Karthigai Recipes
Karthigai Deepam festival is celebrated for 3 days during the Full moon of Tamil month Karthigai. It is the Diwali equivalent for Tamil people in India. Unlike many other Hindu festivals, it is virtually unknown in most other parts of the country. Lots of firecrackers, new clothes and wonderful earthen lamps in every house represents this festival of lights. There is something to be said of the aroma of these lamps burning in every porch, steps, pathways of every house.
Karthigai Deepam is one of the oldest festivals celebrated by the Tamil people in the Tamil month of Karthigai. It has been referred to in many ancient works of Tamil literature that dates back to 2,000 or 2,500 BC.
It is celebrated in a grand manner at Tiruvannamalai where a huge lamp (a circular metal lamp of five and half feet height and diameter of five feet which hold 2000 litres of ghee. The wick of the lamp is made up of 30 meters of thick cotton cloth and 2 kilogram camphor) is lit on top of the Tiruvannamalai hill, symbolifying Shiva's appearance as a huge column of light. When the lamp is lit, it can be seen across an area of 35 kilo meters around the Hill Shrine.
It is also called as ‘Thirukarthigai’ and celebrated to commemorate the birth of Lord Muruga.
Most of the people fast from morning till evening. In the evening after doing Puja, they light large number of flat earthen oil lamps (Agal Vilakku) and arrange it in a beautiful way on the Kolams drawn in front of the house. The lamps are also kept in a row on the Balconies, Staircases, Near the Door Entrance, Windows, all over the floors and wherever people find place in and around their houses. Traditionally Karthigai is celebrated with earthen oil lamps only. Now, in Cities some people switched over to the scented candles in different colours and designs.
The other feature of this celebration is lighting of bonfire called `chokkapanai'. Dried panai (palm tree) fronds are tied to a dry wood and placed in an open place near the temples. After the evening Puja and lighting the lamps, the temple priest will come out and do puja and lit the chokkapanai. Once it catches fire, it will start bursting with cracking sounds.
Children also burst crackers and sparklers (mostly the Diwali Purchase remnants) to mark the occasion. They try to choose the ones with most light show like Flower pot, chakra, electric sparklers, etc.
The lighted lamp is considered an auspicious symbol. It is believed to ward off evil forces and usher in prosperity and joy. More than that it is a beautiful sight to watch the lamps or the candles glow in the dark night.
The Karthigai recipes are usually Pori Urundai and Appam. Orthodox people make Pori (puffed rice) at home using paddy. Dry roasting paddy on a heavy pan allows it to puff and pori is made. Some also make Groundnut Balls (Kadalai Urundai) for Karthigai if Pori is not available.
For both Pori urundai or Kadalai urundai the jaggery syrup is very important. Everything becomes easy with practice. So try preparing these traditional sweets with out fear.
Karthigai Sweets and Food Recipes
Karthigai Pori Urundai (Puffed rice Balls)
Karthigai Appam
Karthigai Verkadalai Urundai (Groundnut Balls)
Kheer Indian Rice Pudding
Pal Payasam (Milk Kheer)
Payasam
Ambalapuzha Pal Payasam
Murukku
Karthigai Deepam is one of the oldest festivals celebrated by the Tamil people in the Tamil month of Karthigai. It has been referred to in many ancient works of Tamil literature that dates back to 2,000 or 2,500 BC.
It is celebrated in a grand manner at Tiruvannamalai where a huge lamp (a circular metal lamp of five and half feet height and diameter of five feet which hold 2000 litres of ghee. The wick of the lamp is made up of 30 meters of thick cotton cloth and 2 kilogram camphor) is lit on top of the Tiruvannamalai hill, symbolifying Shiva's appearance as a huge column of light. When the lamp is lit, it can be seen across an area of 35 kilo meters around the Hill Shrine.
It is also called as ‘Thirukarthigai’ and celebrated to commemorate the birth of Lord Muruga.
Most of the people fast from morning till evening. In the evening after doing Puja, they light large number of flat earthen oil lamps (Agal Vilakku) and arrange it in a beautiful way on the Kolams drawn in front of the house. The lamps are also kept in a row on the Balconies, Staircases, Near the Door Entrance, Windows, all over the floors and wherever people find place in and around their houses. Traditionally Karthigai is celebrated with earthen oil lamps only. Now, in Cities some people switched over to the scented candles in different colours and designs.
The other feature of this celebration is lighting of bonfire called `chokkapanai'. Dried panai (palm tree) fronds are tied to a dry wood and placed in an open place near the temples. After the evening Puja and lighting the lamps, the temple priest will come out and do puja and lit the chokkapanai. Once it catches fire, it will start bursting with cracking sounds.
Children also burst crackers and sparklers (mostly the Diwali Purchase remnants) to mark the occasion. They try to choose the ones with most light show like Flower pot, chakra, electric sparklers, etc.
The lighted lamp is considered an auspicious symbol. It is believed to ward off evil forces and usher in prosperity and joy. More than that it is a beautiful sight to watch the lamps or the candles glow in the dark night.
The Karthigai recipes are usually Pori Urundai and Appam. Orthodox people make Pori (puffed rice) at home using paddy. Dry roasting paddy on a heavy pan allows it to puff and pori is made. Some also make Groundnut Balls (Kadalai Urundai) for Karthigai if Pori is not available.
For both Pori urundai or Kadalai urundai the jaggery syrup is very important. Everything becomes easy with practice. So try preparing these traditional sweets with out fear.
