Navaratri Special: Traditional Style Temple Neypayasam Recipe – A Sacred Offering

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As you enter this new chapter of Kalavara for a new cooking recipe in Malayalam, I am thrilled to share with you this special treat that I have filmed in my new kitchen in Kochi, Kerala. This Navaratri, let us delve into one of the most revered offerings to the goddess, Neypayasam. Known for its distinctive union of flavors and religious significance, this Nadan Cooking Malayalam of Neypayasam is a devotional, traditional sweet dish prepared in temples across Kerala. This divine dish, made from as few simple ingredients as possibleβ€”rice, jaggery, and gheeβ€”represents quintessence devotion as well as simplicity.

Let’s dig into how you can make this classic Kerala style cooking recipes at home while showing respect to the goddess during Navaratri. We shall not only guide you through the process but also give you a little insight into the cultural importance of Neypayasam as well as historical significance in the rich temple traditions within Kerala.

The Historical and Religious Significance of Neypayasam

Neypayasam is part and parcel of temple rituals in Kerala since ancient times. Known by some regions as Aravana, it is most famously offered at Sabarimala and other revered shrines dedicated to Goddess Durga during Navaratri.

The nine-day festival of Navaratri is the culmination of worship of the different forms of the goddess, and Neypayasam forms an important offering during this period. Its origin traces back to temple rituals and is prepared with devotion and care. It is said to bring divine blessings for prosperity, health, and peace and is therefore often served on fresh banana leaves in temples to add to the sanctity of the offering.

The process of preparing Kerala Recipes MalayalamNeypayasam is meditative itself – a long cooking affair with some amount of attention to detail, much like many temple rituals. The slow stirring of jaggery and rice in ghee is almost like the calm and rhythmic chants one hears in Kerala’s temples during pujas. You can still enjoy this dish being offered during Navaratri sitting here at home.

Why Neypayasam is a Must-Have During Navaratri

In Kerala, Navaratri is celebrated with great reverence and devotion. Neypayasam, an important part of temple rituals, is offered as naivedyam (food offering) to the Goddess. The aroma of roasted ghee, the sweetness of jaggery, and the texture of cooked rice all combine to make Neypayasam a soulful offering. Making this dish during Navaratri is a way to connect spiritually and seek blessings for peace, prosperity, and health.

Now, let’s dive into the ingredients and the detailed recipe to make this delicious Neypayasam.

Ingredients Required

To prepare temple-style Neypayasam, you will need:

  • Payasam rice (or Matta rice) – 1/2 cup
  • Powdered jaggery – 1 cup (preferably dark jaggery)
  • Ghee – 3 tablespoons
  • Water – for cooking rice and melting jaggery
  • Cardamom powder – 2 teaspoons
  • Raisins – 1 tablespoon
  • Holy basil leaves – 3 to 4 (optional, for authentic temple feel)
  • Needle flower (Thetti poo) – for garnish (optional)

Step-by-Step Recipe for Neypayasam

Step 1: Cooking the Rice

Let it start from your neypayasam base – that’s the rice, you’ll be preparing the neypayasam base, the rice. Earlier Matta or payasam rice is used in Kerala and Matta or payasam rice of Kerala and similarly. Nevertheless, any short grain rice with payasam’s properties can be used.

  1. Wash and clean the rice: Wash the rice with cold water and try to drain any accumulated starch.
  2. Boil the rice: Place the rice in a pressure cooker and pour hot water just up to an inch above the rice level. Shutdown it and let the rice cook on high flame till one whistle only.
  3. Simmer the rice: When the first whistle is sounded lower the flame and then keep the pressure cooker on the stove for another two whistles. Make sure the rice is tender but not crispy for each grain should be separated.

Step 2: Preparing the Jaggery Syrup

While the rice is cooking, you can prepare the jaggery syrup.

  1. Melt the jaggery: As for the powdered jaggery you should take it and put it to a pan plus pour 1 glass of water into it. Heat the mixture on low flame and just keep stirring until the Jaggery dissolves completely.
  2. Filter the syrup: Jaggery has many impurities and therefore, turning the melted jaggery into a bowl, passing it through a fine sieve is advisable. You’ll be shocked at how much grime is wiped away! Set this aside for later.

