Deepawali Sweets - Paramannam - Sacred Sweet Rice

Deepawali Sweets - Paramannam
Jaggery Sweetened Rice

PARAMANNAM is surely param(the best) annam(rice)! It is a dish prepared with rice and jaggery on all auspicious days. It is offered to God with the greatest devotion and then savoured as prasadam (food thats considered God's Blessings). The words PANCHA BAKSHIAM – meaning five sweet dishes, and PARAMANNAM are included in the age old Sanskrit verses which are chanted during the offering of neivedyam (devotional offering) to the Lord.

After posting five Deepavali sweet recipes, we felt that the festival would be incomplete with out the PARAMANNAM recipe.

So here is wishing you all a

VERY VERY HAPPY, HEALTHY AND PROSPEROUS DEEPAVALI

with

PANCHA BAKSHIAM AND PARAMANNAM!
INGREDIENTS:
Rice – 1 cup
Milk – 1cup
Jaggery – 1 cup
Ghee – 1 tbsp
Cashew nuts – a few
Raisins – a few
Cardamom – 2
Edible camphor* (Pacche karpoora)- a tiny piece the size of a pin head

*Note: 'Edible Camphor' is very different from what you use for other purposes. If you use camphor make sure you use the edible variety only! This should be available in any Indian Grocery Stores. METHOD:
1. Wash and cook rice with 2 cups of water and one cup of milk in the pressure cooker.
2. It can also be cooked in vessel with a heavy bottom, until the rice becomes very soft but not mushy.
3. In another vessel boil jaggery with 3 cups of water and filter to remove any impurities.
4. Boil the jaggery water and add the cooked rice.
5. Cook until the rice blends well with the jaggery syrup.
6. Keep stirring till the Paramannam reaches porridge like consistency.
7. It should not be liquidy like payasam nor should it harden up too much.
8. Remove from heat when the consistency is right as shown in the picture.
9. Heat ghee and roast cashew nuts and raisins and add it to the Paramannam.
10. Powder cardamom and edible camphor together and mix into the Paramannam.

Offer it to Goddess Lakshmi at dawn on Deepavali Day and relish the prasadam with Her blessings.

Deepawali Sweets - Mundiri Paruppu Nokkal - Sugar Coated Cashew

Deepawali Sweets - Mundiri Paruppu Nokkal - Sugar Coated Cashew

This can not be termed as a wholesome sweet in itself, however Nokkal has its place among the delicacies prepared this season. Put a bowl of Nokkal on the table, and watch it disappear in no time – albeit one by one! Passers by will be tempted and polish it up in no time! Nokkal is nothing but sugar coated or candied cashew nuts which prompt any one to binge. Usually it is stuffed in a cone to make “Paruppu Tengai” which is a must in South Indian weddings.
INGREDIENTS:
Whole cashew nuts – 1 cup
Sugar – 1 cup or the same volume as the nuts.
2 tbsps of ghee or oil to roast the nuts

METHOD:
1. Heat ghee / oil in a pan and roast the cashew nuts to an even golden colour and drain.
2. Dissolve sugar in one cup of water and boil.
4. Add a tsp of milk. This will separate out any scum or impurities along the sides of the pan. This should be scooped with a spoon and discarded.
5. Let the sugar syrup reach one thread consistency.
6. Lower the heat and add the roasted cashew nuts to the syrup.
7. Coat the nuts well with the syrup and spread them on a plate.
8. The nuts will start disappearing from the moment they are roasted! If you are still left with some candied nuts store them in air tight containers when cooled.