Festival Calendar For the year 2012 – 2013

Srirama navami – 30th April

Tamizh Varuda Pirappu –14th April

Chithra pournami – 6th May

Aadi Pandigai – 16th July

Aadi Velli Kizhamai – 20th,27th  July,3rd and 10th August

Andal Thiruaadipuram- 23rd July

Pathinettam Perukku-2nd August

Avani Avittam/ Upakarma-1st August

Janmashtami/Gokulashtami-9th August

Vinayaka Chaturthi/Ganesh Chaturthi-19th September

Varalakshmi Viratham-27th July

Kovil Kannapiran Srijayanthi-8th September (For Iyengars)

Puratasi Sanikizhamai – 22nd, 29th September and 6th and 13th October

Navarathri Pujai Arambam-16th October

Saraswathi Puja ( Mahanavami)-October 23rd

Vijaya Dasami (Aayuda Puja) -October 24th

Deepavali (Naraka Chaturdasi) -November 13th

Thiru Karthigai-13thDecember

Boghi Pandigai -13th January 2013

Pongal/Sankaranthi-14th January 2013

Mattu Pongal-15th January 2013

Karadaiyan Nonbu-13th March 2013

Tamizh Puthandu-14th April 2013

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JFI Rice-Akkaravadisil

Akkaravadesil is my entry for JFI Rice event hosted by Sharmi of Neivedyam.

Click here for the recipe

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Akkaravadesil (Traditional Iyengar Rice Pudding)

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

1. Wash and drain the rice and dal together.
2. In a heavy bottomed pan heat 2 tablespoons ghee on a medium flame.
3. Add the rice and dal and fry, stirring continuously till rice is mild golden.
4. Pour 1/2 litre milk and simmer on a low flame, stirring occasionally.
5. Keep adding more milk as the Akkaravadisil becomes thicker.
6. Cook till the rice and dal gets completely mashed.
7. Add the jaggery and take off the flame once the jaggery melts.
8. Transfer to a serving bowl (preferably a silver container)
9. Add cardamom and pachaikalpooram and mix well.
10. Heat 2 table spoon ghee in a small kadai and fry the cashews till golden and add to the akkaravadesil.
11. Heat the remaining ghee and fry the dry grapes till it puffs and add to the sweet.
12. 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.

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