Thiruvathira Puzhukku -Vegetable potage

This dish is made especially on Thiruvathira , a festival in December  and January celebrating the victory of  Rathi (the goddess of desire)gaining immortality for her  husband Kamadeva (the god of love),who was annihilated by Shiva.  The festival is celebrated exclusively by women

The majority of the vegetable used in this dish significant are tubers that grow beneath the ground or womb of the earth

Thiruvathira Puzhukku  Ingredients

Serves – 8

• Red cow peas  (lobia) – 1/4 cup
• Horse gram (Muthira) – 1/4 cup
• Colocasia  Chembu  – 50 gm
• Yam   – 50 gms
• Unripe plantain  – 50  gms
• Sweet potato – 50  gms
• Elephant foot yam  (chena)- 50  gms
• Malabar cat mint – Koorkka  – 50 gms
• Salt – 1 tsp

Ground to a coarse paste

• Medium sized,fresh coconut,grated – 1
• Shallots chopped – 6 nos
• Dry red chilies,torn into pieces – 10 nos
• Cumin seeds – a pinch
• Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Tempering

• Coconut oil – 2 tbsp
• Curry leaves 1 stalk

Thiruvathira Puzhukku preparation

• Wash cow peas and horse gram and soak overnight in water
• Drain rinse,place in pan with 3 1/4 cups of fresh water and cook over high heat for 30 minutes till half-cooked
• Peel,clean and cut vegetables into 1-cm pieces
• Add vegetables to pan and cook for 30 minutes till tender
• Stir om salt and coconut paste, and remove from heat
• Heat oil for tempering in a small pan and fry curry leaves for a few moments
• Pour content of panto puzhukku, mix well and serve

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