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 that is 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.