Offering the 'ettangadi' is one of the most important rituals of the ardra vratham which is observed during the Malayalam month of Dhanu. Local and fresh produce like taro, yam, lesser yam, Chinese potato (koorkka), purple yam, raw plantain, big bananas, brown beans and jaggery are the main ingredients in 'ettangadi.'
In the olden days, young women who observed the adra vrutham, to please Lord Shiva, used to roast the root vegetables in the pit fire made at the courtyards of their homes. Now, only the lesser yam is roasted like this. All the other vegetables are cooked before mixing it into the delicious and religiously significant 'ettangadi.'
Thiruvathira dishes:
Thiruvathira puzhukku
Ingredients
750 gms of chopped purple yam, lesser yam, Chinese potato, taro, sweet potato, colocasia, big banana
250 gms Bengal gram (soaked and cooked)
1 coconut (coconut)
A pinch of cumin
12 dried chilies (roasted)
Turmeric powder as required
Coconut oil as required
Curry leaves as required
Salt to taste
Preparation
In vessel add the cooked Bengal gram, purple yam, lesser yam, Chinese potato, taro, sweet potato, colocasia and the banana
Add salt and turmeric powder as required
Cook until the vegetables are soft
Grind the grated coconut, cumin and roasted dried chilies into a coarse paste
Add the coconut mixture into the cooked vegetables
Mix well
Add curry leaves
Pour some coconut oil above the dish before taking it off the heat.
Ettangadi
Ingredients
750 gms of chopped purple yam, lesser yam, Chinese potato, taro, sweet potato, colocasia, big banana (roasted over charcoal)
600 gms jaggery
100 gms brown beans (cooked)
20 gms sesame (roasted)
Flesh of tender coconut
Coconut shards
2 tbsp ghee
Preparation
Melt the jaggery until thread like consistency
In a vessel add the charcoal – roasted vegetables, melted jaggery, cooked brown beans, roasted sesame, tender coconut, coconut shards and ghee
On a low flame, roast everything well together
Koova (millet) kurukku
Ingredients
200 gms millet powder
200 gms jaggery
50 gms green gram (roasted, split and cooked)
100 gms coconut (scraped)
3 tbsp ghee
Preparation
Into a heated vessel add the jaggery and cooked green gram
Stir until the jaggery melts
When the jaggery-green gram mixture boils well, add the millet powder mixed with water into it
Stir well on low flame
When the mixture begins to reduce add the coconut scrapes and ghee
Mix well.
