Akkaravadisal – An Iyengar Delicacy

Akkaravadisal – An authentic Iyengar delicacy served as prasadhams at temples! A heavenly blend of rice, dal, jaggery and nuts in a creamy milk base and it justs melts in the mouth!

Amma and her family are pure devotees of Lord Muruga. We had a tradition of naming newborn with the names of Lord Muruga/Karthikeya. Hope you would have got the reason behind my name. Whatever be the auspicious day for Lord Muruga – either Shasti or Panguni Uthiram, we visit tiruchendur, a place near to my native famous for the temple of Lord Muruga. My grandmas reach Tiruchendur a day before the Panguni Uthiram and stay overnight visiting temples. We used to start the next day and reach there by early evening. I love Tiruchendur because of the sea and its waves. Panguni Uthiram is observed on the day when the full moon and the star Uthiram falls on the same day in the last month of the Tamil Calendar – Panguni. This is the only occasion when Lord Ranganathar and Goddess Ranganayaki are seen together and the star uthiram coincides with the full moon. Devotees flock in hundreds to Lord Muruga’s temples on this auspicious day as Goddess Deivanai married Lord Muruga on this day. It is observed as 10 day festival in Murugan temples and devotees used to carry kavadis for the Lord.

The Temple Management organize various dramas to narrate the story of Lord Muruga and the significance of Panguni Uthiram on the seashore of Tiruchendur. I loved watching those plays as a kid and bombard my grandmas with a lot of questions. It is an experience and one should experience it to understand the feel of watching thousands of people on the shores with whistles of bustles of waves and actors enacting the story of Lord Muruga. Panguni Uthiram not only brings back the memories of Tiruchendur but also about the delicious prasadham – Akkravadisal served in the temples.

Akkaravadisal (Akkara aidisil) is an authentic Iyengar recipe usually prepared as offering (prasadham) to God during the month of Margazhi (according to Tamil Calendar) and offered to the Lord Vishnu. Akkaravadisal is served as prasadham in the temples on the auspicious day of Panguni Uthiram in Srirangam temple. 

Akkravadisal is a heavenly blend of rice, dal, and jaggery in a creamy milk base. A Generous amount of Ghee is added at the end to elevate the divinity of the recipe. Prepare this utterly delicious Rice Milk Pudding flavored with cardamom and enjoy the generous amount of ghee leaving aside your guilt.

Please pardon me for the pictures. They were clicked using artificial lights. I am still learning to play with natural light and I love to shoot using natural light. But, winter makes it really hard for me to click my dishes using natural light. I do work 8 hours in a regular job as a developer and when I come back to home, it would be pitch-dark and I have to click using artificial lights. These pictures don't do any justice for its taste.

Ingredients:

Rice:

• 1 Cup Raw Rice
• ½ Cup Moong Dal
• 3 ½ cups of Full Fat Milk
• ¼ Cup + 1 teaspoon Ghee
• 4-5 Saffron Strands
• 8- 10 Cashew

Jaggery Syrup

• ¼ Cup Water
• ½ Cup Jaggery (adjust according to your taste buds)
• 1 teaspoon Cardamom Powder

Method:

• Dry roast moong dal over medium heat. Ensure the dal should not be browned.
• In a small bowl, soak saffron strands in warm water
• Wash Dal and rice separately with water.
• In a pressure cooker, add washed dal and rice. Add 3 cups of milk to it. Pressure cook for about 3 whistles.
• Once the pressure is released, mash them well with a ladle.
• Meanwhile, in a pan, add water and bring it to boil. Once the water starts boiling, add jaggery and cardamom powder.
• Boil until the jaggery melts and the water becomes slightly thick. Strain through a fine mesh to remove impurities from the jaggery and set aside.
• Add the strained jaggery syrup to the cooked rice-dal mixture and mix them well over a low flame
• If the mixture looks too dry, add the remaining cup of milk and mix them well. Add the saffron water to the mixture.
• Add ghee slowly by mixing them well.
• In a small pan, add a teaspoon of ghee and fry cashews until it becomes lightly brownish.
• Now, add the fried cashews to the mixture and switch off the flame.
• One can add fried raisins as well to the rice. I have cooked rice and dal in milk but one can add water and adjust the amount of milk accordingly.
• Prepare Akkaravadisal on a festive day and delight your family members with this heavenly combination.

 If you are looking for other Sweet recipes, then do check out other recipes here – Appe Payasa, Utthatthi Payasa, Kandrappam, Poha Sheera, Vermicelli kheer

If you try the recipe, do let me know how they tasted in comments. If you like space, do like and follow my profile at here – Facebook, Google

Yours Truly,

Karthi