Karthigai Recipes
Rice Payasam Posted by: admin
Method Step 1: Wash the rice and cook it in the thin coconut milk till it is soft and tender. Step 2: Add the jaggery and stir till it dissolves. Step 3: Add the thick coconut milk and cook on low flame for sometime. Step 4: Remove from fire and garnish with ground green cardamom powder and fried cashews [...]Rava Payasam Posted by: admin
Ingredients 1 litre Milk 100 gms Wheat Rava 200 gms Sugar 1 tbsp Cashew Nut 1/4 tsp Cardamom Powder 2 tbsp Ghee 1 cup Water 1 tbsp Raisins Method Step 1: Heat little ghee in a frying pan. Step 2: Fry cashew nuts and raisins in ghee. Step 3: Fry wheat rava in the remaining ghee [...]Paruppu payasam Posted by: admin
Method Step 1: Half cook the chana dal in a pressure cook Step 2: heat some ghee in a pan and add the fried nuts, and add the coconut milk with the half cooked chana dal and also add the sugar. Step 3: Let it simmer for about 30 minutes. Ingredients Chana dal - 1 cup ghee - 10 tsp sugar - [...]Muruku Posted by: admin
Ingredients Rice Flour- 4cups Urad Dhal- 1cup Asafetida- 2 pinch Chilli Powder-1 tsp Jeera- 1 tsp Ajwain- 1/4 tso Ghee - 3 tbsp Oil for frying Salt to taste Water Method Step 1: Muruku is great yummy snack around diwali festival time & here is the recipe for simple muruku very easy to make. Step 2: To make muruku ,Measure 4 cups of rice flour in bowl, dry [...]Milk Payasam Posted by: admin
Method Step 1: Heat some ghee in a pan and add the cardamom, and the milk Step 2: When it comes to a boil add the rice and the sugar Step 3: Let it simmer for about 45 minutes. Step 4: Finally when the rice is cooked add the saffron Step 5: Heat some ghee in another pan and add [...]Kheer - Indian Rice Pudding Posted by: admin
Method Step 1: Fry the milk powder in Ghee (Golden color). Keep it aside. Step 2: Cook 1/2 cup rice with 1 cup water and 1/4 cup milk. Step 3: Meanwhile, boil milk, in reduced flame, add condensed milk. Step 4: Soak one spoon of raw-rice and 10-15 cashews in milk for 10 minutes. Grind it to a coarse [...]Karthigai Pori Urundai Posted by: admin
Ingredients Puffed Rice (pori) - 1 cup Powdered Jaggery - 1/2 cup Crushed dry ginger - a pinch Crushed black pepper - a pinch Coconut pieces - 1/4 cup Salt - a pinch Method Step 1: Clean the puffed rice. Step 2: Saute the coconut pieces. Step 3: Add water to jaggery powder and heat the solution in a thick bottomed vessel. Step 4: On [...]Karthigai Appam Posted by: admin
Ingredients Rice flour - 1 Cup Jaggery powdered - ½ to ¾ cup Fully riped banana - 1 No Coconut cut into small pieces - 1 or 2 tablespoons Cardamom Powder - ½ teaspoon Oil for deep frying Method Step 1: Add half cup water to jaggery and mix it well till it dissolved in water. Strain it. Step 1: Mash the banana into [...]Kadalai Urundai Posted by: admin
Peanut Laddus/Balls Ingredients 1 generous cup - peanuts 1/2 cup jaggery Cardomom powder Coconut pieces Method Step 1:Mix little water and jaggery and heat it till jaggery is all melted without any lumps. Step 2:Heat it till it comes to a boil. My Mil did a drop-in-the-water-to-see-if-ready test. Drop some spoon of boiling jaggery in water. Leave it for 5 seconds and then [...]Green and Fried Gram Muruku Posted by: admin
Muruku or chakkuli is a year - round savoury usually prepared from urad daal and rice flour. This one is different, uses green gram daal and absorbs very little oil. It can be preserved for many days. Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes Serves: 5 Method Step 1: Fry green gram daal till golden brown. Powder fried gram [...]Chana Dal Payasam Posted by: admin
Ingredients 1 Cup soaked channa dal 1 1/2 Cup coconut milk 2 Cup jaggery 1/2 Cup butter 5 Cardamoms 1 tbsp Coconut powder Method Step 1: Boil the chana dal tiil it gets cooked. Step 2: Add coconut milk and jaggery. Step 3: Cook till the mixture turns thick. Step 4: Fry coconut powder and cardamoms [...]Aval Payasam(Poha kheer) Posted by: admin
Ingredients 1/4 Cup poha (flattened rice) 1 Litre whole cream milk 5 Almonds, thinly slivered 5 Pistachios thinly slivered 5 Pinches cardamom powder 1 Cup sugar 4 Cashews, broken 15 Raisins Method Step 1: Wash and drain the poha. Leave it aside for 10 minutes. Step 2: Separate poha grains with your finger. Step 3: Boil the milk in a large vessel. Step 4: When milk starts boiling, [...]Aval Payasam Recipe Posted by: admin
Ingredients 1/2 Cup Aval 3/4 Cup Sugar 1/4 Cup Ghee 1 1/2 Cup Milk Cashew Nuts and Raisins Cardamom Powder Method Step 1: Fry the aval in 1/4 cup ghee. Step 2: Later boil the same in 1 1/2 cup milk. Step 3: Add sugar. Step 4: Fry cashew nuts, raisins in little ghee and add [...]Ambalapuzha Pal Payasam Posted by: admin
Ingredients Chemba rice - 1/2 cup Milk - 1 1/2 cup Cashew and raisins - 100 gms each Sugar - 1 cup Ghee - 4 tblsp A pinch of cardamom powder Method Step 1: Pressure cook the rice and keep aside Step 2: Heat 4 spoons of ghee in a wide pan and fry the cashew and raisins till [...]
