Deepavali, karthikai deepam, varamahalakshmi pooja, all have lamps as the main feature. Lamps are lit every day as an element of prayer. Metal, clay, chocolate, edible dough all feature as diyas/ deepam through the festival season. Lit with a wick soaked in oil or ghee, the lamps are an integral part of these festivals
Significance if deepam in festivals
Lamps are lit in any part of the world to dispel darkness. Darkness is compared to jealousy, greed, anger and negative thoughts. Lighting the diya /deepam brings forth clarity if thought removing these vices. It signifies goodness and purity. Lighting the lamp, therefore, propels one from negative thoughts to one with a positive outlook.
Edible deepam
Unique shapes and styles add fun to daily cooking. It is the creativity that we channel in when making it look different. Food is another favourite canvas that we can play with. Once you know how to handle the basic ingredients it is literally what you like to shape it as. Edible deepam is commonly made with chocolate, raw pounded wet rice and cooked rice flour. So here is one we have that you can save.
Kozhakattai maav edible deepam.
This recipe is a lesser-known one among edible lamps. For Karthigai deepam, this agal velakku shaped deepams are made using this dough which has no added salt. A small disc of dough is added at the bottom as a plate. It is used for prayers.
It is however the simplest one you can make once you have mastered the making of the kozhakattai maav. Kozhakattai maav is nothing but soft kneaded rice flour with a pinch of salt. Why is it tricky? The rice flour is gluten-free and hence doesn’t stick well when forming the dough. This makes the dough easily break. I have included a step by step pictoral to making this dough and followed it up with a few more images of how I shaped the lamp. In the recipe card are also the detailed recipe and the measurements of the ingredients.
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- Roasted rice flour
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- Add the boiling salted water
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- Mix the salt water
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- Knead the dough
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- Pinch off small oval balls
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- Shape the ball as a lamp
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- Add the ghee and wick to the deepam.
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- light the wick of the deepam
Kozhakattai maav deepam
Equipment
- mixing bowls and spoons.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Raw rice flour
- 2 cups hot water
- salt to taste ( approximately, 1/2 tsp)
- 1 tablespoon Sesame oil
To light the lamp
- ghee / clarified butter ( as needed)
- cotton wicks.
Instructions
- Roast the storebought riceflour till titis aromatic.
- Add the flour to a mixing bowl.
- Boil the water with the salt.
- Add the water 1/4 cup at a time into the rice flour.
- Mix with a fork.
- Add just enough water till it looks like it is coming together.
- Cover and leave it for 10 minutes.
- Knead the warm dough after 10 minutes till it is smooth.
- Grease your palms with the oil if necessary.
- Pinch of lemon sized balls off this dough.
- Make a depression in the centre and shape the lamp.
- Place a tsp of ghee in the lamp depression and add a cotton wick.
- Light the lamp as you would a normal oil lamp.
Notes
Hope you like and enjoy reading through our posts. Leave us a comment on how you made the recipe if it was successful or not if you like to offer any modifications or we could try and sort out the difficulties with the kozhakattai maav. Subscribe to our blog to receive regular updates on our new recipes and adventures. Stay for a while and check a few more ideas too.
See you at the next post, stay safe.
Edible deepam sounds interesting. I have never made one. Making with rice flour is tricky but you have beautifully explained it with pics. Just curious to know so after the cotton wick is burnt, can we eat that?
Yes, being a gluten-free flour, the rice flour dough is very tricky.I am glad the pics help.
This dough is actually roasted flour that is exactly the same as the modak one. I will suggest making them and steam them if you are planning to eat as the dough tastes a bit raw.
Interesting edible deepam Seema. I remember my grandmother would make small deepams from wheat flour but we didn’t eat them. One question.. do you steam the used deepams?
These deepams are also not eaten, more so an offering. If you like to shape similar edible ones, they can be steamed and filled just like I have described in the recipe notes.
Wheat flour deepam sounds interesting too.
These edible Deepam made me nostalgic. I remember my grand mom and mom making them at home. Beautifully explained.So many childhood memories are associated with this.
Indeed, these are recipes that are present for so many generations. It kind of adds to the fun in the kitchen too.
This deepam can be eaten or discarded? How very interesting. I will prefer to eat them so will steam them as you suggested. Love them!! The Maharashtrians make out of wheat flour. So many parallels in our customs and we just look for differences.
These deepams can be eaten too as prasadam. however, the steamed oned with a filling are tastier. Yes it is very similar to the Maharashtrian ones. Since rice is more dominant in the south Indian community we use a bit more ideas with rice.
Good to know about these traditions Seema. They look good and nicely made. We make with desiccated coconut and jaggery during some festivals.
Thank you Jayashree, I am glad you like it. It will be lovely to explore the dessicated coconut and jaggery one too.
ahaaa these Edible Deepam looks interesting Seema. I have heard about these but of wheat flour. With rice flour its is again new one. Such a beautiful offerings for the festival season !
You can see me grinning with happiness that many of you like this. Yes, wheat flour is another version. Coming to the south you have these made with rice flour.
Very interesting share, Seema. I had heard about the pachunmaavu vilakku done during aadi or purattasi. This kozhukattai deepam looks fantastic , esp with leftover kozhukattai maavu outer cover
Pacha maavu velakku is very tasty and sweet.
Yes, you can shape leftover maav like velakku and have as a snack. Since it is made for pooja we make this maav just for it.
I remember my mother making these edible deepams. Your step by step pics have explained the process very well. The deepams look so beautiful. Bookmarking this!
I am so glad it stirred a memory.