24 Sept 2012

Foxtail Millet with Honey - Thaenum Thinai Maavum


I hope Vinayaka Chathurthi was a very enjoyable celebration to all. I could not take my eyes off all the lovely posts and pics from my fellow bloggers right from sweet kozhukattais to sundal to payasam to pidi kozhukattais...

Just by looking at all the recipes I literally felt like I have tasted all of them ... Thanks to all bloggers, it was a wonderful visual feast for the past 2 weeks..:)

Now, we have showered the elder brother Lord Vinayagar with all the love, flowers, prasadhams, slogams etc. Now it is time to turn our attention to the younger brother , Lord Murugan.


When we look at the family chemistry  of Lord Sivan and Parvathi, it is a typical household of working parents and two kids where the first born is always the patient sharing type and the second born is much more playful and naughty. I am the first born in my family with two younger sisters and there comes a stage where parents and other elders tell the first born to be nice, to always share and to take care of the younger siblings.

This is something that is not always possible and cannot be done with a smile or wholeheartedly all the time as the first born is will also be a child of a different age when the second one arrives but looking at the bigger picture, your life has a new meaning with the arrival of a new sibling.



The same is with Vinayagar and Murugar ... Vinayagar was the more stable one with so much love and patience whereas Murugar was playful, sharp tongued and short tempered. He even had a fight with his own father and off he went to stay on a hill top [Palani Hills].

There is also a mythical story of Ganesha helping out his younger brother in his love quest with Valli [who is one of the wives of Lord Murugar]...;)

Ofcourse, there comes the prasadhams - Panchamirtham and Thaenum Thinai Maavum. Panchamirtham - means "Food for the God made out of five items mixed together" and Thaenum Thinai Maavum - means "Foxtail Millet with Honey".


The first one is made with specific ingredients especially available from the Kongu region of Tamil Nadu and is something like a fruit jam.

The second one is a simple mix of millet flour and honey. Foxtail millet as we all know is one of the most healthiest grains but sadly disappearing from our lives. When mixed with honey, ghee with or without dried fruit and nuts makes a lovely healthy sweet treat.


When certain items are offered as prasadhams to God, it is an indirect way designed by our ancestors to tell us the value of the ingredients offered.

Coming to the recipe, this mix of millet and honey can be consumed in the powder form or made into tiny laddoos. The laddoos resemble Rava Laddoos. This is offered as prasadham in Palani Murugar Temple.


For the recipe:
Thinai : 100 gms.
Clear runny honey: 5-6 tbsp.
Cardamom powder: 1/4 tsp.
Cashews [chopped]: 5-6.
Raisins [chopped]: 2 tbsp.
Ghee: 2 tbsp.


1.Place a non stick pan on medium flame. Roast the grains along with the ghee for a good 6-8 minutes. Initially the ghee would make grains stick together but after 5 minutes the grains will seperate and a wonderful aroma arises.
2.Transfer the grains onto a plate and let it cool. After the grains cooled completely, grind it to a powder.
3.Take this powder in a bowl. Add the honey, cardamom powder, chopped cashews and raisins.
4.Mix well and make them into small laddoos.

Store in air tight containers and keep in a cool dry place. You can also serve the sweet powder mix as it is without making them into laddoos.




Note: If you prefer a smooth powder, sieve the ground grains and grind the grainy part again. I have made the laddoos with a grainy powder which gives the feel of rava laddoo.The amount of sweetness in just enough to cover the earthy slightly bitter taste of the grains.

You can increase the amount of honey as per your preference [about 2 tbsp more than the given amount] but be careful not to add to much of honey as you would end with a sticky mass.

Some don't prefer the taste of honey. Please feel free to substitute powdered palm sugar [panang-kalkandu] or even powdered rocky candy. If you don't have any of the above sweetening agents, use powdered sugar to sweeten the mix.

All you need to do is add 2-3 tbsp of ghee to make laddoos [if you want to make laddoos] or else just mix the grain powder and sugar along with the chopped cashews and raisins and serve in the powder form.

Thinai is said to increase the body temperature, so be aware of the amount of grains consumed. Moderation is advised or if in doubt please get the nutritional advise from your doctor.

