In most south Indian families, Diwali is incomplete without legiyam. With four days to the festival of lights, many households have begun making the Diwali legiyam or marundhu along with a host of other sweets and savouries. This traditional medicine aids digestion of the rich dose of sweets and savouries consumed at this time of the year. Home chef R Padmanabhan, who has been preparing Diwali marundhu for the past 40 years, after learning the recipe from his mother, takes Vaishali
Vijaykumar through the process and the benefits of legiyam.
Significance
People wake up early on Diwali morning to take an oil bath. Legiyam is consumed on an empty stomach after that. Every household has a recipe and the elders pass it on to the next generations. Legiyam is said to emit heat in the body. So, it’s best consumed during the winter season to keep the body warm. When stored in an airtight container and kept inside the fridge, it lasts for a year. Once consumed, give it a break until you eat it the next time. Traditionally, it is also offered to guests who come home for a heavy meal.
Changing trends
Earlier, legiyam was made with simple ingredients like ginger, ajwain and cumin seeds. Every household follows a certain method of preparation. Grandparents used to make them in bulk and parcel it for children and grandchildren who lived in other cities. With time, the practice is dying. These days, many sweet shops offer legiyam during Diwali. One needs to add water to the mixture and consume it. While you can buy it from a shop, legiyam prepared at home is an authentic experience.
Digest the indigestion
Legiyam helps with all kinds of stomach problems like indigestion, stomach upset, acidity and burning sensation.
All the ingredients that are used to prepare the marundhu have digestive properties. It kicks off the body’s metabolism during winter. It is also good to control cholesterol and diabetes.