Diwali Special !!!

A VERY HAPPY DIWALI TO U ALL!!!

Hope u guys had a wonderful and colorful diwali filled with happiness this year...

"Diwali", “row of lights” for which the festival is named , to welcome Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. Light signifies goodness. So, during the Festival of Lights, 'deeps', or oil lamps, are burned throughout the day and into the night to ward off darkness and evil .It is a time to lit up 'diyas' in and around the house, and kindle the dark, amavasi night with dazzling display of fireworks. It is a time for rejoice , a time to put on new things, time for exchanging gifts and greetings and wishing each other.The preparations begin the day before Diwali,the house is washed and decorated with kolam (rangoli) . In the pooja room, betel leaves, betel nuts, plaintain fruits, flowers, sandal paste, kumkum, gingelly oil, turmeric powder are kept. Crackers and new dresses are placed in a plate after smearing a little kumkum or sandal paste. Diwali celebrations begins early in the morning. Family members applies sesame oil on their heads and take bath.They were new clothes,goes to temple and burst crackers.This year i missed all these things,this was our first diwali( thalai diwali).I made some traditional snacks,as i'm a beginner in cooking,tried with some simple ones..like Paruppu Vada,ulundu Vada,Paasi paruppu (moong dal) Vada and Suzhiyan.I tried suzhiyan from RAK's Kitchen,it was very tasty.

Ulundu Vadai (Urad dal vada)
Ingredients
Urad dal 1cup
Fenugreek seeds 1/2tsp
Green chillies 3 nos
Ginger 1tsp
Onions 1/3cup
Carrot 1/3cup (optional)
Rice flour 2tsp (to make vadas crisp)
Salt
Oil for deep frying
Method
Soak urad dal nad fenugreek seeds for an hour,grind both dals in ablender to athick batter without adding water.Add very little if needed to grind.If batter is bit watery ,add rice flour .so that batter will be thick,u get crispy vadas.Mix salt,ginger,onions,carrot into the batter.In a heavy bottomed pan,heat oil for deep frying.Wet our hands or apply little oil ,so that batter doesnot syick to the hands.Make vadas and deep fry it.Making holes in vadas are not that easy for beginners like me,my vada are not in very good shape.

Moong dal Vada(Paasi paruppu vada)
Ingredients
Moong dal 1cup
Ginger 1tsp
Green chilli 3
Salt
Oil for deep frying
Method
Soak dal for an hour,grind smoothly without adding water.Mix ginger,green chilli,salt to it.Heat oil ,pour batter into oil with a small spoon,u'll get different shapes of vada.Fry till golden brown.

Sweet Appam

Happy Navaratri!!!!!

"Ayigiri Nandhini Nandhitha Medhini
Viswa Vinodhini Nandhanuthe
Girivara Vindhya Sirodhini Vasini
Vishnu Vilasini Jishnunuthe
Baghavathy He Sithi Kanda Kudumbhini
Boori Kudumbhini Boorikruthe
Jaya Jaya He Mahishasura Mardhini
Ramyaka Bardhini Sailasuthe."Navaratri is dedicated to Goddess Saraswathi/Durga,the "Goddess of Learning" and considered as personification of courage,strength and power.Its a festival of nine days,last three days are more scared than others,they are called Durgashtami, Mahanavami and Vijayadasami.In my house in kerala ,during the durashtami day in the evening ,a ceremony called "Poojavaipu" is performed.Books ,musical instruments are placed before the goddess ,"Golu" is kept in golu padi,decorated with flowers and other decorative items.Idols of God,Goddess and other mythological characters are placed on padi and pujas are performed.
The following day, Mahanavami, is totally devoted to the worship of Saraswathi. Pooja is performed both in the morning and in the evening and many more items such as rice, payasam, thirali,vada,appam etc are offered to Devi.During our childhood days,we love this festival than other,coz as studies are suspended during the puja days.On the Vijayadasami day after a Puja in the morning, the books and implements are removed and this ceremony is called `Puja Eduppu'. The time for the break up of the puja marks the beginning of learning and work. In our house,we write "Om Sri Ganapataye namaha" on rice , particularly the children, and read a few sentences from books. Its a day to begin new ventures, business or education as it is an auspicious day and assures one of success. On Vijayadasami, toddlers are taught their first alphabet ,ceremony is conducted in all temples,its known as "Ezhuthiniruth".

