Lakshmi: The mere utterance of the words “Perumal Theertham” conjures up memories of my Thatha (grandfather) performing the Aradhanai (puja) daily. Each summer holiday as a child I would wake up to a morning filled with the wetness of Madi Thuni (clothes) hanging in the backyard, the smell of freshly ground spices, the waft of sandalwood and the fast rhythmic chanting of my Thatha.
While Paatti and Kollu Paatti were busy cooking the neivedyam, I’d rush to get a fresh bath and stand in line with the other kids for the delicious prasaadam my Thatha would distribute after his prayers – three udhrini (spoon) theertham (water), three udhrini milk, a few pieces of kalkandu (sugar candy) and a couple of tulsi leaves.
My favourite of course to this date is perumal theertham – its heaven conjured up with water and a few flavorings, one of them being Saffron.
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Perumal Theertham (Divine Water)
Perumal theertham in a Kulla Pathram (silver glass) and Udhrini (spoon)
Krishnar doing the Kalinga Narthanam, Sangu (Conch shell), Japa Mala (Beads for prayers), Theertham for Abhishekham (holy bath)
Abhishekham (holy bath) with Perumal Theertham
Ingredients
- Drinking Water – 1 Glass
- Cardamom – 3 pods
- Saffron – 1 tsp
- Tulsi Leaves – 1 or 2
- A pinch of pachai karpooram.
Method
Pound the cardamom and dissolve along with saffron into the water in a Silver Pela (Glass). Add Tulsi leaves.
Update: A pinch of Paccha Karpooram or Edible Camphor can also be added to the Theertham for flavouring. Thanks Rajeshwari and Nirmala for reminding us about this. In Kovils (temples) praasadams of the sweet kind are usually flavoured with Edible Camphor. For example Akkaravadesil, the rice pudding served in South Indian Vaishnava temples or Pachamrutham served in Ayyappan temples as Asha has pointed out. We usually skip the Paccha Karpooram.
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Latha: Kalkandu or Sugar Candy lends a heavenly taste to this Rice Pudding. This is prepared for most of the Iyengar festivals and in Perumal Kovils. Saffron lends the Pongal a beautiful peachish tinge to the Pongal.
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Kalkandu Pongal (Sugar Candy Rice Pudding)
Kalkandu Pongal – Sugar Candy Rice Pudding
Ingredients
- Rice – 1 cup
- Moong Dal – ¼ cup
- Milk – ½ litre
- Kalkandu (Sugar Candy/ Rock Sugar) – 1 ½ cups
- Cardamom – 6 nos
- Saffron – 10 to 12 leaves
- Ghee – 1/3 cup
- Cashew – 4 tbsp (or more)
- Dry Grapes – 4tbsp (or more)
*cup = 225ml measures approximately 8oz. Arakapadi is one of the many traditional measures used in Tamil Nadu. Most cup measures translate into Arakapadi measures.
Method
- Wash Rice and Dal and pressure cook together with 3 cups of water.
- Take out the Rice and Dal and mash using 2 tbsp Ghee. Transfer to a heavy bottomed pan.
- Add ½ litre milk and cook on low fire. Add the Sugar Candy and keep cooking on a low to medium fire stirring occassionally for approximately 5 minutes. The Pongal will now be in a semi solid state – it will become thicker as it cools.
- Crush the Cardamom and add to Pongal. Mix well and transfer to a serving dish.
- Dissolve the Saffron with 1 tbsp lukewarm milk.
- Toast the Cashew and Dry Grapes separately with the remaining ghee in a Kadai.
- Decorate the Pongal with Cashew and Dry Grapes and Saffron Milk.
Serve Hot or Chilled.
Perumal thirtam and Kalkandu Pongal are our entries for Sunita’s Think Spice, Think Saffron event and RCI Tamizh Festivals hosted by Viji of Vcuisine.
– Latha and Lakshmi
Rice Pudding looks really sweet and delicious
Looks very delicious!!!
And I liked the way you did the Abhishekam!!!
you should have seen my thatha do it – its used to be rather entertaining. lakshmi
A recipe for holy water! How wonderful! Thanks.
