Kushka (Aromatic Dishes)🔗

These dishes are prepared in an excited mood and in fun way. These are eaten using curd, milk, sugar. Moreover these cannot be combined with the dal soup, rasam or kootu which is either tangy or spicy or bitter. Also these dishes have to be cooked in such a way that each grain must be separate and not as solid mass or mushy. The grains should not stick to the finger.

1. Select good variety of Pink jasmine or Winter jasmine. After it flowers remove the green stem.

2. Divide the flower into 4 equal parts and tie it in a muslin cloth separately.

3. Take the water in a vessel and heat it. Tie a piece of cloth on the mouth portion of Bogini (a pot like vessel which has small mouth at the top and wider middle portion so that when it is used for cooking the vapour does not escape easily from the mouth and the item gets cooked quickly and evenly).

4. Place a first batch of muslin cloth on the bogini which has the flower and pour 2 ladles of boiling water on it by turning the cloth in all directions. Repeat the process for the rest of the three flower batches.

5. Then keep this fragrant water covered separately.

6. Then wash and clean the small rice with water. Filter the water completely.

7. Take the water in a vessel that can hold 2 padi water and heat it. When it starts to boil put the cleaned rice,stir it and close it with a lid. 8. When the rice has half cooked pour the clean fragrant water to the rice and stir it.

9. Tie a clean and white cloth on the mouth of the vessel in which the rice is cooking. Then cover using a vessel or a plate on the cloth so that no water vapour escapes from the vessel.

10. After 2 or 3 minutes place the vessel on a stove which does not have smoke for sometime.

11. When it is ready take it out and serve.

1. Wash and clean the rice nicely. Then drain the water completely.

2. Add the curd to the cleaned rice and mix it. Then again add some water and drain it.

3. Repeat this process with curd and water. This time after adding curd leave it for 1½ hours and the wash with water.

4. Mix the water and milk in a vessel which is rust free and heat it. When it is boiled and reduced into half add the cleaned rice and stir it. Also add the salt to it and close it with a lid. 5. When the rice is half cooked take it out and filter the water using a clean white cloth.

6. Take a vessel which has not become sticky by frequent cooking and cook the rice along with the milk. The rice granules should be cooked to the right consistency(flower like).

7. Lastly add the pure ghee to the rice and mix it evenly. Then keep this rice on a live coal without smoke for sometime and then use.

Rice - ½ padi Water - 1½ padi Salt - 1¾ palam Thick Curd - 2½ palam Big Lemon - 1 Ghee - 1¾ palam New Mud Pan - 1 Milk - veesam 1/16 padi + veesam 1/16 padi

1. Wash and clean the rice with water and filter the water completely.

2. Boil the water in a vessel which is rust free. Then add the cleaned rice and close it with a lid.

3. After some time when the rice has half cooked add the powdered salt mix it and when it again starts to boil add the lemon juice,ghee and curd one by one and stir it.

4. When the rice has completely cooked take it out from the fire and filter it using a clean white cloth. 5. Take a clean new mud pan and keep it on the stove. Then sprinkle the milk on all sides of the pan . When the milk has reduced add the cooked rice.

6. Then add the milk and stir it. Keep covered so that rice gets cooked properly. During this process the flame should be in low to medium.

7. When the rice gets cooked to the right consistency(flower like) take it out and serve.

Note: When we heat the milk for more time in a slow flame a thick layer settles on the top which is called the cream of milk.

1. Wash and clean the rice with water and drain it completely. Leave it for sometime.

2. Heat the ghee in a wide pan. Then add the cleaned rice and fry it till it becomes golden brown in colour.

3. Take the water in a vessel which can hold 2 padi water and boil it. Then add the fried rice,stir it and cook it in a medium flame.

4. The rice granules should be cooked to the right consistency(separate granules). 5. After it has cooked remove from fire and keep it on a live coal without smoke for sometime.

6. Then transfer it to a clean metal plate. Add the cream of milk and sugar, mix it and serve.