The festival of lights, firecrackers and bonhomie is here. A time to indulge your sweet tooth and share recipes and traditional sweets. Here are a few time-tested ones.
Palm jaggery kozhukattai
Palm jaggery is a wholesome, unrefined sugar that contains the natural goodness of minerals and vitamins. Palm jaggery is made from the sap of several trees — coconut, Palmyra, sugar palm and date palm and is a healthy alternative to white refined sugar. Palm jaggery is quite popular in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala (called karupatti vellam or pana vellam in Tamil Nadu). It is used in the preparation of delicacies such as payasams and paniyarams.
What you need
Raw rice flour - 2 cups
Salt – for taste
Ghee/ gingelley oil - 1 tsp
Water - 2 cups
For the stuffing
Palm jaggery - 1 cup
Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
Cardamom powder - 1 tsp
Water – 1/4 cup
Cooking instructions
In a thick bottom pan boil water, add salt and oil. Then add the flour little by little stirring continuously. When it thickens like a dough add the ghee or gingelly oil and remove from the stove. Place on a a plate and cover with a damp cloth for about 10 - 15 minutes. Powder the palm jaggery. In a pan, add the water and heat it on a slow flame till the jaggery dissolves to make a syrup. Strain using a muslin cloth to remove impurities. In a separate pan, add the jaggery syrup, grated coconut and keep stirring on a low flame till most of the water evaporates and the mixture leaves the sides of the pan. Add cardamom powder and remove. Cool and keep aside.
To make the kozhukattai take a lemon-sized ball of the rice flour dough. Roll the dough like small puris and place the jaggery stuffing in the centre. Wrap the dough to seal the jaggery filling inside. Place the balls on a greased idli plate and steam for about 10 minutes. Serve when ready.
Kaju burfi
What you need
Cashewnuts - 1 cup
Milk - 1 cup
Sugar - 3/4 cup
Ghee - 1/4 cup
Silver sheets for garnish - 1
Cooking instructions
Soak the cashewnuts in milk for a few hours. Blend the nuts to a fine paste adding milk if required. Take a pan and add the blended paste and sugar. Keep stirring for a few minutes. Add the ghee slowly into the pan and keep stirring till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan and forms a lump. Add cardamom powder and mix well. Remove from heat. Spread evenly on a greased plate. Decorate with the silver sheets. Cool and cut the burfi into diamond-shaped pieces.
Thenga pal payasam
What you need
Milk: 500 ml
Sugar: 80 gm
Cardamom (crushed): 4
Broken rice: 50 gm
Tender coconut kernel: 60 gm
Coconut milk: 200 ml
Cooking instructions
Bring milk to boil. Add broken rice and simmer till rice cooked. Add sugar, coconut milk, and cardamom powder and allow to cook. When it cools to room temperature, add tender coconut kernel and refrigerate. Serve chilled!
