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.

Comments

Cham said…
Happy Deepavali to you and ur lovely Family!
The Paramannam is quiet tasty with the ghee and nuts!
Shama Nagarajan said…
happy diwali..lovely recipe
Unknown said…
looks so good..happy diwali
Srivalli said…
Happy Deepavali to you and your family too!

I agree with Cham, the rice looks too good!
Suganya said…
Paramannam looks so good. YUM!....

Happy Diwali....
Ash said…
The Paramannam really 'looks DIVINE'..... Would love to try this someday & when I do I would surely let you know... Keeping fingers crossed...

Wishing u & your family Love & prosperity this Deepavali....And I personally welcome you to my blog to celebrate Diwali with lights & crackers.....

Ash.....
(http://asha-oceanichope.blogspot.com/)
Jayashree said…
Hope you had a wonderful Diwali. Your diwali line-up of posts looks wonderful....I wish I'd checked it out before diwali....hmmm.....I suppose I can try it out later....esp the badusha.
dsdsds said…
I think Paramannam is called Chakkarai pongal in tamil. Looks nice and gooey.. Thanks for sharing
Dibs said…
Hi Hema - Actually Sakkarai pongal is slightly different. That recipe is in our blog too ...do look it up in the recipe index
Ash said…
Hey,

Since I've been following ur postings for quite some time now,

Kindly collect ur Beers to you!!!! award from my blog... :-)

thanks,

Ash....
(http://asha-oceanichope.blogspot.com/)
maybe said…
I'm appreciate your writing skill.Please keep on working hard.^^
maybe said…
I'm appreciate your writing skill.Please keep on working hard.^^