Akkaravadisal

This is a very traditional South Indian sweet dish. Lord Mahavishnu is offered this sweet as prasad(holy offering). The main ingredients are Rice, moong dal, jaggery, milk and ghee. The ingredients are similar to the Sweet  Pongal but both taste very different. It tastes heavenly when served a little warm. Without much ado let’s get to the recipe right away.

PREP TIME: 10Mins                                    COOK TIME:30Mins

TOTAL TIME: 40 Mins                                COURSE:  MAIN 

CUISINE: SOUTH INDIAN                         SERVINGS: 4

                                                                   AUTHOR: Rajni Ram 

  

Ingredients:

Rice 1 cup

Moong dal/ green gram 1/4 cup

Milk  6 cups

Jaggery 1 cup 

Water 1/4 cup

Sugar ( optional) 1 tbsp

Ghee 3/4 cup

Cardamom/ elaichi powder 1 tsp

Saffron ( optional) 2 pinches, soaked in warm milk

Raw camphor( optional) 1 pinch powdered

Cashewnuts 8 to 10

Raisins 8 to 10

Directions:

  Dry roast the Moong dal to a light brown colour. Stir constantly and take care not to burn the dal. It will give out a nice aroma. Put the jaggery in a separate vessel, add water and bring to a boil. Put off the heat and stir to dissolve the jaggery. Keep aside. Take a vessel that fits inside your pressure cooker and transfer the rice into it. Add in the roasted Moong dal and wash both the rice and dal together. Pour 4 cups milk and arrange the vessel in the cooker.  Close lid and cook for around 5 to 6 whistles. After pressure releases open lid, the rice should be well cooked and not grainy. Mash the cooked rice and dal while it’s hot, keep aside. In a pan or Urli( heavy-bottomed brass vessel ) pour 1 tbsp ghee and heat. Fry the cashew nuts and raisins in the ghee to a nice golden colour and keep them aside. To the same pan add the cooked rice and dal. Strain the liquid jaggery into the rice directly and the sugar and the remaining milk( 2cups, to which saffron was added). Stir nicely. Add the cardamom powder and raw camphor powder and stir. Put off the stove and add the ghee finally. The divine tasting Akkaravadisal is ready. Tastes best when hot/ warm. Enjoy. Bone Appetite.

STEPWISE RECIPE FOLLOWS:

1. Assemble all ingredients.

2. Dry roast the Moong dal to a light brown colour. Take rice in a vessel that fits inside the cooker and add the roasted dal to it. Wash them a few times, add 4 cups milk and place the vessel inside the cooker with sufficient water at the bottom. Cook until  5 to 6 whistles. To the remaining 2 cups of milk add saffron and let soak.

3. Until the pressure releases let’s get the jaggery ready. In a small vessel take the jaggery, add 1/4 cup water and bring to a boil, put out the stove and stir the jaggery to dissolve it. 

4. Once you open the cooker mash the contents while they are hot as it’s easier to do it then. Set aside.

In a pan/ Urli take a tablespoon of ghee and heat,  fry the nuts and raisins in it and keep aside.

5. In the same pan/ Urli transfer the cooked rice and dal and strain the liquid jaggery on it directly. Pour the saffron added milk to the mixture and stir. Add in the cardamom and raw camphor and turn off the stove. Lastly, add the ghee, garnish with the fried nuts and raisins and the Akkaravadisal is ready.

NOTES:

1. We strained the jaggery to remove the impurities from it.

2. Do not cook rice directly in the cooker as we are coking with milk, the milk may stick to the bottom and the dish will give a burnt taste and odour. That’s why we are cooking with a vessel inside the cooker.( to make directly checkout One pot Akkaravadisal recipe)

3. Saffron and raw camphor are optional, they give added flavour.

4. Be liberal with ghee. Cook the rice soft. If grainy add more milk and pressure cook again.

5. I have used normal rice( Sona Masoori/ Ponni). If using Basmathi avoid the raw camphor as both aroma and flavouring of both may clash.

If you made this recipe and liked it, please comment below. I would love to hear from you.