I have compiled a single post with all the 3 major Thiruvathirai recipes such as Thiruvathirai Adai Recipe, Thiruvathirai Kali and Thiruvathirai Kootu with step by step pics and a short Youtube video. This is a special dishes offered to Lord Shiva on the day of Arudhira Darshinam day.
Significance of Arudhira Darshinam:
It is a special event that is considered as the birthday of Lord Shiva’s dancing form, Nataraja. The cosmic dance of Lord Shiva represents five activities that sustain this universe – Creation, Protection, Destruction, Embodiment, and Release. In essence, it represents the continuous cycle of creation and destruction. Arudra Darshan celebrates this ecstatic, cosmic dance of Lord Shiva.
Grand Abishekams is performed for Lord Nataraja and Sivakami, his consort. These rituals are held in the pre-dawn hours when the Moon is shining brightly. A grand procession is taken through the streets. Thiruvathirai (Arudra) in Tamil means “sacred big wave”. Arudra Darshan is essentially a Shaivite festival that celebrates the cosmic dance of Lord Shiva, which is represented by his Nataraja form.
The most important and grand celebration of Arudra Darshan takes place at the Chidambaram Nataraja Temple, Tamil Nadu. In Thillai Chidambaram temple, a 10-day festival is held during Thiruvathirai. Many people observe fasting/Nombu Vrat on this auspicious day. Women will observe fasting during the day time. They usually take food before sunrise and start their fasting; they break the fast after witnessing the moon rise. Some people observe fasting for 10 days. So Nombu (fasting) starts nine days before and ends on Thiruvathirai day.
Check Lord Shiva favourite food Recipes like
1. Panchamrut / Panchamirtham
2. Thandai
3. Sabudana Kheer / Javvarisi Payasam
4. Fruit Chaat
5. Milk Kheer / Paal Payasam
6. Panakam
Thiruvathirai Kootu Kali Adai
Method for Thiruvathirai Kali Recipe
Thiruvathirai Kali Recipe
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
- Kadai / Pan
- Mixer
Ingredients
1 Cup = 250 ML, 1tsp = 5 ML
- ½ Cup Raw Rice / பச்சைஅரிசி
- 2 tbsp Moong Dal / பாசிப்பருப்பு
- 2 Cups Water / தண்ணீர்
- ¾ Cup Jaggery / வெல்லம்
- 3 Pods Cardamom / ஏலக்காய்
- 2 tsp Ghee / நெய்
- 5 to 6 Cashew / முந்திரி
- ¼ Cup Grated coconut / துருவிய தேங்காய்
Instructions
- Keep the raw rice and moong dal ready. To a pan, add the raw rice and dry roast on low flame till the rice pops up. Ensure not to burn it, else the kali smells bad. Transfer the roasted rice to a dry mixer.
- To the same pan, add the moong dal and roast till the nice smell wafts. Transfer the moong dal to the same mixer.
- Pulse it once or twice roughly, not to a smooth powder. Transfer the rice-moong dal powder to a pressure cooker.
- Pour 1.5 cups of water and a pinch of salt (don't skip the salt, it enhances the taste) Pressure cook for 3 whistles till soft and fluffy.
- To a pan, add the jaggery, crushed cardamom pods, and pour 1/2 cup of water.
- Just give a boil till the jaggery dissolves completely and no string consistency is needed. Break the cashews and grate the coconut.
- Heat 2 tsp of ghee in a pan, then add the cashews and grated coconut. Fry till golden color and keep aside. To the cooked rice-dal, filter the jaggery juice.
- Cook for 2 to 3 minutes till it thickens.
- Add the roasted cashews and coconut. Mix everything well.Try this Thiruvathirai Kali Recipe for this coming Arudhra Darshan festival.