Step 3: Combining the Rice and Jaggery

  1. Check the rice: After steaming the rice, use a fork to turn it around in order to have each grain fully spurged out.
  2. Add jaggery syrup: Once the jaggery syrup is strained, pour it on to the rice. Ensure that the rice is well cooked before you add the jaggery since once added the rice will not get any more done.
  3. Stir continuously: Turn the heat to low and mix the contents of the pot gently making sure that all the rice grains are coated with the jaggery.

Step 4: Enhancing the Neypayasam with Ghee

Ghee is what gives Neypayasam its characteristic rich and aromatic flavor.

  1. Add ghee in stages: Begin by adding 1 tablespoon of ghee to the mixture and stir. Keep adding 1 more tablespoon of ghee in intervals while stirring continuously, up to a total of 3 tablespoons.
  2. Achieve the right consistency: The payasam should thicken gradually. Stirring constantly helps in combining the flavors of ghee and jaggery.

Step 5: Flavoring with Cardamom

  1. Add cardamom powder: For added temple feel add 4 crushed cardamom with little sugar and pour this into 2 tsp of payasam.
  2. Stir well: The cardamom will add sweetness to the dish and bring an aromatic and amazing scent.

Step 6: Garnishing and Final Touches

  1. Fry the raisins: To the remaining ghee in a small pan, add the raisins; fry them until they expand. Add them to the payasam.
  2. Holy basil leaves: If you want to make the recipe even more realistic, put 3 to 4 holy basil leaves into the mixture. This is quite a general practice observed in most of the temples, they include the sacred leaves in the prasadam.
  3. Garnish: Finally, if you desire to make creation similar to temple presentation of Neypayasam decorate with needle flowers (Thetti poo).

Tips for Making the Perfect Neypayasam

  1. Use dark jaggery: It is sweeter and gets a darker color from the jaggery which gives Neypayasam its best taste. Make sure you wash out the jaggery by filtering it through a sieve when it has been melted.
  2. Ghee adds flavor: Don’t skimp on the ghee! Its flavor and richness are what make this dish stand out in Kerala Recipes Malayalam Cooking Recipes.
  3. Consistency is key: The payasam should be rich, not stodgy, but it should not crumble when the rice flakes apart. If it thickens up after cooling you can also add some hot water while reheating it.
  4. Patience in stirring: Continuously stirring the payasam keeps it free from lumps and also makes sure that the payasam has a uniform texture all through.
  5. Rice texture: They fry it in the right way such that the rice is not crunchy with not too soft and when mixed with the jaggery the grains maintain its shape.

The Significance of Neypayasam in Navaratri

Not just a sweet dish, Neypayasam has become a symbol of devotion. It simply represents the richness in Kerala’s culinary in terms of simplicity and purity. Offering neypayasam during Navaratri is very essential as it invokes divine blessings of the Goddess and it is synonymous with prosperity, good health, and happiness.

In temples, especially, this dish is prepared and served on fresh banana leaves. So, it thus possesses that sacred, traditional appeal to it. When made with devotion and love, more than just a meal, Neypayasam becomes an offering to the deity, bonding with tradition, as well as spirituality.

While Neypayasam follows a basic recipe, there are slight regional variations across Kerala. In certain temples, Neypayasam is made with an extra dash of cardamom or with a hint of coconut milk for additional richness. Some versions might include dried coconut slices or even a few cashews for texture, though the temple version typically avoids nuts.

In different parts of Kerala, the consistency of the payasam might vary as well. While some prefer a slightly runnier version, others enjoy a thicker, more solid payasam that holds its shape. Depending on the temple traditions, the sweetness may also differ. Some versions are extremely sweet, while others maintain a balanced sweetness to allow the Flavors of the rice and ghee to shine through.

Conclusion: The Simplicity and Divinity of Neypayasam

Neypayasam is the quintessence of Kerala’s temple culture in the simplest terms with least ingredients and the highest spiritual significance. The simpler it gets, the more divine it becomes, and therefore the more potent as an offering. Let the aromas of jaggery and ghee herald Navaratri within your kitchen filled with positivity and blessings.

So, try it at home during Navaratri and transport a pinch of the holy tradition of the temple to your abode. If you have enjoyed this recipe, do not forget to subscribe to ourΒ Kalavara YouTube channel, share it with your friends and family, and let us know how it turned out in ourΒ best cooking channelΒ itself.

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