Time flies and it’s the auspicious month of Aadi again. A month of spirituality and celebrations, the 4th month of the Tamil Calendar, is the beginning of Dakshinayanam, or the night time of the Devas. Hence it is believed that the month of Aadi signifies the twilight hours when the Devas worship Goddess Shakti. This is a month to connect oneself with this divine power. In the south this month marks the onset of monsoon and the rivers flow with all their resplendent glory combined with strong winds that are capable of moving an ‘ammikallu’…the sil batta.
Foodialogues shares the recipes of red rice rava payasam (red rice rava kheer) and Karuvepillai (curry leaf) rice offered as neivedhyam to the divine on this celebrated day of Thai vellikizhamai. The little treasure of prosperity of my house, my little D wanted “popcorn’ for her snack box and lo, it featured as a part of my morning cooking too.
Red Rice Rava Payasam Recipe
Ingredients for Red Rice Rava Payasam:
- Red Rice Rava ½ c
- Milk 1 l
- Condensed milk 1 tin
- Slivered nuts
- Saffron strands few
- Ghee 3 tbsp
Preparation Method for Red Rice Rava Payasam:
- Take a pressure cooker. Add a spoon of ghee and roast the rava till raw smell vanishes.
- Add 3 c of water and pressure cook on low flame for 6 minutes. You can cook it open pan too.
- Open the cooker, add milk and simmer on low flame till the mixture comes to a rolling boil.
- Do this with constant stirring as the rava can stick on to the bottom of the cooker pan.
- Add the condensed milk and bring to a boil. Sprinkle saffron.
- Fry the nuts in ghee and pour over the bubbling payasam.
- Switch off flame and neivedhyam is ready.
Here’s the Preparation video of “red rice rava payasam”
Karuveppilai Rice / Curry leaf Rice / Karuveppilai Sadam Recipe
Ingredients for Karuveppilai Sadam:
- Raw rice cooked stiff 1 c
- Curry leaves ½ c
- Red chilly 4
- Ginger 1-inch piece
- Tamarind a small ball amla size
- Pepper 1.2 tsp
- Sesame oil 2 tbsp
- Mustard seeds 1 tsp
- Asafoetida 1 tsp
- Fried cashews 2 tbsp
Preparation Method for Karuveppilai Sadam:
- Add a spoon of oil and toss the cooked rice and set it aside.
- Take a heavy-bottomed pan, add a spoon of oil and sauté red chilly followed by curry leaves, tamarind, and ginger.
- Cool and grind to a coarse powder in the dry jar of the mixie.
- Take a heavy-bottomed pan, add the remaining oil, followed by mustard seeds. When they splutter add asafoetida and the powder. Mix well on low flame and add the rice followed by the required salt.
- Switch off the flame and gently mix the powder with the rice.
- Sprinkle-fried cashews and neivedhyam is ready.
