Thiruvadhirai Kali and Koottu:

This item is prepared on Thiruvaadirai festival day which falls on the star 'arudra' in the Tamil month of Margazhi. It was celebrated on 22nd December last and since I prepared the combo, I wish to add on to my blog posts. It is one of the rare combos viz., sweet and hot-and-spicy and is unique in its own way. It is nutriciuous and healthy with the savoury part adding to its value to to the  liberal use of vegetables. Though this item is usually prepared on the festival day, I recommend this be prepared even on other occassions.

Kali or Sweet Rice Pudding

Ingredient list

• Rice - 2 cups
• Jaggery - 1 cup
• Cardomom - 6
• Cashew - 12
• Ghee - 4 to 6 tsp
• Channa dhal + Moong dhal - 1/4 cup

Fry the rice and dhals till they are light brown. Grind it into powder (rava consistency).

Fry the cashews in 2 tsp of ghee and keep aside.

Add 4 cups of water + jaggery and bring it to a boil. 

Add rice rava slowly and mix well with the jaggery water. Then cover it with a lid. Stir it till it is well cooked. 

Add cardomom, roasted cashews and 2 to 4 tsp of ghee to the Kali and mix well. Coconut lovers may add 1/4 cup freshly grated coconut.  

    

Kootu           

Choose root vegetables, pumpkin(yellow and/or white), green vegetables like beans, carrot, peas etc. Alternatively frozen cut vegetables like Sugar Snap Peas Stir fry or mixed vegetables with potato.

Masala Ingredients:

• Channa dhal - 1/4 cup
• Urad dhal - 2 tsp
• Dhaniya or Coriander seeds - 1/2 cup
• Red Chili - 15 to 20
• Pepper - 1 tsp
• Fenugreek - 1/2 tsp
• Jaggery - 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
• Tamarind - size of a lemon(can use paste or concentrate - 1.5 times as regular sambar)
• Salt to taste
• Coconut - 1/2 cup
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - 1/4 tsp

Fry all the masala ingredients except coconut, mustard seeds, urad dhal and curry leaves in 2 tsp oil. Grind this into a paste with coconut. Alternatively you could roast coconut and grind the roasted ingredients into a powder.

Boil the vegetables and add salt, turmeric powder, asafoetida and tamarind for 10 minutes. Add the masala paste/powder

Add this paste/powder to the vegetables and bring it to a boil. Garnish with mustard seeds, urad dhal and curry leaves.
Note:
Suggested way of eating is mixing the kali and kootu in equal proportion and on to your mouth.  However, best way is to find what suits one's palate.