Sending this to Jagruthi's Know Your Sweetness - Honey guest hosted by Shama Nagarajan


Enjoy ....

Scribbled by Reva.

32 comments:

Pavithra Elangovan said...

Looks Yumm Reva ... I am fan of THinnai..lovely pictures dearie.

great-secret-of-life said...

So nice.. And yummy laddoos

Great-secret-of-life.blogspot.com

Nisha said...

I agree with you, even I enjoyed seeing a lot of pictures and posts by fellow bloggers for Ganesh Chaturthi!

Liked the little pieces of information you shared about the Gods; I had no idea.

Divya A said...

Wow lovely clicks..Loved your presentation dear :) And thinnai mavu must taste great with honey!! Will try it :)
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Vimitha Durai said...

Very healthy balls... beautiful clicks

Priya Suresh said...

Love this cute balls very much, beautifully written..

Sangeetha M said...

Very healthy n delicious sweets...awesome clicks as always! its always nice to read your recipes with tiny info u share...Thanks!!

Julie said...

Beautiful Reva..looks yummy!!
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Shanthi said...

wonderful..i have a query revathi...Is it quinoa?

Lifewithspices said...

very healthy n yumm looking

Prasadam Special said...

delicious laddos!!!

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Unknown said...

Lovely combination but never tried...Loved your presentation n explanation!

Tamilarasi Sasikumar said...

Yummy healthy laddoos....Nice clicks...

runnergirlinthekitchen.blogspot.com said...

Yumm Reva.. so well made and prsentated:)

Shabitha Karthikeyan said...

Lovely recipe and nice clicks. We have 3 girls our family too. But I'm the second one. Mix of both the qualities:-). Loved reading your post !!

Suryaprabha said...

Looks like rava laddu.. But i loved the idea of adding honey instead of sugar.. Healthy and yummy looking laddu.

Chitra said...

Very nice, new to me. sounds good..pretty clicks :)

PACHANTI said...

Good old recipe. I have just heard of it. As usual beautiful clicks reva. I am an admirer of ur clicks seriously.
PACHANTI

Unknown said...

drooling here...very nice clicks and much healthier ladoos.

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My Kitchen Antics said...

hi reva...how are you.its been a long time since ive dropped in here. Are you still in UK? Id left you a fb msg and hadnt recd a reply, wonder if you still check it.
The pics look absolutely great and the dish in itself is something new to me

Reshmi Mahesh said...

Delicious and cute looking ladoos...Love the clicks...

Nandinis food said...

Healthy n Yummy balls!!

Nava K said...

Gorgeous and I would love to try out. Used to wonder how to make and with your recipe, this will a try out.

Unknown said...

awesome post dear....luv the way you portrait your recipes with a history attached to it....these ladoos are awesomely healthy and yummy and as always a delightful visual treat!

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Manju @ Manjus Eating Delights said...

I love your pictures, cant take my eyes off it :-) LOvely post!

Regards,
Manju
http://manjuseatingdelights.blogspot.com/

Asiya Omar said...

SUPER RECIPE..WISHES DEAR..

Participate My First Event - Feast of Sacrifice Event
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roses said...

Mouthwatering here,
Rosesandgifts.com

Shobha said...

Nice laddoos and so beautifully presented.

Hamaree Rasoi said...

How did I miss this post? Loved your serving plate and ladoos are so inviting..E parcel these for me

Asiya Omar said...

Super,nice clicks.
Participate in My First Event - Feast of Sacrifice Event
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குறையொன்றுமில்லை. said...

ஏன் எல்லாரும் இங்கிலீஷில் பின்னூட்டம் போட்டிருக்காங்க. தினைமாவு மறந்தே போயிடுச்சி நினைவு படுத்தி அருமை யான குறிப்பும் கொடுத்தற்கு நன்றி

Anonymous said...

Hi Reva,

First time on your blog and I loved the little story that you gave about our Gods. Probably because I grew up in the city I have NEVER had thinai....i shd go and look for it in whole foods or so. It must be very healthy from the looks of it. Lovely space her Reva..

Shobha

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