Thiruvadirai Kali & Kootu

Kali

Ingredients

Raw Rice                                              1       Cup

Jaggery                                                 1 1/4 Cup

Desiccated coconut                               1/4    Cup

Cardamom and Nutmeg Powder           1/4 tsp

Cashew nuts                                          Garnish with Ghee

Method

Dry roast the raw rice. Then pulse the rice in a mixer till it becomes like  rava (tiny grainy).
Take 3 cups of water.Add jaggery and strain.Then bring the jaggery water to boil. Then add desiccated coconut. When it comes to a boil add roasted ground rice and mix. Finally keep in the pressure cooker and add cardamom and nutmeg powder. Switch off after 3  whistles.Kali is ready. Garnish with cashews.

The best Accompaniment to Kali is a Yezhu Thaan Kootu
It is made up 7 Veggies particularly 'Naatu Kaigari'

Ingredients

Tamarind extract                                    Golf ball size lemon(1 cup)

Turmeric powder                                    1/2 Tsp

Salt                                                        to taste

Perungayum(Khatti)                                1 small piece

Plantain/Vaazhaikai             ]                   1/2

White pumpkin/Pooshanikkai                   1/4piece

Taro / Seppankizhangu                            2

Mochhai                                                 1/4 Cup

Sweet Potato/Sakkaravalli kizhangu          1/4

Broad beans / Avaraikkai                         10-15

Eggplant/Kathirikkai                                 2

Toor dal                                                 1 Cup

Oil                                                         1 Tbsp

To Grind

Kadala parapu   1 Tsp
Dhaniya              2 Tsp
Vendhiyam         very little
Red chilli             3-4
Grated coconut   1 Tbsp


Method

Take the tamarind extract in a pan. Add the veggies, salt, turmeric powder and perungayum..and cook on  medium flame until cooked

Pressure cook the toor Dal such that it becomes soft and mushy.
Meanwhile in another pan, take 1 Tbsp Oil and saute the ingredients to be ground in order of dhaniya, kadala paruppu,vendhiyam, red chilli, grated coconut. Then grind them into a  fine paste adding water.
Once the veggies are cooked and water starts boiling, add ground paste and add cooked toor dal.