Love the theertham pics lakshmi..:D and also rice pudding with cashews and all..:)
I just wanted to share something with u and Lathaamma.. :
Lathamma — Mom and Lakshmi — daughter.. and in my case..
Lakshmi – my mom and (Sri)Latha – my name…. when ever I visit ur blog.. I think of this coincidence.. hehhe..:)
Perumal therrtham is something I look fwd to when I visit perumal koil. After those long lines, that one uthrani is heaven. I always long for more 🙂
My thatha was generous, he would give us three + one drop in the end. I make this theertham whenever I feel like and drink glassfulls 😀
Kalkandu pongal and Theertham looks yummy! Nice picture.
very delicious looking pudding! never made with kalkandu till now.
Beautiful pics. Is that the Krishna your mom bought from her native place. Love the Theertha as we call it. My thatha and ajji did those everyday too.But not parents though.
Kally Sakkare, I used to eat a lot!:))
I don’t know whether I get it here,have to look! Pudding looks delicious!:)
Yep, the same Krishna. Doesn’t he look splendid?
Nice pics and Kaandu pongal looks so rich and creamy. I am always fascinated by your divine posts! Good Job L&L team
Nice pictures of abhishekham and holy water. My son loves permular koil theertham. This time during our India trip he kept on asking the Iyer for more and more. Finally I had to drag him out crying as the Iyer did not give him any after the second time. Your kalkandu pongal looks yum. I haven’t had it in years. My patti used to make it but my mom never did it. Lovely post.
So cute. As a kid even I used to find the Iyer Mamas very Kanjoos :). We sometimes add partly split cardamom pods to our daily drinking water while it is lukewarm. Yummy!!
An earthly divine post….I can almost scent India here :-)) Nice one 🙂
We had a mama and maami living in the flat above ours when I was a kid, and I used to love watching him do the elaborate pujas each morning – it was just like you’ve described your thaatha. He would have several small vigrahams and would pour the theertham using the shell and also go pray to the Sun. The kalkandu pongal looks very tasty.
Thanks for ur wishes Latha amma..
Ya amma, my student life came to an end.. hopefully I will get a job soon… need ur blessing amma.. glad to know that ur close friend’s name is “Srilatha”.. lucky me..:D hehe…:D
I’ve always loved the theertham, too lazy to make it. And I don’t recall having seen or heard of Kalkandu Pongal earlier, thanks for bringing it up.
You might want to occassionally add a few partly split cardamom pods to your daily dose of drinking water – close enough to theertham
I too like to have this theertham in many perumal koils…and i like the theertham especially in srirangam…As I did my degree there in trichy I had chances to visit atleast twice a month…But latha mam I thought they will add pachai karpooram in this theertham…
your nardhana krishna statue and spatika malai looks divine..I remember that spatika malai will give a chillness when we wear it…:)
Kalkandu pongal looks yummy…Having lots of kalkandu in stock…I think its time to try out this recipe…Thanx for sharing Latha mam and lakshmi..!!
Kovils add Pacha Karpooram in most praasadams. The Theertham is also flavoured with edible camphor though we skip this usually. Thanks, Rajeswari, I have updated the post.
Lovely theertham and delicious kalkandu pongal. The pictures are nice and abhisekham to Lord krishna is wonderful…
Wonderful! Both were my all tiem favorites. And a small doubt. Won’t they add “pachai karpooram” to the theertham?
Yep, Pacha Karpooram can be added though we skip this. Thanks Nirmala, I have updated the post.
I have only heard of these things… haven’t tasted them. Very tempting!
After living in Chennai for so many years? hmmm – you must had the theertham sometime.
Divine entries Lakshmi. They are unique. The Theertham, we always ask for more in kovils. It’s really very tasty. Kalkandu pongal is my favorite too. Viji
the pongal looks really tasty! nice entries.
Hi Lakshmi
Ur divine theertham is very grt.I never made it in
home before.Thanks for it.
