"Kayam" A Special Recipe for a Special Occasion!

Sri Krishna Jayanthi / Janmashtami Greetings to all. Though for a majority of India, its a month late, some parts of India, that goes by solar calendar,  is celebrating Sri Krishna Janmashtami on 8th September 2012.  In Manipal, the city where I am living currently is also celebrating this festival in a grand manner this week along with its twin city, the Temple Town,  Udupi. Udupi is known world over for the  Temple of Lord Krishna.

As the entire region  is busy along with Udupi  for the celebrations of  birth day of Lord Krishna on the 8th/9th September, I visited  the temple, on the eve of the festival. As usual hundreds of flower vendors and fruit vendors descended and spread themselves across all main streets of the city busily selling them to the devotees and families for their festival preparations.  All families are busy decorating their homes, while devotees thronging the Temple are working through the night decorating it with flowers, colour full lighting and the entire area was full of floral fragrance.

When I went inside temple Lord Krishna is simply watching every thing cheerfully sitting in his beautiful golden cradle.I could not capture the moment through a lens  because of temple rules.Simply I enjoyed the few golden moments of the Darshan. I couldn't contain my joy and simply I penned it down here to share the same with you all.......

                    Fully dressed-up Little Krishna - one too many -  to pray with and play with - at my home

On this occasion I thought  of sharing one of the special - healthy and herbal - home made recipes that I learnt from my mother. Usually this is a special meant to be offered to  Lord Krishna; as a  Prasadam (offering to the God), along with various other sweet dishes. In Telugu language it is called: Kayam.  It is worth mentioning here that this is also an ayurvedic  recipe given in our region,  to neo-natal  mothers (mothers who just delivered a baby) for their fast recovery and supportive of lactation.

Ingredients:

1. Cumin seeds (Jeera,జీలకర్ర )                             1 table spoon
2. Carom seeds  ( Ajwain,వాము )                        1 table spoon
3. Black pepper(Kalimirch,మిరియాలు )               1 tea spoon
4. Dry ginger(Sounth,శౌంటి )                                   1 tea spoon
5. Grated or powdered Jaggery (Gur,బెల్లం )          4 table spoons
6. Ghee (Clarified butter)                                       1 table spoon

Method:

1. Heat Pan in a medium flame,  fry cumin, carom seeds, black pepper and dry ginger for 2-3 minutes or till you smell them in a good way. Then turn-off the heat; let them cool before taking them to grinder.
2. Once they are cooled, take them in a mixer grinder or food processor, grind to a medium coarse powder. Keep the ground powder aside.
3. Heat pan,  Add powdered jaggery, a little amount of water and  mix them well and cook for a minute or till they go through one or two boils; add Ghee and the powder  of spices kept ready; mix them well so that they don't make lumps. Turn off the flame.
4. Now take it out in a bowl and let it cool.
5. Kayam is ready to be offered as Prasadam.
6. After offering to the Lord, serve in little measures, say a half-spoon  fill to all in your family and at home.

                                                        Spices and Condiments to make Kayam

                                                               Powdered spices and condiments

                                                                      Kayam - ready to offer