This is a traditional Iyengar sweet prepared in temples as prasaadam. It is called Akkaravadisal or Akkaravadesil
My Iyer friends always insisted that I prepare this dish during festivals ,so that they could get a bowl of this tasty paayasam (pudding). I use a vengalapanai (a thick deep vessel made of bronze) to prepare this famous sweet.
Will update with pictures tomorrow when I prepare this for Thiru Aadi Pooram.
Cooking time 1 hour
Serves 4
Ingredients
- Rice – 1/2 cup
- Moong dal – 1/8 cup
- Ghee – 1/2 cup
- Milk – 1 and 1/2 litres
- Jaggery – 1 cup (powdered)
- Cardamom – 4 nos(Powdered)
- Pachai Kalpooram (Camphor)- 1 pinch(optional)
- Cashewnuts – 10 nos
- Dry grapes – 10 nos
Method
- Wash and drain the rice and dal together.
- In a heavy bottomed pan heat 2 tablespoons ghee on a medium flame.
- Add the rice and dal and fry, stirring continuously till rice is mild golden.
- Pour 1/2 litre milk and simmer on a low flame, stirring occasionally.
- Keep adding more milk as the Akkaravadisil becomes thicker.
- Cook till the rice and dal gets completely mashed.
- Add the jaggery and take off the flame once the jaggery melts.
- Transfer to a serving bowl (preferably a silver container)
- Add cardamom and pachaikalpooram and mix well.
- Heat 2 table spoon ghee in a small kadai and fry the cashews till golden and add to the akkaravadesil.
- Heat the remaining ghee and fry the dry grapes till it puffs and add to the sweet.
- Offer to the almighty as prasaadam for your puja on any occasion. This time it is for Thiru Aadi Pooram.
Tip
You can finish rest of your cooking in the other stove and microwave while preparing Akkaravadesil.
This is prepared sort of like Italian risotto, slowly pouring water or stock into rice while it cooks. It makes it very creamy. I’ve never made risotto with milk, but I don’t know why you couldn’t.
Yes Emily. may be you will discover a new dish!Do try and let me know.
latha.
Hesarubele payasa!!! I love it.We make it for festivals too!:))
Yes asha all our preparations are so yummy! We Indians are great!
latha.
I love this dish. Particularly, after adding jaggery, the rice grains, kinda, wake up. Love that bite.
Thanks Sughanya!
A fellow Iyengar!!! Just got the message from MIL that tomorrow is Aadipooram. I never made akkaravadisai myself. Hubby and I are not sweet lovers, so I avoid making any. I will probably try it out tomorrow. Glad you gave the recipe on time! Thanks.
Wecome to my blog hema! Nice knowing you.
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this sounds like sakkarapongal… is it?
Sarkaraipongal is solid while this is a paayasam.
Sarkarai pongal is cooked in milk only on Shankaranthi.
latha.
Thanks for being patient with an ignoramus like me! 🙂
You really remind all authentic recipes.
One of my favourite. Thanks for posting.
Thanks SeeC! Do try . It is quite simple.
latha.
Did not realise that you put in dal with the rice pudding. Interesting.
Cynthia, we make a lot of dishes combining moong dal and rice.
Latha , I like your payasams. This looks gr8 with jaggery.Cooking it in a bronze vessel must be making it more tasty.
I am liking all your traditional recipes and info on festivals 🙂
Your blog is rocking 😀
BTW I have soaked only the Jammu rajma the small red variety in the cooker. I have not tried it with the long variety 🙂
Thanks Archana! Just sharing whatever I know.
latha
[…] Filed under: Uncategorized — lathanarasimhan @ 1:18 pm Akkaravadisil is my entry for JFI Rice event hosted by sharmi of […]
Latha, one doubt my iyengar friend used to add equal amount of sugar and jaggery. Nice recipe latha. I used to make it too. But never get the iyengar taste 🙂 Viji
Viji, the amount of jaggery can be reduced or increased as per your taste. I have given for a medium level of sweetness. latha.
Latha,
Happy Onam!
thanks for visiting simple and delicous!
am first time here, loved your blog with very nice recipes..will tell my Tamil friends about this..
Thanks seena! Welcome to my blog! You can drop in as you please. latha.
AKKARAVADESIL IS REALLY TASTY.. SOME MORE TRADITIONAL IYENGAR PREPARATIONS MAY BE MENTIONED …AND GUIDANCE GIVEN FOR PREPARING THEM…..
Thanks. Will give it a try.
I have tried Akkara vadisal and it came out well My husband really appreciated the consistensy of ot and it was simply superb.
Thanks for the recipe.
Thanks Latha! I am going to make it for Kudara valli.
We can cook the rice & dal in cooker too. (just to save time)
My mil’s version of akkara vadisal was almost like sakkra pongal to look at but she made an equal proportion of vellam and sarkarai for the pagu, a little looser than sarkarai pongal and thicker than payasam. I like your version and definetely try it for deepavali.
my mother makes it with channa dal and rice and jaggery…its yummy too miss my mom
[…] it’s very much a ven pongal converted into a rich sweet. The taste is unparalleled though. Lathamma said this is traditionally prepared in a vengalapanai, though as expected I resorted to pressure […]
Probably the best akkaravadisal i have had(many many times) is from the Srirangam Ranganathaswamy temple, It is cooked in an earthen vessel on wood-fire(unless there has been a change) This should not be confuse with sarkara pongal or mungdal payasam. The taste is quite different!