Thiruvathirai kali

Thiruvathira is the name of a star in Hindu religion and the festival,"Thiruvathira"  is celebrated in the southern states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu in India. It falls on the full moon day of the month of Dhanu (Dec or Jan) .It is believed that on this day, the Goddess Parvathy finally met her spouse Lord Shiva after her long penance.

Religious details aside, Thiruvathira also reminds me of the yummy Kali and Kootu :). Kali is  a sweet dish made with rice that is accompanied with Kootu made from a mixture of vegetables. This is the first time I made this dish and I am proud of how it turned out.Here is the recipe.

This recipe serves 2.

KALI

Ingredients:

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• Raw rice (Pacha arisi)                                    -  3/4 cup
• Jaggery ( powdered)                                      -  3/4 cup ( Powdered rice : powdered jaggery =1:1)
• Water                                                            -  1.5 cups ( double the jaggery)
• Elachi                                                            - 3
• Ghee                                                             - 1 tbsp
• Split moong dal (pasi parupu)                        - 1 tbsp
• Shredded coconut                                         - 1/2 cup 

Method:

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roasted rice powder and pounded jaggery

• Wash rice and drain the excess water completely.
• Spread the washed rice on a towel for 6 to 8 hours to dry.(you can do this on the previous night of thiruvathira)
• Wash and soak the moong dal in water for 10 min.
• Dry roast the rice till it turns into light brown colour. Set aside to cool.
• Grind the roasted rice into a fine coarse powder.(slightly finer than rawa)
• You can pound the jaggery and take the required measure.

• Add measured cups of water in a kadai and add the jaggery.

• Mix well so that the jaggery is completely melted.
• Strain the solution to remove the dirt.
• Heat the cleansed jaggery solution in the same kadai, stirring continuously.
• When it starts boiling, add the powdered rice, moong dal and mix well without lumps.( on a low flame)
• Once it starts to thicken , switch off the flame.

• Transfer the contents into a vessel and steam it in a pressure cooker for 10 min.
• Add the steamed kali into the kadai with ghee, cardamom and shredded coconut.
• On a low flame, saute for 2 to 3 seconds.

Serve hot with kavathu kootu.Refer to the festival section for the kavathu kootu recipe.