Aadi Perukku is a traditional Tamil festival that is celebrated on the 18th day of the Aadi month to honor and show gratitude to nature. It also marks the beginning of monsoon and is involves various rituals, special prayers, and offerings. Here are some festive delicacies to celebrate Aadi Perukku :
1.Vazhaipazham Rava Kesari
Mash ripe bananas and make a coarse puree. Roast semolina (rava) in ghee until it turns golden brown. Gradually add water or milk to form a thick, smooth mixture. Once done, add the puree and a good amount of sugar. Keep stirring to avoid sticking to the pan. Finally, add crushed cardamom pods and raisins. Garnish with roasted cashews and serve hot.
2.Sweet Pidi Kozhukattai
In Tamil, “Pidi” means “to hold”. Pidi Kozhukattai is basically a South Indian steamed dumpling. A dough is made from rice flour, jaggery, ghee, grated coconut flakes, and cardamom powder. Shape the dough by hand into small ovals and pinch to create ridges using your fingers. Steam the dough until it is fully cooked through.
3.Lemon Rice
Cook rice first in the pressure cooker. Make a tempering by heating oil and adding mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal, dried red chilies, green chilies, curry leaves, and asafoetida. Pour this seasoning onto the rice. Squeeze the lemons and add the juice to the rice. Stir well to coat evenly. Garnish with toasted peanuts and serve with pickles.
4.Kadambam Sadham
In a pan, saute mustard seeds, curry leaves, coriander seeds, and dry red chilies in hot oil. Next, add various vegetables like carrots, beans, peas, and potatoes, along with soaked toor dal. Cook until it turns mushy. Make a spice blend using coriander powder, turmeric, cumin, and grated coconut. Mix in the cooked rice and spice blend together. Stir well to blend all flavors.
5.Urulai Kizhangu Poriyal
Peel, dice, and parboil the potatoes until they are slightly tender. In a hot pan,saute mustard seeds, urad dal, and curry leaves. Next, add sliced onions and cook it till it caramelizes. Then, add the parboiled potatoes along with turmeric, red chilies, and salt. Stir-fry until the potatoes are coated with the spices and the edges become crispy.
6.Coconut Rice
Rinse rice in water and add it into a pot along with coconut milk, water, and salt. Then, add curry leaves, urad dal, cashews, mustard seeds, and toasted coconut. Bring it to a boil and cook until the rice fully absorbs the milk. This process usually takes around twenty minutes. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves on top.
7.Paruppu Payasam
Cook split channa dal in water until tender. In another pan, mix coconut milk and jaggery together. Next, add the cooked dal and stir well. Simmer this mixture until it thickens. Optionally, you could add a pinch of cardamom powder for more flavor. Garnish with dry fruits and nuts that are roasted in ghee.
8.Curd Rice
You can use freshly cooked or leftover rice that is at room temperature. Next, add plain yogurt to the rice and mix well. For seasoning, heat oil in a pan and then add mustard seeds, urad dal, finely chopped green chilies, ginger, and curry leaves. Pour the tempering over the rice and stir it together. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves, pomegranate seeds, or shredded carrots.
9.Vellai Pongal
Vellai Pongal is traditionally made without salt specifically for Chitra Pournami. Dry roast equal parts of rice and moong dal until they release a nutty aroma. Wash and cook them together with turmeric water in a pressure cooker for three whistles. In another pan, add ghee, cashew nuts, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, ginger, and curry leaves. Roast this for about three minutes and pour over the cooked mixture. Serve hot with a dollop of ghee on top.
10.Neer Mor
Whisk yogurt until it becomes creamy and dilute it with water. Season it with salt, finely chopped ginger, green chilies, and fresh curry leaves. Stir well to incorporate the flavors. You could also add a tempering of mustard seeds and asafetida. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve chilled.
11.Paruppu Vadai
Soak chana dal in water for about four hours. Then, grind it coarsely with finely chopped onions, green chilies, ginger, and fresh coriander leaves. Season it with salt, cumin, and fennel seeds. Shape this mixture into small patties and deep-fry in hot oil until they are golden brown and crispy.
12.Arisi Thengai Payasam
Dry roast rice till it turns golden. Then, cook the rice in water until it becomes soft. Add ghee and grated coconut in another pan. Toast it and blend into a smooth paste. Add this to the cooked rice along with milk, jaggery, and cardamom pods. Simmer until it thickens and garnish with cashews and raisins.
13.Bisi Bele Bath
Soak rice and lentils in water until soft. In another pan, add hot oil and saute mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and curry leaves. Next, add chopped onions, garlic, ginger, turmeric, salt, and red chili powder. Cook until it turns translucent. Then, stir in chopped vegetables like carrots, beans, and potatoes. Finally, add the cooked rice and lentils. Add the required amount of water and simmer this mixture for five minutes. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
14.Rasam
Soak a small piece of tamarind in water for some time and squeeze it to release the pulp. In a pot, add hot oil and saute mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dried red chillies, and asafoetida. Then, add finely chopped tomatoes and cook until it softens. Next, add rasam powder, water, turmeric, and the tamarind extract. Simmer the rasam for a few minutes. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
15.Kaara Kulambu
In a pan, add oil and saute onions and garlic until translucent. Nexet, add ginger, green chilies, coriander, cumin, and red chili powder. Mix in tamarind paste and cook till the raw smell fades and the oil separates. You can also add chopped vegetables into it. Finish with a tempering of mustard seeds, curry leaves, and dried red chilies.
16.Poosanikai Mor Kulambu
Peel and cut white pumpkin into small pieces. Cook the pumpkin in water until tender. Blend soaked rice, coconut, green chilies, and cumin seeds into a smooth paste. Then, add this paste to the cooked pumpkin with some turmeric powder and salt. Stir everything well and simmer for around five minutes. Temper with mustard seeds, curry leaves, and dried red chilies.
17.Vazhaipoo Vadai
Finely chop the banana flower and soak in turmeric water to reduce the bitterness. Saute it in a pan along with soaked split chickpeas, chopped onions, green chilies, and fresh coriander. Season using cumin, fennel seeds, and salt. Cook for five more minutes. Shape this mixture into small patties and deep-fry in hot oil until brown.
18.Vathal Kuzhambu
In a pan, heat oil and saute mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, and dried red chilies till they splutter. Then, add chopped onions, chopped tomatoes, garlic, curry leaves, and spices such as turmeric, coriander, and cumin powder. Mix everything together. Next, add tamarind paste that is diluted with water and cook. Finally, add the vathal and simmer until the oil separates.
19.Pudina Sadam
In a pan, heat oil and saute mustard seeds, urad dal, and chana dal till they splutter. Next, add finely chopped onions, salt, mint leaves, and dried red chilies. Ensure that the oil is infused with the flavors. Combine this tempering with cooked rice and mix well. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and cashews.
20.Peerkangai Kootu
Peel and chop ridge gourd into bite-sized pieces. In a pot, add a little oil and saute cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and a few curry leaves. Next, add chopped onions, grated coconut, green chilies, and the ridge gourd. Cook until it becomes mushy. Finally, add cooked lentils and salt. Let it simmer for a few minutes and garnish with coriander leaves.
