KOOZH VADAM

Vadam is a summer time traditional activity at most of the household in southern part of Tamilnadu.  It is prepared in bulk and stored for the whole year.  My mom involved me in helping her right from my 5th grade.  Nowadays, there are lot of stores who sell a variety of vadams but I always prefer to make it home as it gives me an immense pleasure and satisfaction when it is made by me.  As a working woman, I plan for this activity during my weekends.  This time, I planned in early start of the year to make it at end of April to utilize the long weekend. 

Koozh vadam is made from a mix of rice and sago flour.  As I make in larger quantity, I ground raw rice and sago mixture in flour mill (ratio of raw rice and sago is 1 kg:200 g) and make vadam in batches.  The method I follow is the traditional method followed at brahmin household which I learnt from my mom.   

INGREDIENTS:

Vadam flour - 5 cups

Green chilly - 15

Lemon juice - 10 (extracted from 10 big size lemons)

Salt - To taste

Oil - 3 tsp

Asafoetida  - a small piece of bar

Water - 12.5 cups

PREPARATION:

Mix raw rice and sago and pulse it in a mixer to a fine powder.  If making in large quantity, suggest to grind in flour mill .  The ratio of rice:sago should be 1 kg:200 g.  One kg of rice and sago mixture would yield approximately 5 cups (aazhaku) of flour.  

In a heavy bottom big vessel (I used my 10 L Pressure Cooker), add 12.5 cups of water, add 3 tsp of oil, salt, and asafoetida bar and bring it to boil.  I recommend the salt to be on the lesser side so that when we fry the vadams in oil, it would be at the optimal level.

Meanwhile, grind green chilly with little salt to a fine texture adding little bit of water.

Also extract the juice from lemons, add very little salt, and keep aside.  Recommend to do this because of the citric nature in lemons which imparts a slight bitter taste.  Adding little salt would make not turn the flavor of bitterness in lemon.  So keep in mind while adding salt in water as we also add salt in green chilly and lemon juice.

When the water starts boiling, add the ground green chilly mixture, and let it boil a minute or two.

Switch off the stove, remove the vessel from stovetop, and add the lemon juice and mix well.  Immediately, start adding vadam flour little by little and mix well with a long ladle.  Initially, it would look like there would be lumps formed while adding flour but later we can mix thoroughly.   Slowly, add the flour and stir continuously and mix all the flour in the hot boiled water and at one stage, you would end up forming a dough.  Mix well to break any lumps and form a smooth dough.  This is the basic dough for vadams.

Allow it to cool for some time.  While it is cooling, I usually make small balls out of it so that I could easily refill the dough in the press .  I do this at home before going upstairs so I would not stand in sun for a longer time.  

Take a plastic sheet and spread it the area and keep stones at the end.  Take a nada plate in the murukku press , fill the flour inside, and press a long muruku in the sheet.  

Dry in the hot sun and keep them open at home in the evening .  Let it dry for 2-3 days.  When fully dry, you can break them and store them in airtight containers.  

When required, fry in hot oil, and serve as an accompaniment for rice.