Mavillaku or Tambittu - Rice Jaggery Lamp

Mavillaku or Tambittu
-A lamp made of Rice and Jaggery

As the distant drum beats got nearer and nearer, we ran out of the house and stood near the compound to witness the procession. When the drum beats neared our house we could feel goose bumps on our selves and many a time we tapped our foot and danced to the rhythm as the colourful procession passed our street. Women clad in bright coloured sarees carried the decorated baskets containing Tambittu on their heads. They walked fast with one hand holding the basket, and the other hand dragging along their offsprings, who ran along to keep pace with their mothers. The men who led the procession were in their own world, as they played on their drums with great frenzy. They were all devotees of Male Mahadeswara who resided atop a hill in the M.M. Hills situated in the Kollegal ranges, and they were carrying the Tambittu for lighting a lamp at the feet of their Lord.

Lighting lamps in the Mavilakku or Tambittu is a devotional exercise carried out by the devotees as a mark of respect and thanks giving to the family deity. The mavu or flour is prepared with rice and jaggery pounded together using a huge stone mortar and pestle. A ball of this mixture is shaped into a lamp, by giving it a depression on top to hold the ghee and the wick. This Mavilakku (maavu-vilakku meaning flour-lamp) is lit and the family deity is installed in the lamp. All the prayers and worship are now offered to the Mavilakku who is now the Lord. The family waits till all the ghee in the mavilakku is exhausted, and will then perform the mangalaarati (a Hindu devotional ritual where camphor is lit, and waved in a cirular motion around the deity. More information in this wiki.) just before the ‘Lord ascends the Hills’ – that is, just before the flame in the Mavilakku goes out. After this the Mavilakku is distributed among all as the prasadam (usually an edible offering made to God, and then distributed amongst devotees)

This is indeed a strange custom where the 'offering becomes the offeree and then the offeree becomes the prasadam'!!

INGREDIENTS:
Rice – 1 cup
Jaggery powder - 1/2 cup
Cardamom powder – 1 pinch
Ghee – 1 tsp


METHOD:
1. Wash the rice and spread on a clean towel.
2. When it is nearly dry, powder it in a mixer.
3. Add the jaggery powder and the cardamom powder to the rice powder and mix well using your hand. Do not add water, as the softened jaggery alone is sufficient.
4. When the dough becomes pliable like a chappati dough, shape it into lamps.
5. Make a depression on top and pour in ghee.
5. Place a cotton wick soaked in ghee in the lamp and light it.
6. The ghee will melt and soak into the mavilakku till the flame is on, lending the mavu a unique flavour.
Relish the prasadam with the blessings of the Almighty.

Note from Dibs: These edible lamps go to the Kitchen Masterpiece event, hosted by our blog! Today is the last day, and we are glad we met our own deadline!!!
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Murmura chaat(Puffed rice snack)

This is a healthier version of bhel puri made with puffed rice and veggies.

Ingredients:
Murmura(or puffed rice or pori)-2 cups
Oil-1 tsp
Mustard seeds-1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder-a pinch
Red chilli powder-1/4 tsp
Hing- 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves-a few
Salt
Onion chopped -2 tbsp
Carrot(grated)-2 tbsp
Cucumber chopped-1
Bell pepper chopped-2 tbsp
Tomato chopped-2 tbsp
Coriander leaves-to garnish
Lime juice - 1/4 tsp
Sweet chutney(optional)- but tastes good when added

Method:
Heat oil in a wide pan. Add mustard seeds followed by turmeric powder, hing, chilli powder, salt and curry leaves. When mustard seeds crackle, add murmura. Fry on low heat for a couple of minutes so that the spices get nicely mixed with murmura. Set aside.
In the same pan, add 1/2 tsp of oil, fry onions till the raw smell goes off.
Now mix onions and rest of the ingredients with murmura and stir well. Squeeze lime juice in the end or drizzle sweet chutney if you like.

Recipe for sweet chutney- You can grind some dates and tamarind(a small piece) with water to a sauce like consistency or heat 3 tbsp of jaggery mixed with very little water for 2 minutes and drizzle on top of bhel in the end.

You can also add finely chopped mango pieces for added taste.

This goes to Healthy Bite: Feb 28th event.

I would like to thank Foodbuzz for sending me a box of Quaker's True delights granola bars for tasting. They were awesome! The flavors are - Dark Chocolate Raspberry Almond, Honey Roasted Cashew Mixed Berry, Toasted Coconut Banana Macadamia Nut. Catchy names isn't it? I liked Toasted coconut bar the most. These are slightly salty and silly sweet at the same time. When this product hits the market, grab a box and try!

Chettinad Kuzhi paniyaram and chutney

This is very famous dish in chettinad,taste is awesome with this onion garlic chutney.
you can prepare this using leftover idly or dosa batter also.if u want to prepare something quick,easy and tasty dish u can try this one.



Ingredients for paniyaram:

Idly batter-1 cup
Onion-1
G.chilly-2
Mustrad-1/2 tsp
Urad dhal-1/2 tsp
Curry leaves-8

Idly batter is in ratio 4 cups of rice and 1 cup urad dhal.Allow it to soak for 5-6 hrs.Add little menthil(venthayam) along with urad dhal.Grind it into smooth paste.Allow it to ferment the batter overnight.

Preparation method:

1. Heat the oil,add mustrad and urad dhal,allow it to popup.
2. Add chopped onions,g.chillies and curry leaves,saute for 2 min.
3. Mix this with batter.
4. Heat the paniyara kadai and fill it with 1/2 tsp of oil.
5. Add a tsp of batter in each portion.
6. Turn both sides and fry.
7. Cook the remaining and serve hot with chutney.

Kara chutney:

Onion-1
Tomato-1
Redchilli-3
Garlic-3 flakes
Jeera-1/4 tsp
Salt-Requried

Preparation method:

1. Chopp onion and tomato,Grind everything into smooth paste.do the seasoning and
serve along with chettinad kuzhi paniyaram.