South Indians do not celebrate Diwali.
Instead, the term used across South is ‘Deepavali’
This is probably the most festive occasion to celebrate a wide variety of foods.
The list is long and one can go on about what all is cooked where.
But nowhere else in the country will you come across a cure for the possible indigestion caused by eating so much food, except in a south Indian home.
The ‘Deepavali Lehyam’ has a wonderful long history. Known to be a cure for several ailments, among which the seasonal flu, indigestion problems, this potent mixture has been handed down for generations, often as an oral tradition from mother to daughter.
The earliest references to this Lehyam can be found in various texts to do with food and medicine in South.
Someshvara III (1126- 1138) the west Chalukyan ruler who authored ‘Manasollasa’, Srinatha Kavi (1365-1450), the Telugu poet who authored Panditaaradhya Charitra and Basava Puranam and several other books mention this Lehyam.
Whatever the antiquity of this might be, one cannot deny the curative values it has.
So what is this mysterious paste all about?
Dried ginger, turmeric powder, two varieties of black pepper corns (the stem called Kandathippili and the fruit called Arasithippili) and carom seeds are taken in equal measures.
They are ground coarse in a grinding stone, which every traditional family kitchen was once proud of, before electric grinders replaced them.
This powder mix is brewed with some hot water in a brass pot on a coal fire stove. To this mixture is added a few spoons of Gingely oil, Ghee from cow milk and jaggery in equal proportions.
This is left to boil further till it turns into a pasty consistency. After it cools down, a few spoons of honey is added.
This glazy black paste can be stored for a few weeks, if refrigerated.
The recipe and taste vary a bit in different households.
Some prefer adding poppy seeds (Khus Khus) to the powders, some others prefer making it into a dry hardball, and yet many others prefer cooking it in clay, copper or tin (Velleeyam) pots.
In any case, the Deepavali Lehyam is a must-have for everyone at home.
On the day of Deepavali, everyone is up early morning, before sunrise. The common tradition is for the ladies of the house to apply Gingely oil on the heads of the men.
After that, everyone takes the mandatory oil bath.
A spoonful of ‘Deepavali Lehyam’ is administered to everyone before they begin their day. Some people prefer having it after a heavy meal.
If you notice the ingredients of this Lehyam, all of them have high medicinal qualities according to the various treatises on Ayurveda like Charaka and Susruta Samhitas.
Dry ginger and turmeric have antiseptic and antibacterial qualities, peppercorns maintain the natural warmth of the body in winters, carom seeds are good for digestion, jaggery and honey are sweeteners to balance the intensity spice from the powder.
Ghee has been an integral part of all Ayurvedic medicinal preparations and helps indigestion.
A spoonful of this Lehyam is supposed to help in various ways. It helps fight the sudden winter cold, helps boost immunity, keeps away any possible bacterial infections and help indigestion.
Nowadays there are several brands that have come out with packaged Lehyam but they are no match to a good homemade one.