Akkara adisil
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Rice cooked slowly in milk with jaggery and plenty of ghee, the temple sweet of Margazhi and the Andal tradition.
Region: Tamil Nadu, especially Srivilliputhur and Vaishnava templesOccasion: Koodaravalli (27th day of Margazhi, December–January); temple offeringTime: 1 hourServes: 4Vegetarian
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw rice
- 2 tbsp moong dal
- 4 cups full-cream milk
- 1½ cups grated jaggery
- ¼ cup water
- ½ cup ghee
- 15 cashews
- 1 tbsp raisins
- ½ tsp cardamom powder
- A pinch of edible camphor and a pinch of saffron (optional)
Method
- Dry-roast the moong dal lightly. Wash the rice and dal.
- Cook them in the milk on low heat, stirring often, until very soft and the milk has thickened (about 40 minutes).
- Melt the jaggery in the water, strain and add to the rice. Stir well.
- Add the ghee a little at a time, stirring, until the mixture is glossy.
- Fry the cashews and raisins in ghee and add them with the cardamom, camphor and saffron.
History
In Vaishnava tradition, the poet-saint Andal of Srivilliputhur sang of offering a hundred pots of akkara adisil to Lord Vishnu at Thirumaliruncholai (Azhagar Kovil).
Significance
It is cooked on Koodaravalli, the 27th day of Margazhi, when Andal's Thiruppavai verse on milk rice dripping with ghee is sung, and is offered in Vishnu temples.