Ingredients
-
3 & 1/2 cups Aval pori or Nel Pori(Puffed rice)
-
1/2 cup Organic jaggery powder
-
Few tablespoon Water(Just enough to wet the jaggery powder)
-
(as required) Cardamom powder
Directions
KARTHIGAI DEEPAM ‘NEL PORI’
That’s how we call in our language for this dish. Sweet nel pori is made out of puffed rice (In hindi we call it murmura or Bhel) this unlike the clear puffed rice has some tiny brown spots on them. Because they are being puffed with the rice husk itself and later the husk is dusted off.
What is the belief behind this?
It is believed that just like the way the rice puffs out of the husk when exposed to fire/heat and turns into a beautiful edible product so is our life too. On this auspicious day our ancestors have passed down the belief that our life too would turn out to be beautiful after going through whatever pressure it might have been.
How does the tradition follow?
- Lighting up oil lamps throughout the house, decorating with flowers and praying to lord muruga with utter meditation.
- Playing kandha sasti kavacham on those sound systems.
- The house full of ‘malli poo’ fragrance.
- Dhoopam deepam, sambrani, aarati and karpooram smell all around.
- Maa kolam at the entrance and around the house is the key to feel the divine spirituality within you.
…
So any fresher or first timers can make this sweet nel pori on this occasion without having to fear the outcome. the only thing to note is the jaggery syrup consistency which i am going to show below with the picture. If i can do it then definitely anyone can do it! haaha…!
Melt the jaggery with one parts jaggery
and few tablespoon of water.
In a bowl of water, drop a tspn of melted
jaggery syrup. after boiling for 3-4 mins.
Take it out on your fingertips, Roll it until it holds shape.
If it doesn’t then let it boil few more mins.
mind you don’t burn it. so keep stirring.
Immediately transfer the puffed rice over
the syrup. keep mixing thoroughly .
Keep mixing until well coated. If you want to make
balls you need to start making shapes while its
still hot. Once it is cooled down it will not
hold shape and that too tastes yum!
3 important steps to remember :-
To make Jaggery syrup : Combine jaggery and water in a pan, then filter to eliminate contaminants without verifying consistency. To make jaggery syrup, put it to the pan once more and heat it up.
Jaggery syrup consistency : When dropped upon a vessel, it will first form a soft, loose ball and then solidify into a shape holding ball.It is something we are looking for.
Balls or loose : While its hot, start making balls aka ladoos aka urundai. Or just mix and set it aside. After sometime you can seperate them once it cools down.
