A couple of days before a Goan Catholic wedding, a lunch is held at the house of the bride and groom respectively. This traditional sweet pudding is served at this pre-wedding ritual called "bikrencheam jevonn" (beggars food). Simultaneously, distributed to neighbours and relatives, the sweet dal carried around in a clay pot with a doulo (ladle with a coconut shell and bamboo stick handle) making it easy to transport and serve. Hence, the name "kazarachi dal", the Konkani word "kazar" meaning "wedding". Also, prepared on auspicious religious days and when celebrating or announcing a special event in the family.
My mother often prepared this sweet delicacy for us to be enjoyed at tea-time. Before John was home from work in the evening, I expedited the preparation by eliminating soaking of the grains and cooking in the instant pot by using the pot-in-pot method. The soji was ready just as he walked in the door. Soji or vonn is made with whole wheat, parboiled rice, chana dal, jaggery, coconut milk and cardamom powder. Also, flavoured with a couple of turmeric leaves. Thick, creamy with a porridge consistency like kheer, nutritious and comforting. You will definitely go for a second helping, tempting and incredibly delicious.
My mother often prepared this sweet delicacy for us to be enjoyed at tea-time. Before John was home from work in the evening, I expedited the preparation by eliminating soaking of the grains and cooking in the instant pot by using the pot-in-pot method. The soji was ready just as he walked in the door. Soji or vonn is made with whole wheat, parboiled rice, chana dal, jaggery, coconut milk and cardamom powder. Also, flavoured with a couple of turmeric leaves. Thick, creamy with a porridge consistency like kheer, nutritious and comforting. You will definitely go for a second helping, tempting and incredibly delicious.
After cooking the grains for 4 minutes
Rice and wheat cooked for a total of 8 minutes
Kazarachi Dal/Soji/Vonn
(Serves 8)
Ingredients:
1 cup chana dal
1/2 cup whole wheat
1/2 cup red parboiled rice
2 cups thin coconut milk
4 cups thick coconut milk
1 pyramid of Goa jaggery, about 160 grams (melted down with some water and strained through a cheesecloth)
50 grams sugarcane jaggery (grated)
1 tablespoon rice flour mixed with 1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
a couple of small turmeric leaves (washed with ends trimmed)
a pinch of salt
Method:
Separately clean, wash the dal, wheat and rice.
Place wheat in the instant pot with 1 cup water. Then keep the trivet on top.
In one container, add rice with 1 cup water resting it on the trivet.
The second container over the first with dal and 1 cup water.
Close the instant pot, set to pressure cook for 4 minutes and let the steam release naturally for 10 minutes. The dal will be firm and cooked. Remove and set aside.
Shut the instant pot, cook wheat and rice for an additional 4 minutes letting the steam release naturally again for 10 minutes.
Remove the trivet leaving the wheat below in the pot. Add the rice and dal from both the containers along with thin coconut milk, palm jaggery, sugarcane jaggery, turmeric leaves, rice flour slurry and salt. Cook on sauté (low setting) for 10 minutes stirring frequently with a silicone or wooden spoon. Then, pour in the thick coconut milk and sprinkle the cardamom powder. Continue to simmer on sauté (low setting) for an additional 5 to 8 minutes until thick and creamy.
Discard the turmeric leaves and serve warm.
Note:
(Serves 8)
Ingredients:
1 cup chana dal
1/2 cup whole wheat
1/2 cup red parboiled rice
2 cups thin coconut milk
4 cups thick coconut milk
1 pyramid of Goa jaggery, about 160 grams (melted down with some water and strained through a cheesecloth)
50 grams sugarcane jaggery (grated)
1 tablespoon rice flour mixed with 1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
a couple of small turmeric leaves (washed with ends trimmed)
a pinch of salt
Method:
Separately clean, wash the dal, wheat and rice.
Place wheat in the instant pot with 1 cup water. Then keep the trivet on top.
In one container, add rice with 1 cup water resting it on the trivet.
The second container over the first with dal and 1 cup water.
Close the instant pot, set to pressure cook for 4 minutes and let the steam release naturally for 10 minutes. The dal will be firm and cooked. Remove and set aside.
Shut the instant pot, cook wheat and rice for an additional 4 minutes letting the steam release naturally again for 10 minutes.
Remove the trivet leaving the wheat below in the pot. Add the rice and dal from both the containers along with thin coconut milk, palm jaggery, sugarcane jaggery, turmeric leaves, rice flour slurry and salt. Cook on sauté (low setting) for 10 minutes stirring frequently with a silicone or wooden spoon. Then, pour in the thick coconut milk and sprinkle the cardamom powder. Continue to simmer on sauté (low setting) for an additional 5 to 8 minutes until thick and creamy.
Discard the turmeric leaves and serve warm.
Note:
- In Goa, a tablespoon or two of white rice is soaked, ground and included instead of rice flour. One tablespoon of rice flour was perfect or else mixture would be too thick resulting in addition of more liquid either water or coconut milk.
- White rice flour from the store was used to prevent the coconut milk from curdling.
- Adjust sweetness as desired and accordingly, use the two different jaggery depending on colour preference of the soji.
- One and half coconut with 4 cups (400 grams) of grated meat blended for a couple of minutes with 2 1/2 cups warm water to extract 4 cups of thick milk. Strained through a fine sieve and coconut meat ground again with 1 1/2 cups warm water to get 2 cups of thin milk.
- Regular pressure cooker containers were used to cook the rice and dal in the instant pot using the pot-in-pot method.
- My sister-in-law (brother’s wife) confirmed the authentic way and ingredients used in the preparation of this kazarachi dal with the cook hired for weddings. Also, cross-checked with other ladies in the village with the information passed on to me.
- To cut down on cost especially when serving to a large crowd, this kazarachi dal is prepared with only wheat and rice.
- When preparing this sweet in a regular pan, soak the grains separately; wheat for at least for 4 to 6 hours before cooking. Refer to Godshem with bottle gourd by clicking here.
- Recipe for Sukhem Godshem, click here.
