The Recipe for the Special gruel (Koozh) made in the month of Aadi!
Posted on: 26/Jul/2021 2:27:00 PM
Gruel, or ‘Koozh’ as it is called in Tamil, happens to be one of the most staple foods and a tradition over centuries for the Tamils!
This special gruel is made from finger millet (Kezhvarag in Tamil or ragi) or rye (kambu in Tamil)
Gruel was the basic staple food in earlier days. The Ancestors had taken them daily! Maybe that is why they were not affected by the currently prevalent diseases/complaints such as diabetes and high blood pressure!
With passing time, the generations changed over gradually from millet/rye gruel to rice as the staple food.
Here is the recipe for the gruel (Koozh) prepared especially during the Tamil Calendar month of Aadi, traditionally considered as very sacred, with celebrations, festivals, poojas, and prayer in temples all over the State of Tamil Nadu!
Ingredients with quantity
- Finger millet flour (Kezhvaragu mavu) - 1 cup
- Raw rice (or small grain rice) - quarter (1/4) cup
- Water - 2 cups
- Curd - 1 cup
- Small onions (sambar onions) - 6
- Green Chilli -1
- Salt - as required
The recipe
- Soak the finger millet powder in water, mix well overnight and let it sour.
- First, steam the raw rice/small-grain rice.
- Now, add the soaked and fermented finger millet powder gradually to the cooked rice with a sufficient quantity of water.
- Keep stirring while adding the soaked finger millet powder in small quantum so that it does not get solidified in the bottom of the pan!
- Even while stirring continuously, the finger millet will transform into a thick paste. In fact, it is recommended to make this overnight as well!
- The next day morning, add some more water, salt, and curd, chopped onion (big or small), chopped green chilli, and finely chopped raw mango!
- There is another option – Instead of making the gruel as mentioned above with curd and other ingredients, the soaked gruel can be taken with a gravy prepared with vegetables, pulses or sprouts or gravy made with fish, meat, dried fish, etc.
