Paravannam is a rice dish that originated in Southern India. It is a traditional delicacy that is loved by many. Paravannam is made of rice and various other ingredients. It is a delicious, light, south Indian cuisine that has its origin in Tamil Nadu. The dishes are made of rice, coconut, seeds, cardamom, fennel, and cumin.
The traditional paravannam preparation is done on the morning after the rains. The best season for this dish is during the monsoon as the weather is dry and the temperature is moderate. It is a famous fact that the Paravannam preparations need not take long. In fact, it takes less than an hour.
First of all you will have to get the ingredients. For the Paravannam rice you will require mung beans, coconut oil, a pinch of rock salt, gram powder, and sesame seeds. You can choose to use any combination of these ingredients.
Once you are done with the paravannam preparation then you can start cooking. Add the rock salt and stir fry the coconut oil. Once the oil gets hot then you add the gram powder and sesame seeds. Once all the ingredients are mixed together then add the paravannam. Cover the pan and let it cook for about two minutes.
Then you can take the cooked rice and add coriander leaves to it. Now pour in water. Bring the flame under the lid. Cook the rice for another two minutes. At the end you can serve the rice with sesame seeds and fresh mint leaves. Make sure that the paravannam has been cooked thoroughly.
To make the Paravannam crispy you can also use toothpicks or long spoons. Just cook the paravannam in the hot coconut oil for about ten minutes. Now let it rest for about five minutes before frying in medium size griddle. When the paravannam is cooked, garnish it with coriander leaves. Serve it with plain yoghurt or chutney. You can now see why this dish is so delicious.
Paravannam is one of the best preparations of Tamil food. It is prepared with a slightly thicker consistency than other dishes. This thicker consistency gives it a unique flavor and the texture is very fresh. In Tamil cooking the rice is cooked in coconut oil till it becomes light yellow. After that the rice is cooked in a short amount of time in which the flavor of the rice is extracted.
Tamil people generally prefer Paravannam with rice and that is how it has become popular to many. But if you prefer to have just rice then do not worry. You can still cook the rice in some other way without any problem. The taste is the same. The only difference is the preparation.
In southern part of India there are different regions where there is large Thar Desert. And here also the weather condition during monsoon is very extreme. When you go to such places to eat paravannam remember to take sufficient water. People spend almost whole day on this desert and they do not want any water or even a little food after some days. So do not make it more complicated by taking water and food separately.