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    You are here: Home / Recent Posts / Maa Vilakku Recipe

    Maa Vilakku Recipe

    Last Updated On: Feb 24, 2025 by Sharmilee J

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    Maa Vilakku is a traditional sweet made like a lamp & offered to god for religious festivals like Chithra Pournami, Aadi Velli, Purattasi Sani & temple functions. Maa Vilakku is made by making a dough of rice flour, jaggery syrup & cardamom powder in lamp shape. Learn to make Maavilakku with step by step pictures.

    maavilakku served

    Maa Vilakku is a special edible lamp made with freshly ground rice flour and jaggery kneaded together as a dough. It is made during special occasions such as Aadi velli, Purattasi sani, Thai month, Karthigai deepam etc.

    Jump to:
    • About Maavilakku
    • Maa Vilakku Ingredients
    • How to make Ma Vilakku Step by Step
    • Expert Tips
    • Serving and Storage
    • 📖 Recipe Card

    About Maavilakku

    Maa vilakku is an auspicious edible lamp made with rice flour and jaggery during. It is placed on a banana leaf with a dent in the middle where we pour ghee, place the wick(thiri) and lit the lamp. We also apply kumkum on all 4 sides of maavilakku and place flowers on/near when we offer to god as shown in the pics.

    Last time when I visited my native my aunt made maavilakku and took it along when we visited the amman temple. At that instant I decided to post the recipe here as I love maavilakku but totally forgot about it. Yesterday when I was conversing with my friend asking about ideas to post for karthigai deepam she casually said maa vilakku recipe would be apt. And today during a casual talk with my neighbor she said they make maavilakku for karthigai deepam so decided that I should post it for the occasion. So I quickly called up my cousin for the recipe , made maavilakku and clicked it today.

    I remember those days when we as kids used to fight for the lamp-lit-part(the black part where the lamp is lit) as it tastes so good. It gives me such immense pleasure and satisfaction when I try out traditional recipes and post it here. Yes small deeds big contentment!!

    maavilakku served

    Maa Vilakku Ingredients

    • Raw rice – Raw rice which is also called maavu pacharisi is perfect to use for making maavilakku.
    • Jaggery – Use organic clean jaggery for best results.
    • Cardamom – Cardamom adds flavor to maavilakku.
    • Ghee, Gingelly oil – Ghee and gingelly oil greases the maavilakku and gives good flavor.

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    How to make Ma Vilakku Step by Step

    1.First rinse the raw rice twice, and soak it in water for 1 hour. Drain water completely.

    2.Then spread the raw rice in a soft towel and allow it to dry say for 30-45 minutes. It will be slightly moist only. When you touch and see there should be some rice sticking on the hand. This is the correct stage, now transfer this to a mixer.

    3.Grind it to a fine powder in a mixer in batches. Then sieve it. If you find small balls break and sieve it.

    4.Sieve until you get rava like mixture.Add it to the next flour batch and grind it again. Now take sieved rice flour,jaggery and cardamom in a mixer and pulse it once or twice not more than that, this is to ensure even mixing. Transfer to mixing bowl and leave it aside for 10 minutes for the jaggery to slightly leave water.

    ma vilakku step2

    5.When you press with your hands it will hold its shape. Start kneading, the moisture in your hands and the melted jaggery will give a soft smooth dough. Add gingelly oil at this stage and mix well. Roll it like a ball and transfer it to banana leaf. Using a tumbler slightly press to get a dent in the middle. Add ghee in the dent and lit the lamp as shown and offer to god as neiveidhyam.

    maa vilakku step3

    Soft mavillaku ready! Serve it along with coconut pieces, tastes yum!!

    maavilakku served

    Expert Tips

    • Though the traditional way of making maa vilakku is using freshly pound rice flour, you can use readymade rice flour too but sure will have compromise in taste. If you are using readymade rice flour then for 1 cup of rice flour use 1/2 cup powdered jaggery.
    • Just pulse it once or twice not more than that else jaggery will let out water making the dough sticky and watery too.
    • I didn’t add water at all, but if you feel its too dry then drizzle few drops while kneading the maa vilakku maavu.
    • Keep on kneading till it comes together and forms a smooth dough.
    • The amount of jaggery depends on the jaggery variety too.I used urundai vellam, it may differ slightly if you use achu vellam / paagu vellam.
    • You can even replace gingelly oil with ghee itself.
    • This keeps well in for 3-4 days in room temperature itself. You can even keep it refrigerated but it becomes slightly hard, so bring it to room temperature  and then serve it.
    • As its just raw rice flour, consuming more of it the same day will cause stomach ache.

