Traditional Indri Appam and Pesaha Paal Recipe for Maundy Thursday

Maundy Thursday, also known as Pesaha, holds significant religious importance for Christians worldwide, commemorating the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with his disciples. One of the cherished traditions on this holy day is the preparation and consumption of Indri Appam and Pesaha Paal, symbolic of the occasion. Here’s a traditional recipe to prepare these special dishes:

Ingredients: For Indri Appam:

1 kg raw rice

½ cup urad dal

1 ½ small coconuts

1 tsp cumin

20 shallots

Salt to taste

For Pesaha Paal:

3 coconuts

1 ½ kg jaggery

10 cardamom pods

1 ½ inches piece of dried ginger

1 tsp cumin

½ cup rice flour

Salt to taste

Preparation:

Indri Appam:

Grind the raw rice into a fine powder and mix it with the urad dal batter.

Add ground cumin, shallots, and grated coconut to the mixture.

Season with salt and add water as required to form a thick batter.

Allow the batter to rest for 3-4 hours.

Pour two ladles of the batter into a flat vessel and cook it in steam until done.

Pesaha Paal:

Grind the grated coconut well and extract 2 liters of coconut milk.

In a separate vessel, melt the jaggery and strain it to remove impurities.

Add the melted jaggery to the coconut milk along with rice flour, dried ginger, cardamom powder, and cumin.

Cook the mixture on simmer, stirring continuously until the paal thickens.

Adjust the consistency and seasoning as per preference.

Serving

Serve the Pesaha Paal warm in a bowl.

Dip small pieces of Indri Appam into the Paal and enjoy the divine combination.

This traditional recipe for Indri Appam and Pesaha Paal captures the essence of Maundy Thursday, fostering a sense of reverence and celebration within Christian households.