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Friday, August 14, 2009

Ma Vilakku or Mavu Vilakku (Rice flour Deepam)

In Tamilnadu (I am not sure about other states) there is a practice of making Rice dough with jaggery and lighting a deepam for our favorite God or Goddesses on auspicious days like AAdi Velli , Purattasi Sani etc.In olden days sweet was a very rare item at home and children used to wait for this hand grinded dough(iditha maavu).Now those days have gone and making rice flour has become a difficult task. So even the old people who used to keep maa vilakku are in two minds. For the sake of youngsters who have seen their parents keeping maa vilakku regularly and want to continue it, I will try to help you out though I am not an expert. Today is Aadi velli and Aadi Kiruthigai.So I thought of making this. I was not sure of the measurements, so did not think of writing a blog. But to my surprise it came out wonderful and all who tasted it started asking me how I made it. If I don’t write and keep the measurements today, I myself will forget next time.So here is the recipe
Ingredients
Raw Rice (medium quality) – 200 gms (1 azhakku)
Jaggery-200 gms (powdered 1 cup) while buying go for little bit white colored jiggery
Cardomom-3
Ghee-2 table spoons
Procedure
Wash the rice nicely and soak for just 10 minutes. Now strain it and spread it on a newspaper under the fan. Let this dry for just 10 minutes (If it is dried more, you can’t make the flour. Now put all the rice in the big jar of the mixie and grind at a stretch for 2 minutes. Sieve the rice with the help of a medium holed sieve. Grind again till everything is done. Powder the jiggery nicely with a stone or slice it with the help of a knife.
The next part is making the dough. Powder the cardamom along with a teaspoon of sugar in the small jar and take the powder alone. Add it to the rice flour. Slowly add the jiggery to the flour kept in a flat vessel and mix it with your hand. Initially you will feel Oh how am I going to make the dough. Don’t worry. Surely dough will turn perfect. If you find it difficult, keep aside the vessel closed for 5 minutes. Now the dough will be little loose. Add a teaspoon of Ghee and mix again till your dough is perfect. Excess jiggery will make the dough watery. In that case extra flour has to be added. I am sure you will not be short of jiggery if this measurement is followed. Don’t transfer it into the vessel in which you light deepam. Put it in a Zip lock bag and keep it in the vessel in which you want to light the deepam and take to the temple. Just before lighting transfer it into the vessel. Make the dough a round ball and keep inside the vessel. Press the centre of the dough with your thumb. Inside that hole pour half spoon ghee and light the lamp keeping the thread in the middle, Press one end of the thread inside the dough nicely so that the thread stands erect. Now light the lamp.

13 comments:

Mishmash ! said...

I found this post very interesting ...was never aware that such a tradition existed.....thanks for sharing the details.....u have a beautiful blog here...congrats!

Cilantro said...

Athai makes them during Adi velli and other occasions.

Priya dharshini said...

wow...mouth watering mavilakku..i like to murmuring the rice with jaggery taste..hmm..yummy

Deepthi Shankar said...

we make this too. Its so tasty

Shobana senthilkumar said...

Hi,
first time here..u hv a good collection of chettinad recipe...thanks for sharing:) r u from karaikudi?

PriyaRaj said...

Thanx for ur comment & encouragement mam....wish u this time all in ur home give company to rava upma........wow this mavu vilakku looks very tradition dish....Awesome.....

Unknown said...

Great to hear from you. Had been busy for a while with my classes! Vilakku looks too pretty!

Unknown said...

Achi,
Can you plz teach us how to make Sathu Maavu @ home,What are all the ingredients to make Sathu Maavu and the Procedure for it to make @ Home.

Jen Kumar said...

Thank you for posting this.
When I stayed in Kanchipuram we actually made Maa Vilakku for trip to Kacchapeswarar temple...

Illatharasi said...

Thanks for shsring... very good post!

Janani said...

Hello Achi,

I visited India recently and had good time having mavilakku and all. Its really nice of you to share our chettinad recipes. I have said many chettiars here to take look at your blog everybody was surprised and liked very much you are doing great job Achi keep it up.

AK said...

Dear Aachi,
Please can you share Modhagam recipe. (Not poorana kulakattai). I have done this with rice and sesame once. But I forgot now. I need to do this for Pillayaar nombu gathering. Thanks so much for your time and help.
Karthika.

Kavi said...

Dear Aachi, i am just amazed by the recipe collection you have in your blog. The recipe’s i have been looking for a long time is in you collection from Aattu kudal kolambu, aattu ratha poriyal, kara kozhukattai to maavizhakku. i am speechless seeing all authentic recipe i have enjoyed as a child. I did try 'Nandu Kozhambu' and it was big hit. Thanks a bunch for sharing your recipes with step by step instructions and photos. Your site is my fav. one. Keep up the good work Aachi.