Unique dishes to make offerings on Thiruvathira day

Offering the 'ettangadi' is one of the most important rituals of the ardra vratham which is observed during the Malayalam month of Dhanu. Local and fresh produce like taro, yam, lesser yam, Chinese potato (koorkka), purple yam, raw plantain, big bananas, brown beans and jaggery are the main ingredients in 'ettangadi.'

In the olden days, young women who observed the adra vrutham, to please Lord Shiva, used to roast the root vegetables in the pit fire made at the courtyards of their homes. Now, only the lesser yam is roasted like this. All the other vegetables are cooked before mixing it into the delicious and religiously significant 'ettangadi.'

Thiruvathira dishes:

Thiruvathira puzhukku

Ingredients

750 gms of chopped purple yam, lesser yam, Chinese potato, taro, sweet potato, colocasia, big banana

250 gms Bengal gram (soaked and cooked)

1 coconut (coconut)

A pinch of cumin

12 dried chilies (roasted)

Turmeric powder as required

Coconut oil as required

Curry leaves as required

Salt to taste

Preparation

In vessel add the cooked Bengal gram, purple yam, lesser yam, Chinese potato, taro, sweet potato, colocasia and the banana

Add salt and turmeric powder as required

Cook until the vegetables are soft

Grind the grated coconut, cumin and roasted dried chilies into a coarse paste

Add the coconut mixture into the cooked vegetables

Mix well

Add curry leaves

Pour some coconut oil above the dish before taking it off the heat.

Ettangadi

Ingredients

750 gms of chopped purple yam, lesser yam, Chinese potato, taro, sweet potato, colocasia, big banana (roasted over charcoal)

600 gms jaggery

100 gms brown beans (cooked)

20 gms sesame (roasted)

Flesh of tender coconut

Coconut shards

2 tbsp ghee

Preparation

Melt the jaggery until thread like consistency

In a vessel add the charcoal – roasted vegetables, melted jaggery, cooked brown beans, roasted sesame, tender coconut, coconut shards and ghee

On a low flame, roast everything well together

Koova (millet) kurukku

Ingredients

200 gms millet powder

200 gms jaggery

50 gms green gram (roasted, split and cooked)

100 gms coconut (scraped)

3 tbsp ghee

Preparation

Into a heated vessel add the jaggery and cooked green gram

Stir until the jaggery melts

When the jaggery-green gram mixture boils well, add the millet powder mixed with water into it

Stir well on low flame

When the mixture begins to reduce add the coconut scrapes and ghee

Mix well.