Maddh Thopp (Justicia Wynaadensis)

Maddh Thopp Payasa or Maddh Kūl is a sweet rice porridge (like rice kheer) made from the purple extract of the Justicia Wynaadensis plant. Its leaves that spring up in the auspicious month of Kakkada 18 (padinet as per the Codava calendar) are brewed in water to extract the medicinal liquid.

The plant is believed tohave maximum medicinal properties when harvested on 17th day, that day it emits the maximum aroma and flavour. It is said that, plant gains each medicinal contents each day and on 18th day the plant will be filled with 18 kinds of medicinal properties. People consume this to have healthy and good life throughout the year and to gain immunity against the diseases. It should ideally be eaten on an empty stomach on the 18th day of Kakkada month in Coorg when the payasa made out of the medicinal leaves is most nutritious. 

The sweet dishes made from the maddh thopp leaves are considered auspicious to celebrate the month. One should immediately use the leaves to make the dishes out of them or store the liquid away for later use. Of course Coorgs store bottles of these up until the next monsoon.

The Justicia Wynaadensis is said to be an elixir of sorts with 18 medicinal properties. Justicia wynaadensis helps in skin protection, brain function, blood sugar, blood pressure regulation. The naturalphenolic compound play a very important role in cancer prevention and treatment. The plant is used as an external application over rheumatic swellings by people of Karuchair tribes of Tirunelli Forest, Wayanad District, Kerala

MADDH THOPP RECIPE (Rice Porriddge or Kheer made with Justicia Wynaadensis)

Serves 12 to 15 medium sized dessert bowls

Ingredients

1.5 kgs Justicia Wynaadensis (maddh thopp stems with leaves)

or

2 lts of Maddh Neer (Purple liquid extracted from 1 to 2 kgs of Justicia Wynaadensis leaves)

1 cup White Rice (any, except for Jasmine or sticky rice)

1/4 cup Jaggery, add more as per taste

(Please note: Jaggery that is brownish in colour can change the colour of the payasa, therefore use the jaggery that's yellow mustard in colour than the brown ones, you alternatively use sugar)

2 tsps Cardamom Powder

1/2 cup Ground Coconut (grind the coconut to a paste)

1 Tsp Salt to taste (Optional)

Water, use according to instructions

To Garnish

Ghee (or clarified butter)

Chopped and Roasted Cashew Nuts

Method

Clean and wash the maddh thopp a couple of times under running water.

Separate leaves from the stalk, only keeping the fresh leaves and all the stems with stalks.

Pound the stems and leaves to crush them and transfer them to a large cauldron to boil. Add water twice the level of the maddh thopp. Bring it to a boil and then simmer for an hour and a half. Keep it covered. You will see the liquid turning black to bluish to a deep purple. If you don't see the colour, boil and simmer it longer.

Strain out the liquid into a vessel and keep the stems and leaves separately. Squeeze out the extract from the brewed stems and leaves as well, just to ensure everything is juiced out. Measure the liquid to check for 2 lts to be used for this recipe, store the remaining liquid in the freezer. Allow the 2 lts of liquid to cool.

Once cooled, soak a cup of washed rice in 2 cups of maddh thopp liquid or maddh neer, keeping the remaining aside to be used when cooking the rice porridge. Leave the soaked rice to rest overnight or at least for 12 hours. This is to ensure that it catches its purple colour. Keep the remaining liquid aside in an air tight bottle and store in the refrigerator.

To make the maddh thopp payasa, transfer the soaked rice with the liquid into a skillet. Add 6 more cups of the purple liquid (maddh neer) to this and cook the rice on an open flame. Keep stirring regularly and keep on medium heat. Leave the skillet covered when not stirring. Once the rice is cooked, add the jaggery, salt if preferred and finely ground coconut, stir well and then add the cardamom powder to finish. The rice porridge will be thick, check for taste and add more jaggery or sugar if required.

Turn stove off and serve. Garnish with ghee and top each bowl with nuts when serving.