Deepavali Legiyam

Wish you all a very happy and prosperous Deepavali!

'Lehiyam / Legiyam' means medicine in a sweet form.
It is a tradition in India to make this medicine to help our digestive system during those festive occasions. Even though it is called a medicine, most of us crave for this medicine just like halwa.
My mom used to make it in a small batch and keep in a tiffin box the day before Diwali and I still remember those days when we longed to taste that sweet ginger after dinner.
I don't have a picture of it now, but wish to post it before Diwali so that many of my friends may go shopping for the ingredients now itself:)

Ingredients:
Black pepper - 2 tbsp
Dry ginger (2 inch pieces) - 2
omam / ajwain - 2 tbsp
thippili - 4 pieces
cumin seed - 2 tbsp
coriander seed - 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
poppy seed - 1 tbsp
cloves - 2
cardamom - 2
Jaggery - 200 gms (1 cup powdered)
ghee - 1 tbsp
sesame oil - 4 tbsp

Directions:
Dry roast the poppy seed till we get a cracking sound. Keep it aside.
Again dry roast the pepper, thippili, coriander seed, cumin, omam, cardamom, cloves and let them cool. (Roasting makes the powder more fine).
Soak the dry ginger for 2 hours.
Grind the roasted items along with soaked dry ginger to a fine paste.

Bring one cup water to boil and put the jaggery. Let it dissolve.
Then filter it to remove the sediments.

Now take a thick bottom wok and pour the jaggery water along with grind mixture.
Start heating and let it evaporate.

After it becomes half the quantity add the ghee+sesame oil and stir continuosly till we get a halwa consistency.
Switch off flame when the lehiyam starts coming along with the spatula without sticking to the bottom.

Deepavali legiyam is ready!

Serving suggestions:
Serve as a digestion medicine after heavy meals.
Take one - two tbsp per day after dinner / heavy meals.
The above said quantity can be served for 4 people.

Goat leg soup (clear)

Aattukkaal (goat leg) soup can be made in many styles. People make it with tomato or ginger or with lot of spices.
Here I am presenting my mom's clear soup version which will not have much spices , so it can be safely fed for kids also. It is very good for people recovering from cold and tiring journey. It is believed to reduce body aches.



Ingredients:
Goat leg - 2
Black pepper - 1 tbsp
cumin seed - 1 tsp
Bay leaf - 3
Shallot onion - 10
garlic - 1 (whole)
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp + 1 tbsp
salt - to taste

Directions:
First slightly blacken the skin in legs in flame to burn all the left over hair.
Break it in to two pieces to reduce the length.
Then rub and wash it thoroughly by applying turmeric powder.

Place the legs in a pressure cooker vessel along with water (6 cups) to immerse the legs.

Add the bay leaf, turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp, sliced shallot and garlic .

Pressure cook it to get one whistle.
Then reduce the flame and cook in low heat for 25 minutes.
Switch off flame and wait to release the pressure.

Then take out the vessel.

Add salt to taste.

Mix well . Pour the required amount of soup and pieces in serving bowl.( It is a good idea to serve the clear soup alone and to save the pieces to make paaya - a watery curry.)

Add crushed pepper and cumin over the soup.
Serve hot as a clear soup before meals.