In Tamil nadu there is no Deepavali without Lehigyam. Festivities start with eating if Lehigyam on this day. Many believe that the Lehigyam is ayurvedic medicine for longevity and has medicinal properties. There is a scientific reason behind eating lehigyam. Deepavali comes after the rainy season, during which earth has become cold and needs “agni” to rebuilt its micro organisms and also prepare for the onset of winter, hence the lighting of Diya’s – Deepavali.
After oil bath take Deepavali Lehigyam daily One spoon for a month. The special lehigyam termed as ‘Deepavali Marundhu’ is the unique health care dish, forms a part of the elaborate menu of sweets and savouries for every Diwali . Really, it is a preventive medicine logged as a must in the list of preparation for the Diwali very well anticipating the type of digestive disorder to go with the non-routine, fat loaded, but enjoyable variety of eatables of Diwali.
On the eve of Diwali, as soon as the preparation of the lehigyam is over, it is a pracitise to distribute a small test quantity of the same to all. This, as a first dose for comfort, coincides with our intake of other sweets and ghee intake. The main dose of the lehigyam is given on the day of Diwal, early morning after the traditional oil bath, everyone in the family is compulsorily given a spoonful of this lehigyam. And eating of the Lehigyam continues for a month till the stomach gets used to the heavy food required to eat to prepare the body for the onset of winter.
Scientific Reasons
Deepavali comes immediately after the “Chaturmas’ and Dussera, where only satvik food is eaten, and moreover food during the rainy season should be light. Deepavali brings the winter and body needs the fat to fight the cold, hence many sweets and usage of ghee is increased. This lehyam is a solution to the indigestion caused by the sweets and fried foods eaten during these days. Its made with the spices easily available in the kitchen. Like peppercorns, jeera, coriander, dry ginger, ajwain.
Recipe for Lehigyam
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:
Break arisi thippili, kanda thippili, athimathuram, chitharathai, parangipattai and dry dates (remove the seeds) into small pieces.
Dry-roast all the ingredients (except dry dates and dry grapes) in a kadai for five minutes on low flame.
Soak dry dates and dry grapes separately in warm water overnight. Soak all other ingredients in water overnight as well.
Grind all the ingredients using the soaked water into a fine paste.
In a kadai, add the ground paste and saute for five minutes. Then, add grated jaggery and saute again on medium flame.
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.
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