Chakka (Jackfruit) Pradhaman

It is April now when we Indians will be celebrating the new year day according to Hindu calendar. This year all the four southern states celebrate the new year day in April itself, a rare phenomenon . The new year (Ugadi) festivities of Andhra and Karnataka fall on the same day on 7th of April, followed by Tamil new year on 13th and Vishu on 14th of April this year.

Since the Tamil new yearday and Vishu fall mostly on the same day, we used to celebrate the festivities of both . Vishu is celebrated in Kerala in a unique fashion in homes and temples as well, characterised by the vishukkani . The arrangement of vishukkani used to be managed by the elders (mainly ladies) of the family on the previous night itself. On the day of Vishu, the youngsters and children are conducted to see the vishukkani in their homes – first thing after waking up early in the morning.

Vishukkaniorukkal used to be done in an artistic manner in many houses.The pooja room is arranged neatly with kolam and flowers in front of God’s pictures. Then a traditional vessel used in Kerala, uruli, is filled with grains of rice, accompanied by dhal, green vegetables , coconuts, yellow bananas in bowls and plates and the bunch of the yellow konnaippu , a flower which blossoms during this part of the year. A mirror is placed in between the god’s photos and the kani settings and if possible, some gold chains are hanged in the mirror and a small bowl of rupee coins is placed in front of it. Oil lamps are lit and incense sticks are burnt for a divine atmosphere.

It is believed that It is auspicious to wake up to see the nice things of prosperity and plenty in such an atmosphere on a new year day, so that the whole of that year augurs the good things of life. So everyone observes the vishukkanikaanal, ie:’seeing this beautiful arrangement’, and prostrates before the Gods as the first thing on a new year day. Children are given rupee coins as a small token gift. House maids, the regular vendors of vegetables, paperboys, dhobis and almost whoever from the neighbourhood visits the house on a new year day will be bestowed with the vishukkaineetam, the cash or coin gifted by elders.

There will be pooja and a feast on the later part of the day.The lunch is usually a grand feast, typical three course iyer lunch consisting of rice, veppampu pachadi, which is a compulsory item, followed by curds pachadi, koottu, avial, poriyal, sambar, rasam, appalam, vadai, payasam, buttermilk and pickles.

The payasam is a speciality of kerala cooking , though it is prepared in other states also. There are more payasam varieties other than the usual palpayasam and semia payasam prepared out of milk and sugar. The payasams or pradhamans prepared out of jaggery, coconut milk and fruits like jackfruit, bananas and rice adais require elaborate procedures which are simplified a lot , thanks to the modern cooking gadgets. I think of the jack fruit payasam or chakka pradahaman which has a special flavour of its own without the cardamoms and cashews.I would like to share my limited experience of preparing this item.

Ingredients:

1. Jack fruit pieces- 10.
2. coconut – 1( big) .
3. Jaggery- 2cups.
4. Ghee – 2 tablespoons.
5. Cardamom- 4 or5.
6. Cashews – few (handful) .

Preparation:

1. Cut the jack fruit into convenient size and steam cook for about 10 minutes. Allow to cool. In the meanwhile, dissolve the jaggery in 1cup of water and melt it, filter and continue to heat in low fire.
2. Now mash the cooked jack fruit pieces into a paste in a mixer and saute it in 1 spoon of ghee in a thick bottomed vessel, in which the payasam is to be made. Add the liquid jaggery to it and continue to cook it in low flame till both items blend together into a semi solid consistency. Put off the fire.
3. Grate the coconut and extract the milk by adding 1 cup of water in a mixer and keep aside . Add 1and a 1/2 cups of water to the gratings (from which milk has already been extracted) and extract coconut milk again and keep this diluted coconut milk separately.
4. Add the second extract of coconut milk first, stir well , and bring to a boil on low fire. Now turn off the heat and add the first concentrate milk. Note that after adding the first concentrate, the payasam should not be heated.
5. Heat the remaining ghee in a frying pan, fry the cashews and cardamom powder and add to the payasam for garnishing.

The jack fruit payasam is ready to be served for the feast.

Note :- Nowadays the preparation of this payasam is made easy due to the availability of jackfruit jam called chakkavaratti in markets in Kerala which can be used in preparing this dish avoiding the first 2 steps.

Have a happy new year.

Karadaiyan Nombu Adai

This time of the year marks the beginning of the Tamil month of Panguni and the end of the previous month of Masi according to the solar calender. Tomorrow, the 14th of March, is the first day of Panguni, on which day Karadaiyan Nombu is celebrated in commemoration of Sathi Savithri’s success in bringing back her husband’s life.