Sweet Appam
Ingredients....
Rice flour /wheat flour1cup
Sugar/jaggery 1/4cup
Coconut 1/2cup
Cardamom 1/2tsp
Banana 1 ripe
Refined oil for frying
Method..
1.Mix well the riceflour with cardamom,coconut and sugar.
2.Mash banana well with hand,add along with above items.
3.Sprinkle water to mix,make a thick batter like that of vada batter
4.Heat oil in a pan,take small balls flatten it with fingers in a oilpaper/banana leaves.
5.Deep fry them till they are golden brown or pour batter in appam pan.
U can use wheat flour also.Maida is generally not used on festivals.I used riceflour here.
Instead of sugar,jaggery can be used like melt jaggery in 3-4tsp of warm water,strain for impurities .mix this along with rest of the ingredients.Jaggery i found here is not that good taste ,so i used sugar.
This is my entry to Saraswati pooja/Navaratri under the event RCI-Tamilfestivals hosted by Viji and also to JFS:Dassera/Diwali hosted by Vee

Vinayaka Chaturthi

Vinayaka chaturthi or Ganesh chaturthi is an occasion of the birthday of Lord Ganesh,who has elephant head and human body."Vinayakan ",as the name indicates,is the Lord of beginning and Lord of obstacles,he's the "destroyer of sorrows and remover of obstacles" ,honoured with affection at the start of any ritual or ceremony and invoked as the "Patron of Letters" at the beginning of any writing.Ganesha has two Siddhis ,Siddhi (success) and Riddhi (prosperity). Wherever there is Vinayakan, there is Success and Prosperity.On the day of chaturthi,we decorate our house by drawing "kolams" with riceflour,flowers,mavela thoram at door step, make a clay idol of lord and decorate it with sandal , kumkum and a very special aurgampul malai( a type of grass,which is very special to lord) and a beautiful umbrella is placed behind the idol.Then idol is placed in plantain leaf or mandap.Then at the evening puja is performed by chanting "Ganesha Sahasranamam". Ganesha is very fond of sweets,therefore payasam,modhakam or kozhukattai ,sundal ,fruits and other sweets are offered.After 2 days,the idol is immersed in sea.we usually immersed the idol in river near our house.

Kozhukattai and sundal was my "naivedhyam".Grandma is my greatest inspiration in cooking.Most of my recipes are her contribution.Same in the case of "kozhukattai" also.Those who had no steam cooker or iddli set like me,can try this... forgot to bring from india...I'm searching for one, for last few months..hmmm couldt find....... search is still goin on ... when i was wondering 'how to cook modhakam',grandma gave me this simple version of kozhukattai,cooking in boiling water......i'd like to share with u...

Kozhukattai

Ingredients...

Rice 1cup

Jaggery or sugar 1/2cup (change to ur need)

coconut 1/4cup

cardamom 3

water less than 1/4cup

method...

Mix riceflour,grated jaggery,cococnut together.sprinkle some water if nesscery to mix the ingredients.Make small balls or rice dumplings and keep aside.In a saucepan,boil 2 cups of water.when water started boiling,put rice balls in it.cook for 10-15min.

Chickpeas Sundal

Ingredients.

Chickpeas 1 1/2cup

Grated coconut 3tsp

Salt 1tsp

Musturdseeds 1/4tsp

Urad dal 1/4 tsp

Red chillies 4 -5

curry leaves 5 -6

Asafoetida 1 pinch

Method..

