Karthigai Deepam is a festival celebrated by Tamil Hindus. It occurs during the Tamil month of Karthigai (November-December) and honors Lord Shiva and Muruga. The main ritual involves lighting various rows of oil lamps, called Agal Vilakku, in and around the house. Here are some delicious delicacies made at home to celebrate Karthigai Deepam :
1.Nei Appam
Soak some rice for a few hours and grind it into a smooth batter. Mix jaggery, puree of ripe bananas, grated coconut, and cardamom powder into it. The batter is left to ferment slightly. Small amounts of the batter are poured into a special non-stick pan called an appa chatti, which has several small, round molds greased with ghee. Cook on medium heat until the appams are golden brown and crispy.
2.Pori Urundai
Dry roast puffed rice until it becomes crispy. Melt jaggery with water until it reaches a very thick sticky consistency. The roasted puffed rice is quickly mixed into the hot jaggery syrup, ensuring an even coating. This mixture is shaped into small, firm balls. Once it cools, the ball hardens.
3.Payasam
It is made using thin vermicelli noodles. Saute the vermicelli in ghee until it turns golden brown, and boil in milk until soft. You could utilize saffron-infused milk for a brighter flavor, but cardamom is also acceptable. Keep on stirring till it absorbs all of the milk and swells up. Toasted cashews and raisins can be added for texture.
4.Vella Seedai
Dry roast the rice flour and urad dal flour. Sift them to ensure a fine texture. Melt jaggery with a bit of water to form a syrup. Mix it along with grated coconut, sesame seeds, cardamom powder, and salt, into the flour to form a dough. Shape small balls of the dough and allow it to dry slightly. Deep fry them in hot oil until they achieve a light golden brown color. Do not worry if they crack as it indicates that they are crunchy.
5.Pasi Paruppu Ladoo
It is prepared using yellow moong dal (pasi paruppu). Dry roast the moong dal until it releases a nutty aroma. After cooling, grind it into a fine powder, then incorporate powdered sugar and cardamom powder. Heat ghee and gradually blend it into the mixture. Keep mixing till it achieves a crumbly texture. Shape into round balls while still warm.
6.Ellu Urundai
Dry roast the black sesame seeds for about three minutes. Melt jaggery with a little bit of water to form a thick syrup. The roasted sesame seeds are then added to the jaggery syrup and stirred continuously. While the mixture is still warm, it is shaped into tiny balls by rolling it between greased palms. Once cooled, they harden into a healthy snack.
7.Murukku
Murukku is a mandatory South Indian snack in every household. It varies in size, shape, and flavor depending on regional preferences and family recipes. The dough comprises rice flour, urad dal flour, salt, water, and cumin seeds. Knead it to the right consistency and shape it into the desired pattern using a murukku press. Deep-fry the shaped dough until it turns golden brown. Drain the excess oil and serve hot.
8.Rava Kesari
Roast semolina (rava) in ghee until it turns golden brown. Gradually add water or milk to form a thick, smooth mixture. Then, add a generous amount of sugar and continue stirring to avoid sticking to the pan. Next, add cardamom powder and orange food coloring for that classic look. Garnish with roasted cashews and raisins, and serve hot.
9.Sakkarai Pongal
Roast moong dal and rice together until it emits a nutty aroma. Then, cook them in water until soft. In a separate pan, melt jaggery using a little water to form a syrup. Add the syrup to the cooked mixture. Then, add ghee, cardamom powder, toasted cashews, and raisins to this. Continue cooking until the mixture achieves a consistency similar to pudding.
10.Therattipal
Simmer whole milk, cardamom powder, and sugar for about five minutes until it reduces and develops a caramelized color. Once you reach the desired velvety consistency, let it cool. Shape it into bite-sized pieces, or serve as it is. You could also garnish with chopped nuts like cashews or almonds.
11.Mysore Pak
Heat the ghee in a pan and gradually add the besan. Stir continuously to avoid lumps, ensuring the besan roasts to a golden color. Make a sugar syrup using water and pour it onto the besan mixture. Cook this until it reaches a fudgy consistency. Pour the mixture into a greased tray and spread it out to speed up the cooling process. Cut it into long rectangles and serve.
12.Paal Kozhukattai
Mix rice flour with water to form a dough and shape it into small balls. Boil the balls in water until they soften. In a separate pan, heat the coconut milk along with the sugar and cardamom powder. Once you cook the rice balls, add them to the sweetened milk mixture. Keep stirring until the rice balls swell and soak up the flavors of the milk.
13.Karupatti Paniyaram
Mix rice flour, grated coconut, cardamom powder, and melted jaggery (karupatti) together to form a thick batter. This batter is then poured into the spherical molds in a paniyaram pan greased with oil. Cook until it becomes brown on the outside while remaining soft and fluffy inside.
14.Medhu Vadai
It is a popular and loved South Indian delicacy. Soak urad dal for several hours and then grind it into a smooth paste. Mix it with finely diced onions, green chilies, curry leaves, and chopped ginger to form a batter. Shape it into patties with a hole in the center. Deep fry in oil until it turns a light golden brown. Drain the excess oil and serve alongside coconut chutney.
15.Adhirasam
It is a typical South Indian sweet made during festivals like Diwali. The dough comprises rice flour, jaggery, and cardamom seeds. Shape them into flat palm-size circles and deep-fry them until they turn a golden brown, developing a crispy exterior while maintaining a tender, fall-apart interior. Let it cool before serving.
16.Gulab Jamun
Gulab Jamun is the most famous dessert in India. Knead khoya with a small amount of flour. Shape this mixture into small balls and deep-fry until it turns brown. These fried spongy balls are soaked in a delicious thick sugar syrup flavored with cardamom to absorb all its flavors. Serve the balls along with the syrup and garnish with sliced nuts.
17.Kadalai Paruppu Payasam
Cook split channa dal (kadalai paruppu) in water until tender. In a separate pan, combine coconut milk and jaggery, mixing well. Then, incorporate the cooked dal and stir thoroughly to blend. Simmer for four minutes until it thickens. Optionally, add a pinch of cardamom powder for flavor enhancement. Garnish with dry fruits and nuts roasted in ghee.
18.Rice Flour Ladoo
Roast rice flour in a generous amount of ghee until it imparts a rich aroma and turns slightly golden. Then, turn off the heat, add powdered sugar, and mix well to avoid lumps. This mixture is shaped into small balls while still warm, allowing it to set as it cools. You could also incorporate chopped nuts and cardamom powder into the mixture.
19.Thattai
Thattai is renowned for its crispy texture and flavorful blend of spices. The dough comprises rice flour, red chili powder, urad dal flour, sesame seeds, and cumin seeds. Knead to achieve the right consistency by adding water as required. It is then shaped into thin discs and deep-fried until golden brown. Drain the excess oil and serve alongside tea.
20.Sundal
Sundal is a traditional protein-packed snack made either with chickpeas or black-eyed peas. Soak and boil the legumes until they turn tender. In a pan, saute mustard seeds, curry leaves, grated coconut, and dried red chillies with oil. Add the cooked legumes and stir well for about two minutes.
