Akkaravadisal (Akkara Adisal) Recipe-Iyengar Recipes

Navratri 2015 is starting from today.I hope most of you would be planning to make some sundal variety along with Sakkarai pongal for today’s neivedyam.Every year we make paasi paruppu sundal and sweet pongal for first day.This year for a change I tried Iyengar special sweet pongal recipe popularly known as “Akkaravadisal/Akkara adisal”.Iyengars make this for Koodaravalli festival during tamil month Margazhi.The term Akkaram is a literary word for Sugar or jaggery and the word Vadisal is a descriptive term for cooking by steaming or boiling.Starting from this explanation till the recipe I have shared here are given by my school friend Sumi Raghavan who is a Tamil Brahmin.Whenever I look for Iyengar Recipes,my first hand source is Sumi.She is so sweet to share her traditional recipes with me.Based on her recipe and method,I start to search for more ideas on net.You could find different recipes for this akkaravadisal.Some people use sugar and make this pongal.Some add equal amounts of jaggery and sugar.But I followed the recipe of my friend which is more of temple style.Actually I came to know about this akkara adisal from a priest in Thirukannapuram Perumal temple.He told us that every morning nearly 12 ladies prepare this akkaravadisal in a wide bronze vessel adding lots of ghee and serve it as kovil prasadam to all the devotees.Though I couldn’t taste the prasadam,I was able to feel its taste from the way he explained.So I badly wanted to try and share this recipe in my blog.As he told,the taste of this creamy pudding like Akkaravadisal was truly flavorful & very rich in taste.Don’t hesitate to add the amount of ghee mentioned here.Ghee and the edible camphor(Pachai karpooram) are the star ingredients of this recipe.So here you go authentic Iyengar style akkaravadisal preparation with stepwise pictures.Do make this for Navratri neivedyam and offer to God !! 

Akkaravadisal Recipe

Iyengar style akkara adisal recipe

Cuisine: Indian

Category: Sweet

Serves: Serves 4

Prep time: 30 Minutes

Cook time: 20 Minutes

Total time: 50 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

Raw rice(Good quality sona masoori) - 1/2 cup Milk – 2.5 cups Water – 1/2 cup Grated jaggery - 3/4 cup ( use dark colored jaggery to get this color) Cardamom - 3 nos (crushed) Edible camphor/Pachai karpooram - 2 pinches Ghee - 1/4 cup Cashew nuts & Dry grapes - a fistful Salt - a pinch

METHOD

Wash and soak the rice in milk for 30 minutes adding 2 cups of milk + 1/2 cup of water, a pinch of salt.You can roast 1 tbsp of moong dal in a tsp of ghee and add to the rice while soaking.But I din’t add moong dal.So its optional to use.( If you want to follow traditional method,cook the rice in open pot by stirring every now & then.Else it will burn in the bottom) Take a pressure cooker and add the soaked rice,milk,water to it.Put a small plate inside the cooker to avoid spilling.Pressure cook in very low flame for 2 whistles.It takes more time to cook as we are cooking rice in milk.So be patient.   In the mean time,boil the jaggery adding 1/2 cup of water and let it melt n boil for a minute.Strain the jaggery syrup using a filter and keep aside. After the steam is released from the cooker,remove the plate and mash the rice very well.Add the jaggery syrup to this.Add 1/2 cup of milk and let the mixture boil for a minute.Akkaravadisal should be in semi solid state unlike our usual sweet pongal.It will tend to thicken as time proceeds.So add more milk and adjust its consistency before you serve. Roast the nuts and dry grapes in 1/4 cup of ghee and add to the pongal.Switch off the flame, add cardamom powder, edible camphor, mix well and offer to God. Enjoy ! I drizzled a tbsp of ghee on the serving bowl to give a ghee dripping pongal look ;)

Note

You can add 1 tbsp of roasted moong dal along with rice before soaking.But I din’t use it. Traditionally akkaravadisal is made by cooking rice adding milk in a wide bronze pot.But I used pressure cooker to make it easily. Adding edible camphor gives the temple style flavor.So don’t skip it.But do not add more.Just a big pinch would do. For variations,you can add equal amounts or 1/4th portion of sugar mixed with jaggery.

Iyengar style akkaravadisal is ready to serve !

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