Thanjavore Thavalai Adai

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Thanjavur is famous for its art(tanjore paintings, thalai aati bommai) and architecture(Brahadeeswara temple).It is also known as Rice Bowl of Tamil nadu.There are so many authentic dishes that are famous in Tanjore district( Ashoka halwa,Poricha kootu,Thavala adai to name a few)
Thavala adai is very easy to prepare dish that can be had as either breakfast or evening snack.It can be prepared in minutes.It is shallow fried and shaped as that of vadai.It is crispier outside and soft inside.

Ingredients:
Rice Rava: 1 cup *
Toor dhal: 1 tablespoon (optional)
Grated coconut: 1/2 cup
Salt: to taste
Pepper corns: 1 tsp
Jeera (Cumin seeds): 1 tsp
Oil: to fry


* To prepare Rice Rawa, take 1 cup of raw rice and wash it thoroughly. Dry it for a while and powder it in a mixie (to a coarse powder).
Can also do this in bulk in flour machine and can be used for thavala adai, arisi upma, upma kozhukattai etc

Procedure:
Step1:
Soak tur dhal fpr 20 minnutes
Grind coconut, cumin seeds, tur dhal and pepper together to a coarse paste

Step2:
Boil 3/4 cup of water in a pan and add the rice rava, salt and ground paste and stir for 1 minute to make a thick dough

Step3:
Divide the dough to 12 lemon sized balls


Step4:
Flatten  the balls in plaintain leaf/butter paper and make a small hole in the center like ulundhu vadai

Step5:
Place these balls in the sides of the heated pan and pour some oil around them

Step6:
Close the pan and cook in the low flame for 2 minutes. 


Step7:
Turn the adais and repeat the same

Some snaps of Tanjore painting and dolls that we displayed in our workplace for a festival

Pazhani Panchamritham

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Pazhani is one of the famous abodes of Lord Muruga.Panchamirtham is used for Abhishekam which is then offered as Prasatham.It is belived that this Panchamirtham has medicinal properties as well since it is used for Abhishekam and also stays good for a longer period of time without refrigerating.The taste and flavor is unique here.
Pancha - Five Amritham - Nectar indicates that this prasad is made of five major ingredients.There are various versions of Panchamirthams with different ingredients (e.g curd, milk, rasins etc). I got the basic information of Panchamirtham prepared at Pazhani at http://www.palanimurugantemple.org .It is said that Virupachi banana is used that has less water content  mixed with Kandasari sugar.
I am posting a simple Panchamirtham recipe which can be prepared in minutes and ideal for all the poojas at home

Ingredients
Ripe Banana: 2 medium sized (Hill banana)
Chopped Dates: 4
Grated Jaggery : 2 tablepoons
Honey: 1 tsp
Ghee: 1 tsp
Cardomom: 2 pods


Procedure:
Step1:
Mash the banana

Step2:
Add the finely chopped dates

Step3:
Add jaggery and mix well

Step4:
Finally add honey, ghee and cardomom and mix well.At this stage you will definitely feel the divine aroma

Thanks to Priya of NowServing for reminding me of a classical melody of Sudha Raghunathan
"Kumara malai kuyilinam koovum isai ketkuthu' where she sings about Pazhani Panchamirtham
"Pazhani malai panchamirtham naavile inikuthu..."

Kadambur Poli

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Kadambur is a small city located in between Tuticorin and Kovilpatti. I have not been to this town.However I have seen the vendors selling Poli at the Kadambur Railway station when I was travelling in Pearl City express from Chennai to Tuticorin.That is where I came to know that Kadambur is famous for Poli
I dont have the exact recipe for Kadambur Poli.I am posting the one that I learnt from my Mother in law.She used to make these poli for Bogi festival every year and it tastes equally good as Kadambur Poli.

Ingredients

For making Dough

All purpose Flour/maida - 1  cup

Salt: a pinch

Tumeric powder: 1/2 teaspoon

Oil: 2 tablespoon

Water:1/3 cup

For Puran:

Channa Dhal (kadala Parupu)- 3/4 cup

Jaggery - 1 cup

Grated cocunut - 3/4 cup

Cardomom - 4

Ghee: to fry
The above quantity yields 10 polis

Procedure:

Step 1:

Mix maida, salt, and water and knead to pliable dough. It should be a little bit loose than the chapathi dough. Coat the dough with 1 teaspoon of oil (to avoid getting dried) and leave it covered for 1 hr

Step 2:

In a heavy bottom pan, dry roast the channa dal until it turns reddish brown.(may take 5 min)

Step3:

Once done remove from the flame and add hot water to the dhal and leave it covered for 30 min so that it gets cooked in the hot water itself (No need to cook in the stove)

Step4:

After it gets cooled, drain the water from channa dhal and add grated jaggery, cocunut, cardomom powder to it and grind it in a blender with adding less adding water

Step5:
Cook the mixture in a pan(approx 5 minutes) until it becomes thick (like puran)

Step5:
Divide both dough and puran into 10 equal parts

Now take a banana leaf/butter paper and place a small round of dough in it and press it. Now take the puran and place it in the dough. Pull the dough from the sides to close the puran and make a ball. This is similar as how we make the parathas (Refer picture)

Press the dough in butter paper

Place puran

Pull the sides and close it

Step6:

Now press this ball of dough to a circle shape. This can be done easily by hand by patting it gently.It should almost transparent (i.e you should be able to see the puran slightly).
Grease your hands with little ghee

Step7:

Heat the skillet/tawa, and toast the poli using ghee.

Step8:

Toast on both the sides

Step9:

Serve Hot