My mother Vanaja Ranganathan was a self taught cook. She married when she was 18, and had to go to Delhi after her marriage. She was the Chella kuzhandai (ladli beti) in her household, all the more because she lost her mother as soon as she was born. She learnt to cook from her neighbours and my father also helped her. One thing she learnt the hard way was to make Kali. Kali is a sweet dish associated with a festival called Thiruvadirai, but can be made even otherwise. It is like a sweet rice Upma. If jaggery is added early, the rice will not cook properly and if added later then it may not mix well, becomes soggy and may taste not so good. It's a tricky dish. She took a long time to crack it. We were three siblings, year after year we saw the Kali taking shape. Different shapes. Pun unintended, she is after all my mother. 😊
The red letter day came. It was Thiruvadirai and she had made Kali. The Kali that she brought to the table was a partly cooked/ partly uncooked mass in brown colour. This time my father lost it. He did not eat it, made fuss about the food on table and shouted at her. We did not know what to do. I was 14, my sister was 11 and my brother was 10. My brother started it. He said Amma I want some more Kali. Then we sisters also asked for more. Ate the Kali, rather drank the Kali and finished the pot. My mother the very next day made the best Kali in the world. My father kissed her and said sorry for his behavior the day before. She must not have slept the whole night. Now thinking of it, she had nobody to support her from her parents side, and it was not easy to call and ask for a recipe like we all do now. In Delhi it was easy to get an authentic recipe for rajma, chole or kachori, not easy to get Kali recipe. But she did it, with the help of an aunty from Thirunalveli. She told me later when I learnt it from my mother.
Over to the recipe-
Soak 1 cup raw rice for an hour, dry it under fan on a cloth and roast it till it attains a pinkish colour. Run it in mixie to a rava consistency. Soak a handful of moong dal for 10 minutes. Put it in a colander and dry it.
On stove take a heavy bottom vessel, pour 2 spoons ghee add the moong and fry well. Add 2 cups water. Let it boil. Add a cup of powdered Jaggery and let it liquify. Meanwhile add a pinch of powdered cardamom. Add the rava, stir well, add 2 spoons full of grated coconuts. Close the vessel tightly. You may make it in a pressure cooker also. If in cooker it takes just two whistles to cook. Once done add ghee fried cashewnuts and serve with kootu or eat it as it is.
Every year Kali brings a lot of sweet memories. Thiruvadirai is also called Arudra darisanam.
The red letter day came. It was Thiruvadirai and she had made Kali. The Kali that she brought to the table was a partly cooked/ partly uncooked mass in brown colour. This time my father lost it. He did not eat it, made fuss about the food on table and shouted at her. We did not know what to do. I was 14, my sister was 11 and my brother was 10. My brother started it. He said Amma I want some more Kali. Then we sisters also asked for more. Ate the Kali, rather drank the Kali and finished the pot. My mother the very next day made the best Kali in the world. My father kissed her and said sorry for his behavior the day before. She must not have slept the whole night. Now thinking of it, she had nobody to support her from her parents side, and it was not easy to call and ask for a recipe like we all do now. In Delhi it was easy to get an authentic recipe for rajma, chole or kachori, not easy to get Kali recipe. But she did it, with the help of an aunty from Thirunalveli. She told me later when I learnt it from my mother.
Over to the recipe-
Soak 1 cup raw rice for an hour, dry it under fan on a cloth and roast it till it attains a pinkish colour. Run it in mixie to a rava consistency. Soak a handful of moong dal for 10 minutes. Put it in a colander and dry it.
On stove take a heavy bottom vessel, pour 2 spoons ghee add the moong and fry well. Add 2 cups water. Let it boil. Add a cup of powdered Jaggery and let it liquify. Meanwhile add a pinch of powdered cardamom. Add the rava, stir well, add 2 spoons full of grated coconuts. Close the vessel tightly. You may make it in a pressure cooker also. If in cooker it takes just two whistles to cook. Once done add ghee fried cashewnuts and serve with kootu or eat it as it is.
Every year Kali brings a lot of sweet memories. Thiruvadirai is also called Arudra darisanam.
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