    Serving and Storage

    This maa vilakku keeps well in room temperature for 3 days. You can keep in fridge and extend shelf life for another 2 days. No freezing recommended.

    maavilakku served

    If you have any more questions on making of this Maa Vilakku do mail me at sharmispassions@gmail.com
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    Tried this Maa Vilakku Recipe? Do let me know how you liked it.Tag us on Instagram @sharmispassions and hash tag it on #sharmispassions.

    📖 Recipe Card

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    Maa Vilakku Recipe

    Maa Vilakku is a traditional sweet made like a lamp & offered to god for religious festivals like Chithra Pournami, Aadi Velli, Purattasi Sani & temple functions. Maa Vilakku is made by making a dough of rice flour, jaggery syrup & cardamom powder in lamp shape. Learn to make Maavilakku with step by step pictures.
    Prep Time2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
    Total Time2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
    Servings3
    AuthorSharmilee J

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup raw rice
    • 3/4 cup jaggery
    • 2 cardamom
    • 2 teaspoon ghee
    • 2 teaspoon gingelly oil

    Instructions

    • First rinse the raw rice twice, and soak it in water for 1 hour. Drain water completely.
    • Then spread the raw rice in a soft towel and allow it to dry say for 30-45 minutes. It will be slightly moist only. When you touch and see there should be some rice sticking on the hand. This is the correct stage, now transfer this to a mixer.
    • Grind it to a fine powder in a mixer in batches. Then sieve it. If you find small balls break and sieve it.
    • Sieve until you get rava like mixture.Add it to the next flour batch and grind it again. Now take sieved rice flour,jaggery and cardamom in a mixer and pulse it once or twice not more than that, this is to ensure even mixing. Transfer to mixing bowl and leave it aside for 10 minutes for the jaggery to slightly leave water.
    • When you press with your hands it will hold its shape. Start kneading, the moisture in your hands and the melted jaggery will give a soft smooth dough. Add gingelly oil at this stage and mix well. Roll it like a ball and transfer it to banana leaf. Using a tumbler slightly press to get a dent in the middle. Add ghee in the dent and lit the lamp as shown and offer to god as neiveidhyam.
    • Soft mavilakku ready! Serve it along with coconut pieces, tastes yum!!

    Notes

    • Though the traditional way of making maa vilakku is using freshly pound rice flour, you can use readymade rice flour too but sure will have compromise in taste. If you are using readymade rice flour then for 1 cup of rice flour use 1/2 cup powdered jaggery.
    • Just pulse it once or twice not more than that else jaggery will let out water making the dough sticky and watery too.
    • I didn’t add water at all, but if you feel its too dry then drizzle few drops while kneading the maa vilakku maavu.
    • Keep on kneading till it comes together and forms a smooth dough.
    • The amount of jaggery depends on the jaggery variety too.I used urundai vellam, it may differ slightly if you use achu vellam / paagu vellam.
    • You can even replace gingelly oil with ghee itself.
    • This keeps well in for 3-4 days in room temperature itself. You can even keep it refrigerated but it becomes slightly hard, so bring it to room temperature  and then serve it.
    • As its just raw rice flour, consuming more of it the same day will cause stomach ache.
    Nutrition Facts
    Maa Vilakku Recipe
    Amount Per Serving (250 g)
    Calories 491 Calories from Fat 54
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 6g9%
    Saturated Fat 2g13%
    Trans Fat 0.01g
    Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
    Monounsaturated Fat 3g
    Cholesterol 9mg3%
    Sodium 3mg0%
    Potassium 78mg2%
    Carbohydrates 100g33%
    Fiber 1g4%
    Sugar 51g57%
    Protein 4g8%
    Vitamin C 0.1mg0%
    Calcium 37mg4%
    Iron 1mg6%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Tried this recipe?Mention @sharmispassions or tag #sharmispassions
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    Filed Under: Aadi Perukku Special Recipes, Avani Avittam Recipes, Karthigai Deepam, RandomPosts, Recent Posts, youmaylike

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Supriya Arcot

      November 13, 2013 at 4:20 pm

      Will surely try this for Tulasi pooja tomorrow . Thanx.

