lehiyam

Deepavali lehiyam
Shenbagalakshmi Srinivasan


It's the time to gorge on sweets. But worried about what that would
lead to? Fret not, for the Deepavali legiyam (or 'Deepavali marundhu'),
is a special preparation made in many Chennai households to aid
digestion of the rich food consumed this time of the year. Starting
your day with one teaspoon of this marundhu can help you stay healthy.
Here's how you make it:

Ingredients:

Ajwain (omam) – 25 gm

Arisi thippili (dried long pepper) – 20 gm

Kanda thippili (dried root of long pepper plant) – 20 gm

Athimathuram (liquorice root) – 10 gm

Dry ginger (sukku) – 25 gm

Chitharathai ('thai ginger' or 'finger root') – 10 gm

Sirunaga poo – 10 gm

Parangipattai – 10 gm

Vayu vidanga (False black pepper) – 20 gm

Valmilagu (cubebs or tailed pepper) – 10 gm

Milagu (black pepper) – 4 tbsp

Dry dates – 100 gm

Dry grapes (raisins) – 50 gm

Ghee – 300 gm

Jaggery – 3/4 kg

Method:

1. Break arisi thippili, kanda thippili, athimathuram, chitharathai,
parangipattai and dry dates (remove the seeds) into small pieces.

2. Dry-roast all the ingredients (except dry dates and dry grapes) in a
kadai for five minutes on low flame.

3. Soak dry dates and dry grapes separately in warm water overnight.
Soak all other ingredients in water overnight as well.

4. Grind all the ingredients using the soaked water into a fine paste.

5. In a kadai, add the ground paste and saute for five minutes. Then,
add grated jaggery and saute again on medium flame.

7. Add ghee in small intervals and saute till you get a fine paste and
it reaches 'halwa consistency'. It should be non-sticky; if you can roll
it out as soft balls, then you've got the right consistency.

The above method is the traditional one of making the medicine. However,
due to constraints of time, people prefer instant powder that is readily
available in local medicine shops. Once you buy it, mix it with twice
the quantity of water and cook in a heavy-bottomed vessel. Add jaggery
and ghee until the legiyam comes together and the ghee is separated.

Keywords: How to make Deepavali legiyam, Deepavali legiyam, Deepavali
legiyam recipe, traditional medicines

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