Dear Latha & Lakshmi,
I nominated “The yum blog” for “Best Food Blog” at Blogger’s Choice Awards ( http://www.bloggerschoiceawards.com/)…:)
P.S: Hey folks, couple of minutes back, I nominated lathamma’s blog at bloggers choice awards. it will take 24hrs for the blog to show for voting…..do vote for “yum blog”..:)
– Siri
Thank you so much for your divine posts. To have a recipe for divine water – Perumal Theertham – I really appreciate it. Navrati blessings to you.
Lovely entry for the event!!Saffron is divine !!
Theertham looks soooo divine ma..and looks great among the pics in the header…Lakshmi no more changes pls….Hold this template…seringala??
I was preoccupied..mm like…Indian cup=200ml…US or UK cups=Kal padi=250ml….(Kalpadi has more or less the cup measurement)…and Araikkal padi…he he…half of Kal padi…for sure..:D…I use these evryday(imitating my ma in law)…and also udhrini and thulasi theertham…she is very religious…poor her…got one crap d-in law like me he he…
Seri seri Bharathy, Nee sonnapparam matha mudiyuma? 😀
You know what – When I got into your blog I looked at the image (on the top) and was wondering what recipe is that…Got the answer now 🙂 Its theertham 🙂
Lovely entry.
[…] Kalkandu Pongal (A Rice-Lentil Dish flavoured with Sugar Candy) […]
This is a deligtful article ,
which brought memories of my
late father’s offering of huge vessel(GangALam)
of this special dish to the Lord of Seven Hills
some thirty years ago . The inclusion of PerumAL
Theertham prparation is also very much
appreciated .
Oppiliappan Koil V.Sadagopan
New York
http://www.sadagopan.org
http://www.sundarasimham.org
96th e-book on Sri Venkatesa
AshtOttharam
Baby Krishna’s Moorthy depicted in the pictures is described to be Kaalingya Narthana Krishna. In my humble opinion, the correct description is “Navaneetha Naatya Krishna!” You may ask,”Why is that important?”. You will find the answer when you meditate on the message in each of Krishna’s Leelas!
I prepare Perumal Theertham in the following manner:
Ingredients:
1. Elachi Powder (Elakkai)
2. Pachchai Karpooram
3. Jaadhikkaai – 1
4. Jaadhi Paththiri
5. Lavngam (Kiraambu)
6. Kunguma Poo (Saffron leaves)
These items are powdered in a mixie and kept in a closed vessel. And mixed with water just before AarAdhanam.
thanks Boovarahan.. Can you tell me if I can daily add a tablet of “pacha karpooram” in daily water and drink it ?
No, one tablet is too much, just add a pinch for one glass
[…] win any prize though. But all of us thought her creations for the cooking contest – one sweet dish (kalkandu pongal) and a stuffed item (stuffed idiyappam – I couldn’t find a recipe for my mother’s […]
[…] sends us this cute bowl of kalkandu pongal/sugar candy rice pudding, which is prepared during certain festivals. […]
Perumal theertham and other all explanations are wonderful. Please visit my web page also. i hope u may like.
http://thakkudupandi.blogspot.com/2010/04/blog-post_16.html
cheers,
Thakkudu
thanks 2 lakshmi mam……….
the pongal looksssssssssss…………sweet………..
Om namo narayanaya! Beautiful! 🙂
Govinda Govindaa…I used to make this theertham in my theertham vattil without even knowing that I was using this exact recipe
Its feel devotional when saw the pictures and also make tempt to c kalkandu pongal…hawsome…
The priest at my local temple is bit too generous, he uses a humongous spoon for theertham! I end up drinking half a spoon, the other half ends up on my head!
very useful really good information thanks for posting such a good information it will hepls the people a lot keep it up , Regards,
chakkara pongal recipe
Hi Lakshmi, I have tried the kalkandu pongal this morning. I was supposed to have my puja on Monday for 14th April but due to unavoidable circumstances, I have to do it today.
I just wanted to let you know that the pongal turned out really good. Maybe it’s because of the saffron, it tasted like the prasadam we get in temples! Loved it so much. I followed your recipe to the T; mine is a little watery compared to your picture listed but love the taste!
Hi Latha and Lakshmi,
The Sri Krishna moorthy is a beauty.
Pls can you tell me where can we have this moorthy in India (if god willing :))?
Thanks and regards,
Vijaya Raghavan
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