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Unveiling the Truth: TAMALE - The Presence of Tamil Influence

  History of Tamale; Presence of Tamil Influence by Tamil Food History Unveiling the Truth: TAMALE - The Presence of Tamil Influence If you have big dreams about traveling around the world but you are someone who always love eating Tamil food, chances are less that you will find restaurants that serves Tamil food to satisfy your cravings. So...what to do? A historian, Tamil researcher and a writer Dr.  ஒரிசா   பாலு  (Dr. Orissa Balu) suggests going to a Mexican Restaurant instead.  Here you can sit down and fully enjoy the combination dishes most visibly and tastefully similar to our Tamil food in different names.  For example: You will find soru (rice), murungai (moringa), karamani (black eyed beans), chicken kuzhambu (mole), chutney (salsa), Thengai Barfi (Cocados), Kadala Mittai (Palanquetaa de Cacahuate - simply Mexican Peanut Candy) and most importantly ‘wraps’ wrapping meat and vegetables steamed until cooked. One such wrapped ancient food is TAMALE. Not just the name alone has t

Mullai Thinai Unavu - Recipe 1 - Kummayam - An Ancient Tamil Sweet Dish

கும்மாயம் | Kummayam Recipe

PREPARATION   15 min

COOK TIME   40 min     

SERVINGS   4 (10 medium-sized balls) 

PLAYLIST   Mullai Thinai Unavu   

EPISODE   1  


Ingredients

NOTE   Use the same sized cup for the measurements

1/4 cup  Varagu Arisi (Kodo Millet)  

1 cup  Whole Avarai Paruppu (Pigeon Peas) or  2 cups  Broken Avarai Paruppu (Pigeon Peas)

4 blocks  Palm Jaggery (Nothing wrong in adding an extra block)

1/2 cup Nei (Clarified Butter)

The Secret Ingredient is 

1/4 cup Ulundhu Paruppu (De-husked black gram)  


Preparation

NO OIL FRY

1. Low heat the medium-sized kadai or pan. Add the secret ingredient "ulundhu paruppu" (black gram). Fry the ulundhu (black gram) until it turns to golden brown, then transfer them into a plate.


2. Next, in the same kadai or pan (maintain low heat), add the avarai parupppu (pigeon peas) and fry them until the aroma comes from the paruppu. Transfer them in to the same plate.  


3. Repeat the same step to fry the varagu arisi (kodo millet) in the same pan (maintain low heat). Fry until the varagu arisi turns hot (do not change color), then transfer them into the same plate.   


4. Allow these ingredients to cool down for 5 minutes.


Cooking Method

1. Once the ingredients cools down to room temperature, then fine grind them using the mixer grinder or blender.


2. Pour the fine ground flour into a sieve/sift (a fine mesh strainer) over a plate. Hold the handle of the sieve/sift with one hand and tapping the strainer gently with the other hand, the flour will gradually sift through the strainer. Allow to rest for 5 minutes, meanwhile lets make the jaggery syrup.. 

NOTE Discard the particles remained in the sieve/strainer. 


3. In a sauce pan, add the jaggery blocks, then add 1 cup of water, stir occasionally for about 3 minutes or until the jaggery is completely dissolved in the water. The simple final syrup very thin, remove to a shallow bowl and allow to cool.

NOTE Do not over-cook the jaggery syrup.


4. In another deep flat bottomed kadai or skillet (comfortable for stirring), pour the filtered fine-ground flour, then add the jaggery syrup to the flour. Mix together well using a whisker. If needed, add splash hot water and mix well to achieve a thosai maavu consistency.


5. Now turn on the low heat. Once the kadai or skillet is hot, add 3 tablespoons of nei (clarified butter). As soon as you add, stir continuously until the nei is absorbed completely, then add another 3 tablespoons of nei and stir continuosly until it is absorbed. The mixture turns to aromatic golden brown in color.  


6. Repeat the same procedure for the entire quantity of  nei (clarified butter). turn off the heat when the  nei is released from the dish. This is when you know the Kummayam is ready to plate.


7. Garnish the dish with fried cashew nuts and make medium-sized balls to store them into a air tight container for 10-15 days. Trust me, it stays soft and tender and doesn't get hard like mysore pak. That's Kummayam - an ancient healthy delicious sweet dish. Enjoy with your family and Friends.


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