Kadamba Sadam

KOVIL KADAMBAM RICE

When mixed vegetables, legumes, lentil and rice are cooked together with an aromatic blend of spices and vegetables, it transforms into a nourishing and flavorsome one pot flavorful dish known as KADAMBAM. It is a special neivedyam[Prasad] offered at temples, during dusshera and hence the name Kovil Kadambam.

The place to be in during Dusshera is south India or Bengal. The color, the aura, the grandeur and the faith and divinity all combined makes it a dazzling spectacle come alive .In south India, on the auspicious day of Amavasai (no moon), the Navaratri preparations start by setting up the steps for gollu[display of dolls] decorating the homes and temples, and lighting the streets. The nine days of Navaratri start the next day and ends, on the tenth, which is called Vijayadasami (day of victory). Prayers, lamps, sundal, and sweets are offered to the goddess with Aarti (prayerful singing) on all nine days. The ninth day is celebrated with Saraswathi poojai (worshipping the goddess of knowledge and learning)

 As far as I can remember, we always, spent our dusshera holidays in the huge castle, like house, built by my grandfather 100 years ago, in the heart of mylapore Chennai. It still stands testimony, to thousands of memories and festivals celebrated. The garden with a musical fountain in front would be dotted with flower plants of different kinds, which were offered for puja everyday. At the back, was a very huge fruit mini orchard, boasting of fruits like chikoo, jackfruit, mango, banana, lemon and coconuts. Our neighbor was the famous actor of the thirties to fifties MK Radha, who’s first movie was Sati Leelavathi and last was Utthara Putran. His sons Sukumar and Viji were our best friends and playmates during holidays. We celebrated festivals together, staged plays and created innumerable memories. They were the only ones, my grandmother welcomed, right into the kitchen ,to share a festival meal. Sukumar was stricken by polio when young, so had a special place in every ones heart. Dusshera time also meant, arranging the huge 18 steps golu and creating a theme, on the ground around. My cousin srikanth and my brothers, would enthusiastically create a model, of the tirupathi hills or park or a school. They would plant a few seeds, which would sprout in the nine days time.

 Every day was a different prasadam and whosoever’s home we visited, we got to eat variety of Prasad’s. Mixed rice’s and sundals were the norm, as that is mentioned in the sangam /chola literature itself. Mk Radha’s favorite was the kadambam sadam dating back to raja raja cholan times. The book Tamizhar Unavu, written by Bhaktavatsala Bharathi has a separate chapter on ‘food in Sangam age’ and enumerates the literary references. Perumpanatrupadai records a recipe in which Varagu rice, lentils, tamarind pulp and broad bean seeds, vegetables were cooked together for festivals and offered to the divine. This dusshera ,I pay ode’ to one of the famous Actors of pre independent India and a great human being, by making his favorite prasadam and offering it to the divine. My grandfathers old castle no 5 brindavana street, Srikantha vilas’ stretching from one street in the front to one at the back, still stands testimony to the many historical events and festive celebrations

KOVIL KADAMBAM RICE –RECIPE.

 Prep Time : 30 mins

 Cook Time: 30 mins
 Serves: 5

Calories ---310 per serve.  

   Ingredients needed

·       Rice – 1 cup
   Toovar Dal – 1/4 cup

·       Channa dal ---1/4 cup.

·       Tamarind ---- ¼ cup ---soaked.

·       Pure cows ghee ---2 tbsps.

·       Gingelly oil ---- 1 tbsp.

·       Turmeric powder ---1 tsp.

·       Coriander seeds ---1 tbsp.

·       Fenugreek seeds --- ½ tsp.

·       Cummin ---1 tsp.

·       Channa dal ---1 tbsp.

·       Urad dal ---1 tsp

·       Sesame seeds ---1 tsp.

·       Red chilies whole ----6 plus 3 for seasoning.

·       Whole black pepper---1 tsp.

·       Curry leaves ---1 cupful.

·       Asafetida ----1 tbsp.

·       Grated coconut ----1 cup.

·       Salt ---to taste

·       Black eyed peas [kondai kadalai] ---1tbsp

·       Black eyed pea labia or karamani ---1 tbsp

·       Assorted vegetables -----cut three cups

·       Brinjal – 2 small sized
   Pumpkin (parangikkai) – 1/2 cup
   Ash gourd (poosanikkai) – 1/2 cup
   Cluster beans (kothavarangai) – 6
   Broad beans (avarakkai) – 6
   drumstick----1
   Potato – 1 medium size ,beans---a few.

·       Green chillies ---2

·       Fresh coriander cut

·       Curry leaves ----1/4 cup.

·       Jaggery –1 tbsp.

·       Mustard seeds –1 tsp.  

Method.

1 soak the two chickpeas and black eyed peas overnight.

2 wash the two dals and rice and soak for half an hour. Soak together.

3 soak the tamarind and extract the pulp and keep aside.

3 cut all vegetables into medium pieces and keep aside. Make sure bringals and potatoes are kept in a little water.

4 place a heavy bottom kadhai or saucepan on medium heat and roast all the dry ingredients  coriander, red chilies, fenugreek,

asafetida, chana dal, urad dal, sesame seeds, cumin , pepper .remove.

5 add a little ghee to the saucepan and roast the grated coconut, till light brown.

6 cool all ingredients and coconut, and then grind into smooth paste, adding water.

.

8 now place the rice and dal in a vessel, adding salt, 1 tsp ghee and ½ tsp .turmeric. Cook for 16 minutes for two whistles. Water should be a little extra, so the cooked consistency is sticky.

8 now place a kadhai on gas, and pour some oil. Add mustard seeds then cumin, 2 red chilies and curry leaves. Add some asafetida too. To this add the vegetables, the chickpeas and lobia and cook in tamarind pulp, adding enough water.

9 when veggies cooked add the ground masala, jaggery, turmeric and a little salt.

10 one boil then add the cooked lentils and rice. Add fresh curry leaves. Add coriander fresh. Add the rest of ghee and stir well, till everything becomes a mix or kadambam.serve hot.  

KITCHEN TIPS.

1 Always add a little oil/ghee to any lentils cooked to keep it frothing over. 2add salt and turmeric to the water to which cut bringals and potatoes are added, so color does not change.3 always add drumsticks after other veggies are half cooked, so it retains its shape and it cooks fast.

Chef Ramaa shanker.

  

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About Pondicherry Arun

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