PAASI PARIUPPU KANJI

Paruppu Kanji  is some what like the Paruppu Pradhaman but not exactly the s the pradhaman as certain rich ingredients are not included in the kanji.  During my childhood, my  grandmother used to give this kanji for breakfast.

I used to love this kanji and when I started making it, I used to add little bit of dalia i.e. cracked wheat or lapsi you can call it.  Normally, coconut milk is used as we are using jaggery.  If we use the normal milk,  sometimes, it will curdle hence the milk is added just before serving.   My grandma used to add milk  while serving, after preparing the kanji so that it cools down bit and the milk will  not curdle.

 The Paruppu Kanji along with sweet dosa i.e. vella dosa  provides the staying power of protein as well as a bit of sugar for energy for keeping up the spirited chanting of bhajans. 

It is a traditional offering for Sivarathri festival which falls during the  winter season.  After fasting the whole day, family members, friends, and neighbors gather together give support to each other for staying awake the entire night praying, singing, and chanting melodious songs and bhajans in praise of Lord Siva.  My mother used to say that we should not sleep in the night during shivrathri.  It is really fun to sit together in the thinnai (veranda ) in the gramama (village)  all together to keep oneself awake during shivrathri.

Maha Shivratri  means the Great Night of Shiva, is a Hindu festival celebrated annually in honour of the Lord Shiva.   It is observed by remembering Shiva and chanting prayers whole  night, fasting etc.  Ardent devotees keep awake all night, others visit the temple.

This year Sivarathri falls on February 24th of this month.   My friend Seetha Hariharan after going through the blog asked for the recipe.  That time only I realised that I have not posted this though en number of time I have prepared and taken photographs of it.  

Happy Shivrathri to all of you and may the lord bless us. And the recipe for my friend Seetha too.

Now let us look at the recipe :

Ingredients:

1/2 cup moong dal (split yellow one)
1 cup fresh Coconut, finely ground or 1 cup coconut milk or 1 cup normal milk
1/2 cup Jaggery
1 Tbsp freshly ground dried Ginger (chukku) (optional)
1-2 pods Cardamom (optional)

Cashew, raisins for topping is optional. (for fasting, we  do not put this)

Method:

Step 1

Slightly roast the moong dal till the aroma comes out.  It should not become too brown, cool it.

Step 2

Wash the dal and pressure cook for one whistle by adding one and half cup water.  I do not like the mashed dal hence I cook it in pressure cooker for one whistle.  The dal will be cooked at the same time will  not be too mushy and soft.  We can mash it with the back of laddle bit.

Step 3

Grind the coconut with little water and keep aside or extract the milk.  

Step 4

Melt the jaggery with little water and remove impurities, if any.  Add the jaggery syrup in the dal, ground coconut and bring to boil.  simmer for 5 minutes.

The kanji should be bit watery that is the way my grandma used to serve us.  For right consistency, you can add bit hot water.

Add the cardamom powder, ginger powder  and the kanji is ready.  I used the normal milk.

How to serve:

 serve hot.

 NOTE:  IF YOU ARE USING THE NORMAL MILK, ADD THE MILK JUST BEFORE SERVING. ELSE IT IS LIKELY TO CURDLE.

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