Video
Method for Kootu Recipe
Thiruvathirai Kootu Recipe
Ingredients
1 Cup = 250 ML, 1 tsp = 5 ML
- 2 Tomato
- 1 Small Piece Pumpkin / Parangikkai
- ¼ Piece Raw Banana / Vazhakkai
- ¼ Piece Sweet potato
- 10 Broad Beans / Avarakkai
- 1 Arbi / Sepankizhangu
- 2 Brinjal
- ¼ Cup Mochai / Lima Beans
- ½ tsp Turmeric Powder
- 2 tbsp Moong Dal
- Salt As Required
To Grind
- ¼ Cup Grated Coconut
- 1 tsp Jeera
- 2 to 3 Green Chilli
- 1 tsp Rice Flour Optional
To Temper
- 3 tsp Oil
- 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
- ½ tsp Jeera
- 1 Sprig Curry Leaves
Instructions
- Peel the skin of raw banana, sweet potato and arbi. Chop the tomatoes, all the remaining veggies into medium-sized pieces. Then rinse the moong dal well and pressure cook it for 3 to 4 whistles with 1/2 cup of water.
- To a mixer, add the grated coconut, jeera, green chilli and grind it to a smooth paste by adding little water. In a pan, roll boil water and add a little salt.
- Then add turmeric powder and the chopped veggies. Boil it for 7 to 8 minutes in medium flame, till the veggies turn soft but not mushy.
- If there is excess water drain a little and now add the ground coconut paste and cooked moong dal. Cook covered for 3 to 4 minutes in low flame until the raw smell leaves and the kootu thickens. If you want to add rice flour, mix it with little water and pour at this stage. This addition of rice flour gives thickness to the dish, but give a boil and then switch off.
- Heat oil in a small pan and temper with all the ingredients listed in the table 'To Temper'. Pour the tempered ingredients over the kootu and mix everything well.Try this Thiruvathirai Kootu Recipe for this coming Arudhra Darshan festival.
Method for Adai Recipe
Thiruvathirai Adai Recipe
Equipment
- Stovetop
- Dosa Tawa
- Kadai / Pan
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Homemade Rice Flour / அரிசிமாவு Link for Homemade Rice Flour
- ¾ Cup Jaggery / வெல்லம்
- 1 to 1½ Cup Water / தண்ணீர்
- 3 Pods Cardamom / ஏலக்காய்
- 1 tbsp Grated coconut / துருவிய தேங்காய்
- Ghee / நெய் As Required
Instructions
- I used Homemade Rice Flour (click the link here). It is a tradition to prepare rice flour at home, but if using readymade rice flour, slightly dry roast for less than a minute (if roasted for a long time the adai cracks). Now, measure and keep all the ingredients ready. Don't add more jaggery than mentioned, else the adai breaks.
- To a pan, add the jaggery, crushed cardamom pods, and then pour 1 cup of water- differs accordingly up to 1.5 cups to the variety of rice flour used).
- Heat till the jaggery dissolves completely, no string consistency is needed.
- Strain the jaggery juice to remove the impurities.
- Boil the jaggery juice slightly and simmer the flame fully.
- Slowly add the rice flour and grated coconut to the jaggery juice.
- First, it may look like forming lumps, just keep stirring to mix the rice flour nicely in the jaggery juice. At one stage it will form a mass without sticking to the pan, this is the right stage to switch off.
- When it is warm enough and hand bearable, knead it to a smooth dough. If the dough sticks in your hands, just add a tsp of sesame oil or ghee and knead again.
- Form 7 equal-sized balls (size is your preference), it is auspicious to make 7 adai's on that day.
- Grease a ziplock cover or plastic cover or banana leaf with little ghee or sesame oil. Then, place a ball and slightly flatten it (don't use rolling pins, If doing so lay another plastic sheet on top and then roll it).
- Press it with your fingertips to 1/4 inch thickness. If the dough is sticky, grease your hands with oil and pat the dough. Use oil or ghee generously whenever needed. Do the same till the dough is finished.
- Heat a dosa tawa and place the rolled adai. Simmer the flame and drizzle few drops of ghee, after 2 minutes flip to the other side.
- Cook for another 2 minutes, till it turns to golden color, also do not flip the adai very often as it may break.
- Stack all the adai on a plate, so the softness will be retained.Try this Thiruvathirai Adai Recipe for this coming Arudhra Darshan festival.
Welcome to my blog www.asmallbite.com. Thanks for reading my blog! I hope you’re enjoying my recipes to make the taste forever. I am Priya Santhamohan, writer and photographer (with hubby’s help) of this blog. 
Leave a Reply