Soak chickpeas overnight or atleast 8 hours before making sundal.Wash n pressure cook peas with salt for one whistle.Decant the water and let it stand for few mintutes.In a kadai,heat up the oil,musturd seeds,urad dal.redchillies,curryleaves and asafoetida.Remove from heat,now add cooked peas and coconut .stir to mix well.

Tips..

Instead of grated coconut,dry coconut or copra chopped can also be used.

This is my entry toEvent for Ganeshchaturthi hosted by LathaThe'yum'blog

KRISHNA JAYANTHI

HAPPY KRISHNA JAYANTHI!!!!

Krishna jayanthi is the celebration of the birth of lord krishna,in south india it's also known as Gokulashtami. Lord Sri Krishna was born on the 'Rohini' nakshatram (star) on Ashtami day,so it also known as Asthami Rohini In kerala.
Sri Krishna is Lord Vishnu's eighth avatar (incarnation) on earth. He is considered to be the Lord's most glorious incarnations.This festival occurs on the eight day of the dark half of the month Shravan. We decorate our house with flowers ,rangoli , mavela thoranam at doorstep and small feets are drawn with rice flour from entrance to puja room .It 's believed that baby krishna visits his devotee's house to bless them ,leaving behind his foot prints.i remember once my grandma dipped my infant brother 's legs in the flour n drew the foot steps.she takes ''vratham'' (fasting) till midnight chanting slokams n reciting prayers from bagavet gita.
Special dishes like appam,murukku,payasam,aval,seedai ,ladduu and butter are offered to lord.In the evening a special puja is done and people ask one another" kannan onga veetukku vandacha?" (Has Kannan come to your house?).At night we go to krishnan temple near our house ,kolattam is performed by kids dressed up as Krishna and Radha . It is a replete with love for lord krishna.
Yesterday we celebrated with Pal payasam and Aravanai as ''naivedhiyam''.I really wished to draw footprints ,but houses here in usa are laid with carpet.hmmm.....so I couldn't.At that moment I thought east or west india is the best.
Just tried mom's recipe and I like to share here.here it goes......

PAL PAYASAM
Ingredients...
Basmati rice /unakkallari(red rice) 1/4 cup
Milk 6cups
water 1 cup
sugar 1/2 cup
ghee for frying

Garnishing...

cashewnuts 10 nos
cardamom 5 nos
raisins 5nos (optional)

Method

Mix together all the ingredients in a pressure cooker.Cook on a high flame till the first whistle.Soon after the first whistle is heard, lower the fire and cook for half an hour.Fry cashews and raisins in ghee.Garnish the paayasam with the fried cashews and raisins.Serve hot or chilled

ARAVANAI PAYASAM /SWEET PONGAL

Ingredients

Raw rice - ½ cup
Green gram(Cheruparippu) - ½ cup
Ghee - ½ cup
Jaggery(Sharkkara) - 3 cups
Copra(dried coconut) pieces - ¼ cup
Cashews(chopped) - ¼ cup
Raisins(Onakka munthiri) - ¼ cup
Sugar candy(Kalkandam) - ¼ cup (optional)
Grated coconut - ½ cup(optional)

Method....
Lightly roast green gram, till a nice aroma comes and the colour changes.Wash rice and dal together.Heat up a pressure pan.Add rice and dal along with 2 cups of water.Close the cooker, keep the weight and cook upto 2 whistlesAllow it to cool.Add ½ cup of water to jaggery and heat on a low flame, stirring continuously, till the jaggery dissolves compeletely. Strain and add to the rice-dal mixture.Cook, adding ghee little by little.Add the copra fried in ghee.When the whole mixture becomes a mass, add cashew and raisins fried in littleghee.Remove from the flame.Add sugarcandy and freshly grated coconut.

Tips... It can be made only with rice without adding dal.You can cook the mixture for just one whistle and if thus made, rice will be slightly grainy.You can add 1 cup of ghee and 4 cups of jaggery.