Akkaravadisal

Akkaravadisal is a traditional Iyengar speciality. It is very similar to Chakkarai Pongal, but with some differences which makes it very tasty. It is of semi solid consistency and the rice and dal are cooked completely in milk which gives this dish a very rich and creamy taste.

Traditionally, the rice and dal are slow cooked, with milk until soft and mushy and is then simmered in jaggery syrup. But I have used the pressure cooker here, to make it faster. Also, some people make this with sugar instead of jaggery. I have tried both variations and the sugar one also tastes very yum. Here I have shared this recipe with jaggery.

So, this Aadi velli, please the Goddess, with this divine prasadam.

Serves -  4 to 5

What you’ll need

1. Raw Rice – ¾ cup
2. Split Yellow dal/Pasi Paruppu – ¼ cup
3. Jaggery – 1 ¾ cup
4. Milk – 4 cup + 2 tbsp
5. Saffron – few strands
6. Green Cardamom – 4
7. Cashewnuts – 10, broken into small pieces
8. Raisins – 10 to 15
9. Clarified Butter/Ghee – ¼ cup + 1 tbsp

Method

1. Soak the saffron in 2 tbsp of warm milk.
2. Dry roast the dal, until a nice aroma comes out, about 4 to 5 minutes.
3. Wash the dal and rice in two to three exchanges of water, drain and keep aside.
4. Add the washed rice and dal into a pressure cooker with 4 cups of milk and cook for 3 whistles and then simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. The rice and dal should be cooked until soft and mushy.
5. In the meanwhile, add the powdered jaggery to a pan with ¼ cup water and heat on low flame till jaggery is dissolved completely.
6. Let this come to a boil, keeping on low flame.
7. Once the cooker has cooled, open transfer the contents into a Kadai, add the soaked saffron and stir for 2 minutes on low flame, next add the jaggery syrup and mix for well, without any lumps.
8. Now add the 1/4 cup of ghee and mix well. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
9. Remove from heat.
10. Heat a small frying pan with remaining ghee and fry the cashewnuts and raisins.
11. Add this to the akkaravadisal.
12. Add crushed cardamom, mix well.

Serve warm.

Note:

1. The consistency of this is semi solid. In case, akkaravadisal becomes thick on cooling you can add warm milk and mix.
2. You can increase the quantity of ghee upto ½ cup.
3.  You can also add a pinch of pacha karpooram. I did not add, though.