

Delicious  Pepper  Tamarind  Rice is ready to serve. 

 

  

·       In this recipe , 1 cup refers to 1 Aazhakku