Kali & Kari/ Kavathu – Festive Fare For Thiruvathira Celebrations
Kali (a sweet dish) and Kari (a savoury dish), both are made and served together to celebrate Thiruvathira celebrating the marriage of the God Shiva and Goddess Parvathy.
Ingredients
For the Thiruvathira Kali :
- 1 cup raw rice (not steamed, par boiled or processed)
- 1/8 cup moong lentils
- 2 1/4 cups water
- 1 cup jaggery powdered
- 1/4 cup coconut fresh grated
- 4 to 5 pods cardamom , powdered
- 1 1/2 tbsps ghee
- 1/8 cup cashews broken (optional)
For the Thiruvathira Kari :
- 1 cup potato Koorka / Chinese , cubed
- 1 cup pumpkin , cubed
- 1 cup plantain raw , sliced chunks
- 1 cup Hyacinth beans , chopped
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 cup coconut fresh grated
- 2 to 3 green chillies
- to taste Salt
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 1/2 tsps black gram lentils
- 1 sprig curry leaves
Instructions
- To make the Kali : Dry roast (toast) the rice in a pan over medium heat until it gives off a nutty aroma and is just beginning to turn golden. Do not let it brown. Take it off the heat and let it cool. If the rice remains in the pan, it will darken. In the same pan dry roast (toast) the moong lentils the same way and let this also cool.
- Once cooled, run the rice and lentils together in you mixer/ grinder to a coarse powder that is like coarse cornmeal or semolina. If it is powdered fine, the texture of the cooked Kali will become sticky and will not have the desired fluffy texture.
- Heat the water in a non-stick or heavy bottomed pot, add the powdered jaggery and let it dissolve. When this starts boiling and turn down the heat to low, slowly add the coarse powdered rice and lentils while stirring constantly. Let this cook until the water is completely absorbed, and the Kali looks dry (but moist) and fluffy.
- Stir in 1 tbsp of the ghee and the powdered cardamom. Now stir in the coconut as well, and take it off the heat.
- Put the remaining 1/2 tbsp ghee and the cashewnuts in a pan and let them fry to a light golden brown. Take off the heat and stir it into the Kali. Let the Kali cool, then serve at room temperature with the Kari.
- To make the Kari : Put all the vegetables into a pot (or the pressure cooker if you use one) with the turmeric powder and cook with a little water until theyu2019re done and cooked to reasonably soft consistency. There should be very little water left in the vegetables.
- Grind the coconut and the green chillies with very little water into a very smooth paste. Put the cooked vegetables and the coconut paste and enough salt into a pot. Bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and add a little water if required. The consistency of the Kari should be on the drier side but moist, but some people like their Kari with just a hint of gravy.
- When done take it off the heat. In a smaller pan, heat the oil for tempering. Add the mustard seeds and when they splutter add the lentils. Let them turn golden brown, then add the curry leaves, stir once and take it off the heat. Stir this into the Kari and serve hot with the Kali.