Akkaravadisal - A rich creamy gooey dessert which is often prepared by iyengar community of Tamil brahmins. The difference between sarkkarai pongal and akkaravadisal is that the latter is rich in taste. Akkaravadisal is made with raw rice Moong dal and loads of ghee. Raw rice is cooked in milk, seasoned with nuts and raisins and sweetened with jaggery. Traditionally akkaravadisal is made in a vengala panai.
How to make:
Dry roast dal and rice. Pressure cook raw rice and moong dal with milk using an inner vessel. Add jaggery and saffron infused milk. Saffron gives a mild yellow colour and fragrance to the dish. Any jaggery can be used either round ones or muzhu vellam or blocks (achu vellam). I'm using achu vellam. Season ghee with cashews, raisins, edible camphor and cardamoms. Edible camphor gives an aroma usually found in the temple prashadams. Add to cooked rice and dal. Chopped Almonds and pistachios can be used for rich taste.
Why using an inner vessel?
Rice is cooked with milk, so there are chances of, rice getting burnt while cooking in the pressure cooker. Inner vessel on the other hand prevents the rice from getting burnt in the pressure cooking process, But using inner vessel is not mandatory if you are using a non stick pressure cooker.
Open vessel :
Use a litre of milk and keep on stirring at regular intervals to avoid rice and dal getting stuck to the base.
Substitutions:
A handful of chana dal can be used along with moong dal. Soak chana dal for 15 minutes and add it along with moong dal.
Vegan:
Use almond milk or cashew milk in the place of regular milk.
Pre-preparation:
Soak saffron in warm milk.
Equipments used: Pressure cooker, inner vessel, seasoning pan.
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Recipe:
A richer, creamier, gooey dessert made with raw rice moong dal and milk, seasoned with oodles of ghee and nuts.
Time taken: 30 minutes
No. of servings: 4
1 cup = 200ml
Ingredients with measurements:
Raw rice - 1 cup
Moong dal - 1/2 cup
Milk - 4 or 5 cups.
Saffron - 3 pinches.
Jaggery - 2.5 cups
Or achu vellam 2 blocks
Seasoning:
Ghee - 2 or 3 tbsp
Cashew nuts - 7 or 8
Raisins - few
Cardamom - 2 or 3
Mace - a pinch
Edible Camphor - a pinch
Directions with pics:
1. Dry roast moong dal for a minute. Switch off the flame.
2. Add raw rice and give a good stir.
3. Wash Dal and rice in running water.
4. Transfer the contents to a vessel.
5. Add 4 or 5 cups of milk.
6. Fill 1/4th of the cooker with water place the vessel containing rice and dal into it .
7. Cover the vessel with a plate and close the pressure cooker with the lid.
8. Pressure cook for 4 or 5 whistles. Allow to cool down.
9. Meanwhile, add a little water to jaggery, melt and filter the impurities.
10. Open the cooker, mash the rice and dal mixture. Add filtered Jaggery, saffron infused water.
11. Cook till the mixture thickens.
12. Heat ghee in a seasoning pan, add cashews, raisins, cardamom, mace and edible camphor. You can add chopped almonds and pistachios too.
13. Saute till cashews become golden.
14. Pour the seasoning over the akkaravadisal.
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