Raw rice - 1 cup

Moong dhal - ¼ cup

Jaggery - 1 1/4 cup ( can be 1 1/2 cup, if you like it sweet)

Frehly grated coconut - ¾ cup

Ghee - 2 tbsp

Cardamom Powder - 1 tsp

Cashews, chopped - 2 tbsp

Wash & drain rice well.

Spread on a cloth to dry.

On a dry kadai, roast it on medium flame till the colour changes & becomes pink.

Cool & grind in the mixi ( need not be very fine-rava consistency is OK)

Soak moong dhal in boiling water for 1 hour.

Boil it till soft & drain the water.

Reserve the drained water, if any, for cooking the rice rava.

Measure the roasted rice rava – it will roughly be 1 cup

Take 2 ½ times the water (include the water drained from dhal), add jaggery & let boil.

Strain & boil the water again.

Smear 1 tbsp ghee on the rava & add to the boiling jaggery water with one hand, whisking the mixture with the other hand to prevent lump formation.

When the mixture starts boiling, it should be “ dosai mavu” consistency.

Add cooked dhal, grated coconut, mix well, close with a lid &lower the flame to the minimum.

Open after 10 mts, if a little more water is necessary, boil little & add.

When completely cooked, cover & leave for 10 mts for resting.

Then add cardamom powder & cashewnuts roasted in ghee.

Mix thoroughly.

The quantity of water varies with the quality of rice used.

Podithuval: (This is Kerala style – Thalakams & Ezukarikuzambu will follow in separate postings)

This is not made very dry, but thicker than kootu.

Vegetables traditionally used are kaavathu, avarakkai, yellow pumpkin, chenai, banana & siru kizangu.

Now, we also add mochai, sweet potato, chow chow etc

Vegetables are cut as for sambar.

Cut vegetables - 3 cups

Salt, haldi

Crush together: ( do not grind)

Grated coconut - 1 cup

Green chillies - 5,6

To temper:

Coconut oil - 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Urad dhal - 2 tsp

Red chillies - 2,3

Curry leaves - few

Boil all vegetables with salt & haldi.

Sometimes kaavathu takes a little longer to become soft.

Add the crushed paste & mix well.

It is customary to sprinkle 2,3 tsp of thiruvathirai kali powder !

That acts as a thickening agent as well.

When everything has blended well, remove & temper.