      Reply
    2. AparnaRajeshkumar

      November 13, 2013 at 4:23 pm

      sharmispassions has become my passion way to go sharmi , loved your commitment,

      Reply
    3. Child care

      November 13, 2013 at 4:26 pm

      Hi, Sharmi I am getting addicted to ur blog. But I enjoy this addiction….:) Maavillaku recipe looks yummy. I love ur photo….

      Reply
    4. Sangeetha M

      November 13, 2013 at 4:50 pm

      Wow..Sharmi, only through your posts i came to know all our Festival/Special occasions..great job and hats off to your Commitment. Maa Vilakku looks divine..beautifully presented!

      Reply
    5. Maven

      November 13, 2013 at 5:19 pm

      I'm neither Indian, Hindu, or Tam-Bram (but my husband is). Which holidays or under which circumstances would you make this? Is this first used as a diya and offering, and then eaten as a sweet? It fascinates me:)

      Reply
    6. Rumana Ambrin

      November 13, 2013 at 5:44 pm

      Wow!! very beautiful and unique dish..

      Reply
    7. preetha sunil

      November 13, 2013 at 6:39 pm

      Hi, i love this since my childhood and was searching for the receipe. Thanks a ton.

      Reply
    8. Snow White

      November 13, 2013 at 7:05 pm

      super pic.. my favorite dish .. karthigai special

      Reply
    9. Yes Cook

      November 13, 2013 at 8:49 pm

      So well prepared. I have never heard or seen edible diyas till today.
      Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
    10. jeyashri suresh

      November 14, 2013 at 1:17 am

      Beautifully explained,wonderful clicks.

      Reply
    11. Sandhiya

      November 14, 2013 at 11:26 am

      Love the recipe and beautiful pictures..

      Reply
    12. Ananda Rajashekar

      November 14, 2013 at 12:17 pm

      Yes there is a great sense of contentment when doing traditional recipe…. beautiful…. have seen people using this diya in temples and remember having them as prasad….Can't think of doing them, but brought back a lot of memories!

      Reply
    13. Vanamala Hebbar

      November 14, 2013 at 6:12 pm

      This one we do it on the occassion of June and July Ashada month… Looks nice

      Reply
    14. Archana Varma

      November 16, 2013 at 9:29 am

      THANK YOU VERY MUCH

      Reply
    15. Nandu

      November 17, 2013 at 2:25 am

      too good … will try this out today .. thank you so much

      Reply
    16. lakshmi kumar

      November 17, 2013 at 8:40 pm

      Thanks for the recipe…very nice..

      Reply
    17. Lavi Raj

      November 18, 2013 at 12:27 pm

      lovely clicks! esp with your hands! i like this maa vilakku very much sharmi. but i was afraid to try. will try it for next deepam!

      Reply
    18. Sugi

      November 21, 2013 at 6:29 am

      Another version is using grated coconut and sugar instead of jaggery and lil more ghee with the same method.Kids love it like anything and tastes like a milk sweet.

      Reply
    19. Cibi S

      December 29, 2013 at 12:13 am

      wow !! thank you so much !!! 🙂 Will do it soon 🙂

      Reply
    20. Shanthi

      January 13, 2014 at 2:46 pm

      Shari hats off! You are doing your part to keep the tradition going on. I really appreciate that . In the farms when we celebrate pongal this maavilakku plays a main role but nowadays even the farming community are not bothered to do it ! Happy with ready made sweets. It's a pity. We'll done!!! So proud of your work!

      Reply
    21. Vidya Prabhu

      November 30, 2014 at 5:12 am

      Lovely clicks !!

      Reply
    22. Vidya Prabhu

      November 30, 2014 at 5:14 am

      Please let me know the method of maa vilakku with sugar instead of jaggery….

      Reply
    23. foodzu

      November 30, 2017 at 4:13 pm

      This is good for festive time. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
    24. Niveditha

      December 11, 2019 at 2:50 pm

      It looks and tastes delicious!

      Reply
    5 from 5 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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