Around the beginning of the common era*, in the month of Aadi, when the Pooram star was in the ascent, a baby girl, who would grow up to compose soul-searing songs in praise of her lover, Lord Narayana, was found on a Tulsi Bed in Srivilliputhur. Vishnu Chitthan, who was later to assume importance as "Periyaazhwaar" in the Sri Vaishnavaite sect, brought up the baby - Kodhai - as his daughter. Kodhai would then become one with her Lord in Srirangam, and has since been immortalized in the Sri Vaishnavaite tradition as Aandal, the only woman among the 12 Aalwars.
Today is Thiru AAdi Pooram.
People brought up in the Sri Vaishnavaite tradition would be aware that Aandal is associated not only with Thiruppavaai and the month of Margazhi, but just as closely with the sweet, Akkara Adisal. Why Akkara Adisal?
In her yearning to become one with her divine lover, she prayed thus:
I vow to offer a hundred pots of butter today
And a hundred brimming pots of akkara adisal
Will the most praised Lord accept them and grant me my wish?
The Lord granted her wish even before she could fulfill her vow, and it is said that Sri Ramanujar took it upon himself to offer a hundred pots of akkara adisal, on her behalf, to the Lord of Thirumalirunsolai, a century later, on the day of Aadi puram.
The followers of Sri Ramanujar, continue this tradition and offer akkara adisal to the Lord, on Her behalf, every Thiruvaadi puram.
Akkara adisal is a minor variation of Chakkarai Pongal. While only rice is cooked with milk and water to a semisolid state, and sweetened with jaggery in the "cosmopolitan" version of akkara adisal, the true "Iyengar" version (as prepared in the religious organizations like Ahobila Madam) is slightly different.
Ingredients:
Raw Rice: washed and dried in air: 1 tumbler
Payatham paruppu (moong dal): 1/4 tumbler
Kadalai paruppu (channa dal): Two tablespoons.
Boiled Milk: 3 tumblers
Water: As required
Shredded Jaggery: 1 tumbler
Cardamom: 3 pieces, crushed.
Clove: 1 crushed
Saffron: a few strands, if desired
Pachai Karpuram (cooking camphor): 1 tiny crystal.
Cashews and raisins: Your choice
Molten Ghee: 1/2 tumbler
Ideally,the amount of ghee should conform to Aandal's own recipe: மூடநெய் பெய்து முழங்கை வழிவார ("ghee drips to our elbows"), but in view of cholesterol and such matters, we will restrict it to 1/2 tumbler.
1. Fry (Saute?) the rice in a couple of tablespoons of ghee until rice is red or pink in colour.
2. Fry (Saute?) the payatham paruppu and kadalai paruppu in a couple of tabelspoons of ghee until they are turn red or light brown.
3. Cook the rice and paruppus together in a mixture milk and water. The tradiational method is to cook it in an open vengala paanai, but if using a pressure cooker, add 1 tumbler of milk and 3 tumblers of water and cook for ten or more whistles. The rice and paruppu should be well-cooked to mash.
4. After the rice/dal is cooked, mash them well into pulp, add the remaining milk and let boil.
5. Add crushed cardamom and cloves. Add a few strands of saffron if desired.
6. Dissolve the jaggery in hot water and filter for impurities.
7. Heat the jaggery solution until the aroma of paagu emnates.
8. Add the jaggery solution to the rice/dal/milk mixture.
9. Add crushed crystal of pachai karpuram
10. Let stew for 10 minutes, taking care that the bottom does not "catch". The consistency should be in between that of Chakkara Pongal (more solid) and Payasam (more liquid). A semi solid mass. Remember that the mass will solidfy when cooled, so make it a tad more fluid than you want the final dish to be.
11. Fry cashews and raisins in the ghee and add to the above.
Enjoy !
*The era of Aandal is not clear. From astronomical observations in her song, her age is placed between 550 BCE and 447 CE. Some historians date Aandal to as far back as 1215 BCE, almost near the second Sangam period.
Today is Thiru AAdi Pooram.
People brought up in the Sri Vaishnavaite tradition would be aware that Aandal is associated not only with Thiruppavaai and the month of Margazhi, but just as closely with the sweet, Akkara Adisal. Why Akkara Adisal?
