9 May, 2017

HAYAGREEVA/HAYAGREEVA MADDI/ಹಯಗ್ರೀವ ಮಡ್ಡಿ/ಹಯಗ್ರೀವ/SPLIT BENGAL GRAM HALWA/VIDEO

‘Hayagreeva’ is an incredible traditional dessert, also famously known as ‘Hayagreeva Maddi’ , includes all the goodness of healthy ingredients. This is the Madhwa’s (followers of Madhwacharya) signature dish.

This is one of my most favorite sweets (in fact all those sweets which has jaggery in it is my most favorite) We can call this as a kind of Bengal gram halwa. We definitely make this sweet dish on our Yati’s(Monks) sacred remembrance day. Otherwise this particular sweet dish is not made for any functions or marriages or celebrations.

Moreover hayagreeva, the sweet dish has got a connection with one of the avataaraas (incarnation) of Lord Vishnu & the great saint Sri Vaadiraajaru. It is said that… Lord Vishnu took this Hayagreeva (Here the word ‘Haya’ means ‘Horse’ & ‘Greeva’ means ‘neck’) avataara to recover the holy Vedas from the two demons named Madhu & Kaitabha, who stole holy Vedas from Lord Brahma.

So in this avataara/incarnation, Lord Vishnu is worshiped as the God of Knowledge and Wisdom. And it is said that Everyday Sri Vaadiraajaru used to offer the sweet dish ‘hayagreeva’ as naivedya to Lord Vishnu, everyday Sri Vaadiraajaru used to keep this naivedya on his head while reciting hayagreeva shloka, and the Lord Vishnu, in a beautiful white horse form used to come and eat his offering (horses supposedly like bengal gram).

Now coming to the recipe, it uses all the goodies in its preparation, which have all the health benefits. I have explained it with step wise pics, it is an easy and yummy dish to prepare. In my method I collect the remaining water from cooked bengal gram, and dissolve jaggery in the same water, and again strain the jaggery water and use it for further process. You’ll understand about this much better, once you go through the step wise pics.

Below, at the end of this recipe, you can check a detailed video demonstration of this recipe as well or you can just click this link – hayagreeva maddi video

Ingredients : measuring cup used – 250 ml

Bengal gram/Kadalebele/chanadal – 1 cup
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Water – 4 cups
Jaggery – 3/4 cup (adjust)
Ghee – 2 tbsp (adjust)
Poppy seeds – 1&1/2 tbsp
Cloves – 6 nos.,
Grated dry coconut or fresh coconut – 1/2 cup
Raisins – 1&1/2 tbsp
Cashew nuts – 2 to 3 tbsp
Cardamom powder – 1/4 tsp

PROCEDURE :

Cook bengal gram/ kadalebele by adding water and turmeric powder
Pass it through a strainer and collect and reserve the water

Heat the reserved water and dissolve the jaggery in it, strain the jaggery water to separate the impurities

Now put this strained jaggery water and the cooked bengal gram in a pan or a container and let it boil. Continue to boil it until almost all the water is absorbed and becomes thick, keep stirring

Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a tadka pan, add in cloves, raisins, cashews, poppy seeds and coconut

Pour the prepared tempering into bengal gram-Jaggery mixture and stir it again, keep it in slightly running consistency, it turns thick once completely cooled