Karadai, a sweet preparation made out of rice powder and jaggery is prepared on this day. Although the name implies a different meaning.This is how we prepare it in our family.

Ingredients:

1. Roasted rice powder – 1 cup
2. Cow pea(Red) – 1tablespoon.
3. Powdered jaggery – 1 and 1/4cups.
4. Grated coconut- 1 and 1/2 cup or half a coconut of medium size.
5. Cardamom powder – 1 teaspoon
6. Ghee -1 to 2 tablespoons.
7. A pinch of salt
8. Butter – about 50 grams.

Preparation:

1. To prepare roasted rice powder– Wash and soak 1cup of raw rice in water for 1 to 2 hours. Drain water and dry the soaked rice in a white cloth under shade. When the moisture is removed fully dry grind it in a mixer into a fine powder. Dry roast it in a frying pan till a nice aroma comes out of it, taking care not to burn it. Keep aside.(This can be readied the previous day itself)
2. Dry roast the cow peas in a pan in medium till it emits a nice flavour,and soak in just sufficient quantity of water and allow to stand overnight.
3. On the day of preparation, pressure cook the cow peas in the same water upto two whistles.
4. Dissolve jaggery in 1 and a half cups of water, filter, strain and allow to boil, adding the coconut gratings and the pinch  of salt till the raw smell goes.
5. Now add roasted rice flour and the cooked peas together into the boiling jaggery solution, stirring all the while.
6. Add the cardamom powder and the ghee, stir well till every thing together cooks well to form a thick paste. Remove from fire and allow to cool.
7. When reasonably cool, roll the cooked flour into balls. Take half of the balls and flatten in the form of adais on plantain leaves. The remaining balls have to be shaped into kozhukkattais.
8. Steam cook for ten minutes.
9. After removing the steamed adais and kozhukkattais, it is offered to god before consumption

The women in the family perform Naivedyam (offerings to the divine)  after placing a Karadai and Kozhukkattai in a plantain leaf with betel leaves, arecanut (betel nut) and a ripe banana in front of the idol of God. A Charadu (sacred thread) with a flower tied to it like a pendant (in a necklace) is also placed along with the offering.

A small quantity of butter is placed on the adai and offered to the gods. While offering the women chant, ‘urukkadha vennaium oradaium vaitthen, orukkalum piriyamal en kanavan irukka‘ which is essentially an entreaty to God to grant her husband a long life. After finishing the pooja, according to one’s custom, charadu should be tied around the neck.

This is an ancient ritual long practiced before the advent of modern customs like Valentine’s day, where the menfolk usually do the toil.

Sakkarai Pongal

Today (12th January 2008) is 27^th day of the month of Margazhi, the Tamil month and the favourite month of Lord Shri Krishna. Andal, daughter of Periazhwar, along with her friends, finishes the rigidities of her Paavai Nombu, and begins celebrating the entry to HIS Presence and praising HIM in her Hymn ‘Koodarai, vellum seer govinda’. She describes the dishes they will eat in the Paasuram (verse). Vaishnavites, in Tamil Nadu prepare Sakkaraipongal on this day as a must. This is how I prepare it as taught by my amma.

Ingredients:

1. Rice one cup.
2. Greengram dhal one tablespoonful
3. Powdered jaggery two and a half to three cups
4. Cashewnuts about five to six
5. Raisins few (one spoon app)
6. Cardamom (one spoon powdered )
7. Ghee one third of a cup (to be restricted according to one’s diet consciousness)
8. Milk one cup

Preparation:

1. Wash the rice in water, drain and keep aside.
2. Dry fry the dhal till golden brown, wash and add to the rice.
3. Boil the milk (diluted with two cups of water), add the rice and dhal mixture to it and cook in a pressure cooker.
4. Heat water and dissolve the powdered jaggery, filter the solution and make it into thick syrup in a thick bottomed vessel .
5. Add the cooked rice and dhal mixture to it, pour about a table spoon of ghee into it and keep stirring till they blend together nicely.
6. Fry the cashews and raisins in one tablespoon ghee, pour into pongal mixture along with the powdered cardamom.
7. Remove from heat, add the remaining ghee (or more according to ones taste) when it is still very hot.

Note: On Pongal day, which is falling on 15^th January this year, Sakkarai Pongal is usually prepared in a traditional vessel called paanai (pot) instead of a pressure cooker. In this method, one would pour the syrup of jaggery into the pot containing the cooked mixture of rice and dhal (cooked in diluted milk). This is then cooked till done. Care should be taken not to burn it. You can add water as required and ghee if needed.

HAPPY PONGAL!