In her yearning to become one with her divine lover, she prayed thus:
நாறு நறும் பொழில் மாவிருஞ்சோலை நம்பிக்கு நான் நூறு தடாவில் வெண்ணெய் வாய்நேர்ந்து பராவி வைத்தேன்; நூறு தடா நிறைந்த அக்கார அடிசில் சொன்னேன் எறுதிருவுடையான் இன்று இவை கொள்ளுங்கொலோ ?
To the Lord who lives in the grove-surrounded Maal-irunsolai
I vow to offer a hundred pots of butter today
And a hundred brimming pots of akkara adisal
Will the most praised Lord accept them and grant me my wish?
The Lord granted her wish even before she could fulfill her vow, and it is said that Sri Ramanujar took it upon himself to offer a hundred pots of akkara adisal, on her behalf, to the Lord of Thirumalirunsolai, a century later, on the day of Aadi puram.
The followers of Sri Ramanujar, continue this tradition and offer akkara adisal to the Lord, on Her behalf, every Thiruvaadi puram.
Akkara adisal is a minor variation of Chakkarai Pongal. While only rice is cooked with milk and water to a semisolid state, and sweetened with jaggery in the "cosmopolitan" version of akkara adisal, the true "Iyengar" version (as prepared in the religious organizations like Ahobila Madam) is slightly different.
Ingredients:
Raw Rice: washed and dried in air: 1 tumbler
Payatham paruppu (moong dal): 1/4 tumbler
Kadalai paruppu (channa dal): Two tablespoons.
Boiled Milk: 3 tumblers
Water: As required
Shredded Jaggery: 1 tumbler
Cardamom: 3 pieces, crushed.
Clove: 1 crushed
Saffron: a few strands, if desired
Pachai Karpuram (cooking camphor): 1 tiny crystal.
Cashews and raisins: Your choice
Molten Ghee: 1/2 tumbler
Ideally,the amount of ghee should conform to Aandal's own recipe: மூடநெய் பெய்து முழங்கை வழிவார ("ghee drips to our elbows"), but in view of cholesterol and such matters, we will restrict it to 1/2 tumbler.
1. Fry (Saute?) the rice in a couple of tablespoons of ghee until rice is red or pink in colour.
2. Fry (Saute?) the payatham paruppu and kadalai paruppu in a couple of tabelspoons of ghee until they are turn red or light brown.
3. Cook the rice and paruppus together in a mixture milk and water. The tradiational method is to cook it in an open vengala paanai, but if using a pressure cooker, add 1 tumbler of milk and 3 tumblers of water and cook for ten or more whistles. The rice and paruppu should be well-cooked to mash.4. After the rice/dal is cooked, mash them well into pulp, add the remaining milk and let boil.
5. Add crushed cardamom and cloves. Add a few strands of saffron if desired.
6. Dissolve the jaggery in hot water and filter for impurities.
7. Heat the jaggery solution until the aroma of paagu emnates.
8. Add the jaggery solution to the rice/dal/milk mixture.
9. Add crushed crystal of pachai karpuram
10. Let stew for 10 minutes, taking care that the bottom does not "catch". The consistency should be in between that of Chakkara Pongal (more solid) and Payasam (more liquid). A semi solid mass. Remember that the mass will solidfy when cooled, so make it a tad more fluid than you want the final dish to be.
11. Fry cashews and raisins in the ghee and add to the above.
Enjoy !
*The era of Aandal is not clear. From astronomical observations in her song, her age is placed between 550 BCE and 447 CE. Some historians date Aandal to as far back as 1215 BCE, almost near the second Sangam period.
Ghee dripping our elbows sounds too tempting! Would suggest using measurements such as cups and teaspoons for people like me ;-) Some of us may not have tumblers or may have giant tumblers.
ReplyDelete- Padma
Yum! Looks absolutely delicious. One question, though: how do you measure a "tumbler?" One cup, two cups? Or, is there some other measure?
ReplyDeleteDang, though, I do want to try it!
Padma, Margy,
ReplyDeleteA tumbler is approximately one cup. A little more, actually, but since the ingredients are all relative, one cup is as good as a tumbler.
In the ingredients, replace tumbler by cup.
Can we add coconut milk instead of cow milk?
ReplyDeleteI would suggest cows milk if you want to taste our own traditional akkara adisal. Coconut milk will defn enhance the taste. But it should not be cooked. It will curdle.YOu can make the recipe without the coconut milk and then add at the end.
ReplyDelete