THINAI / FOXTAIL MILLET KESARI

We have showered the elder brother Lord Vinayagar with all the love, flowers, prasadhams, slogams etc. for Vinayaga Chathurthi.

Now it is time to turn our attention to the younger brother , Lord Murugan for “Thai Poosam”.

Thaipusam, a grand festival dedicated to the second son of God Shiva, Muruga or Karthikeya. The colorful festival is celebrated during the month of January or February.  Thaipusam is celebrated by the Tamil speaking community, and some states where it is commonly witnessed are Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Andra Pradesh, but in Kerala the festival is referred to as Thaipooyam. The celebrated marked for Karthikeya is has also transcended international boundaries. Countries like Malaysia, South Africa and Sri Lanka also celebrate this festival.

Thaipusam commemorates the death of Tharakasuran at the hands of Karthikeya during the month of Thai. The festival is a symbol of victory of good over evil.

The festival of Thaipuram is earmarked by the various types of Kavadis that are carried by devotees to the Murugan Temple.

Coming to  the prasadhams  offered to lord murugan is his favourite Thinai / foxtail millet. Thenum thinai maavum means honey mixed in foxtail millet flour is lord muruga’s  favourite  one.

When certain items are offered as prasadhams to God, it is an indirect way designed by our ancestors to tell us the value of the ingredients offered.

Thinai is power packed and nutrition packed millet. 

Today being "Thai Poosam" With this thinai / foxtail millet I have prepared kesari. Thinai / foxtail millet is th healthiest millet in the millet family.

Let’s go for the recipe.

INGREDIENTS

Thinai rice (Foxtail Millet)      – 1 cup

Sugar                                            - 1 ½ cups

Cardamom powder                   – 1 tbsp

Cashew nuts                               – 5 to 6 [Ghee Fried]

Raisins[kismiss]                        – 5 to 6 [Ghee Fried]

Ghee                                             – 1/4 cup

Water                                           – 4 cups

METHOD

Wash thinai rice well and drain the excess water.

Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a pan, add cashewnuts & raisins fry till golden brown then keep it aside

Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a broad pan add washed and drained thinai rice, saute  till you get nice aroma.

Allow it to cool.

Once cooled, put it in a mixie jar and grind it to a medium coarse powder like semolina.

Boil 4 cups of water, and  cook  coarsely ground thinai  for 15 minutes in a medium flame]

Add the sugar and mix well and allow it to cook by covering the pan .

Add the remaing ghee.

Stir the kesari now and then to avoid it sticking to the base of the pan.

Cook until all the moisture is absorbed.

Add cardamom powder and  roasted raisins & cashewnuts.

Yummy thinai/foxtail millet kesari is ready to serve.