In Tamil Nadu, Diwali is a morning affair. On the main day -- called Naragachaturdasi -- we Tamilians usually wake up really early in the morning for an oil bath (or a shampoo in the new millennium).

The elders usually decorate a platter with the family's new clothes, some boxes of fireworks, sweets, warm oil (usually seame or til oil), coconuts, bananas, betel leaves, betel nuts, flowers and milk.

Drawing a huge rangoli and lighting diyas is an important part of the tradition, just like it is elsewhere in India. The elders usually place a drop of oil on the family member's head before a shower.

After the family is ready and dressed up in their new clothes and finery, the puja begins. Youngsters touch the elders' feet for blessings. Family members head out to burst firecrackers, enjoy the sweets and start their day on a happy note. As the day progresses, temple visits are made, gifts are exchanged and sweets are distributed to family and friends.

Mysore Pak

Ingredients

3 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups ghee
1 cup chickpea flour or besan
1/2 cup water
2 green cardamom or elaichi, powdered

Method

Heat the ghee well in a deep frying pan until it is smoking hot. Take it off the heat.

Pour the besan in the ghee and stir well. Boil the sugar with very little water and the elaichi powder until the sugar melts and it becomes sticky and stringy.

Pour the thick sugar syrup in the ghee-besan mixture and stir it well with the flame on. It should boil and thicken in a few minutes. Pour the mixture onto a greased plate. Cut into small squares or diagonals when it is still warm and serve when it cools down.

Murrukku or Chakli

Ingredients

1 cup rice flour
1/2 cup besan
2-3 tbsp hot ghee
A pinch of asafetida or hing powder
Salt
Oil for deep frying

Also required
Chakli-making molds and squeezer

Method

Heat the oil for deep frying. Mix the rice flour and besan together and pour in the hot ghee. Add the asafetida powder and salt and make a dough of Roti-dough like consistency. When the oil is ready, place the dough into the squeezer with the mold in place at the bottom and squeeze with consistent pressure (it is a tough job) while making circular movements over the oil.  Deep-fry until golden. Optional: You can also add chilly powder (and also 1/2 tsp sesame or til or else cumin or jeera seeds) while making the dough.

Dal-Coconut Cake
(Parruppu-Tengai Cake in Tamil)

Ingredients

100 gm channa dal (gram dal)
100 gm moong dal (substitute: split-peas)
2 fistfuls of cashew nuts
1/2 a coconut
6 pods elaichi (green cardamom)
Sugar (should be three times of the paste mentioned below in quantity)

Method

Soak the dals in water for 30 minutes, then take it out of the water and dry for a bit. Roast both dals in a thick-bottomed pan until golden brown in color.

Shred the coconut. Grind the shredded coconut, cashew nuts and dals with little water to make a thick paste. Add the sugar (three times the paste) to half a cup of water and boil until it is stringy.

Mix the thickening sugar syrup into the paste, on a flame, and stir well. When it boils and thickens, pour the mixture on a greased plate and cut into small square pieces or diagonals to be served when it cools down.

Groundnut Burfi

Ingredients

12 cashew nuts, powdered
3 tbsp ghee
3 pods elaichi
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup powdered groundnuts
1 cup besan

Method

Dry roast the peanuts and remove the skins. Grind to a powder. Heat the ghee in a deep-frying pan. Add the besan and fry till it is light brown in color. Add the peanut powder as well as the sugar, elaichi and cashew nut powders. Mix well and take off the flame in a couple of minutes. Pour on a greased plate and cut into squares.

Serve when cool.

Rava Kesari

Ingredients

1 cup rava
2 1/2 cups water
2 cups sugar
1 cup ghee
A pinch of saffron
Fistful of cashews
Elaichi powder

Method

Heat the ghee well in a deep pan. Add the rava and cashews in the ghee while stirring constantly. Fry until light brown. Mix the saffron in the water and pour it into the rava while stirring constantly. Put the sugar in this mixture and continue to stir well. Add the elaichi powder. Put a lid on the mixture and set the flame to simmer for 10 minutes. Pour on greased plates and cut into pieces or serve directly in litte bowls.