Karthigai or Karthikai Deepam is the festival of lights in Tamil Nadu and it is observed on the full moon day of the Tamil month Karthigai (November-December) on the Karthigai Nakshatram day.

On this day, temples, homes and streets are decorated with traditional oil lamps. Special pujas and prayers are held at temples.

As a tradition, we prepare some dishes as offering to God on this day.

Some have the habit of preparing pori urundai or puffed rice balls and some have the habit of preparing sweet and savory appams.

Sweet Appam Recipe:

Ingredients:

Raw rice – 1 1/2 cups

Jaggery – 1 1/2 cup

Maida or wheat flour – 1 cup

Cardamom – a pinch

Coconut scrapings – 2 tsp

Oil – to fry

Method:

1. Soak rice for 2 hours and get it grinded along with jaggery and coconut to a fine paste adding little water.

2. Mix maida slowly to this mixture not allowing it to form clumps.

3. The consistency should be like that of the dosa batter.

4. Now heat oil in a tawa, take small amount of this batter and pour one by one into the oil.

5. When you pour, the batter would go to the bottom and as it starts cooking it will come to the top and then you can turn it to the other side and get it cooked.

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