Festival Recipes

Festival Recipes

        PONGAL FESTIVAL

Pongal is a harvest festival - the Tamil equivalent of Thanksgiving. In an agriculture based civilization the harvest plays an important part. The farmer cultivating his land depends on cattle, timely rain and the Sun. Once a year, he expresses his gratitude to these during the harvest festival. With the end of the wet month of Margazhi (mid December to mid January) the new Tamil month of Thai heralds a series of festivals. The first day of this month is a festival day known as "Pongal Day". Pongal means the "boiling over" of milk and rice duringthemonthofThai.

According to the calendar based on the solar system the year is divided into two halves following the apparent movement of the Sun northwards and Southwards. The farmer is termed Uttarayanam and the latter is Dakshinayanam. On the first day of the Thai, the Sun leaves the zodiac sign of Sagittarius and enters that of capricorn, the latter is known as Makaram. The event thus is celebrated as Pongal.

The four day celebration of Pongal Marks a period of plenty, peace and happiness. There is a Tamil saying that"Thai peranthal Vali Perakum". That paraphrased means with the dawn of the month of Thai, there will be peace, happiness, prosperity, brightness and harmony in the life of everyone. It is held to honor the Sun, for a bountiful harvest. Families gather to rejoice and share their joy and their harvests with others. The Sun is offered a "Pongal" of rice and milk.

Preparations for this festival start early and the first thing that is always found in Hindu homes before the start of Pongal is the 'kolam'. This is a form of decoration for the Hindus' homes. This decorative pattern is made with rice flour & is usually drawn on the floor outside the door. The kolams serve as a symbol of welcoming guests to the entrance of the house. At the center of the Kolam is a lump of cow-dung, which holds a five-petaled pumpkin flower-a symbol of fertility and an offering of love to the presiding deity.

The houses are cleaned and decorated to prepare for Pongal. For the festival, the Hindus buy new clothes and the ladies of the households would prepare sweetmeats. There is also a belief in the Hindus that the harvest festival will bring great wealth and goodness to their homes. All the four days of Pongal have their own significance as separate deities are worshiped each day.

The first day is celebrated as the Bhogi Pongal and is usually meant for domestic activities and of being together with the family members. This first day is celebrated in honor of Lord Indra, the supreme ruler of clouds that give rains. The second day is known as 'Pongal' the most important day of the entire festival, where prayers are offered to the Sun. On this day, the Sun is given great importance and hence the day is called Surya Pongal.

The third day is known as Mattu Pongal, the day of Pongal for cows. The cattle are washed, their horns are painted and covered with shining metal caps. Kanu Pongal, which falls on the same day as Maatu Pongal, is celebrated by sisters for the welfare of their brothers. This festival is reminiscent of Raksha Bandhan and Bhai Dooj of North India

Pongal Recipes:

Venn Pongal

Ingredients
» Rice 1 Cup
» Moong Dal 1/4 Cup
» Black Pepper Powder to taste
» Zera Powder 1 Tbsp
» Ginger Paste 1 Tsp
» Dry Dinger (Sukku) 1 Tbsp
» Heeng 1 Tsp
» Cashew for garnishing
» Margaring/Ghee 2 Tbsp
» Water 6 Cups
» Salt to taste

Method
1. Wash rice and dal together and drain nicely.
2. In the Rice cooker heat 1 tbsp ghee.
3. Add rice and dal. Fry till the ghee coats the mixture.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients, except Cashews.
5. Add water. Cover and cook.
6. Keep testing the water level and stir frequently as it has a tendency to stick to the bottom.
7. When rice gets fully mashed garnish with cashews.

Sakkarai Pongal

Ingredients
» 2 litres Milk
» 1 1/2 cups Newly harvested Rice
» 1/4 cup Moong Dal
» 15 no. Cashewnuts
» 10 no. Almonds
» 30 no. Kishmis
» 1/4 level teaspoon Nutrieg Powder
» 1 1/2 cup Jaggery (grated)
» 1/4 teaspoon Saffron (crushed)
» 1 teaspoon Cardamom powder
» 2 tablespoons ghee

Method
1. Chop almonds and cashewnuts.
2. Clean kishmis.
3. Pour milk in the earthen pot called 'Pongapani' and place it on fire.
4. When the milk starts boiling add rice and dal, after washing. As soon as the rice and dal are cooked to softness, add jaggery and ghee.
5. Let cook on medium fire for some time and then put in almond and cashewnut bits, saffron, nutrieg and cardamom powders.
6. Now, add the kishmis.
7. Bring to one or two good boils.

Milk Payasam

Milk Payasam

Ingredients
» 1 litre of Milk.
» 1/4 cup of raw Rice.
» 1 cup Sugar.
» 1/2 tsp powdered Cardomom.
» Some Cashewnuts.
» & Ghee.

Method
Heat one litre of milk and when it boils and starts to rise add raw rice.Keep in low heat with constant stirring until the quantity reduces to one-half.Then add sugar and powdered cardomom.Roast cashewnuts and raisins in ghee and add it to the payasam.

Ulundhu Vadai

Ingredients:
Ulundhu(Urdhal) - 1 Cup
Green Chilli - 2
Ginger - 1 teaspoon
Salt - To Taste
Rice - 2 teaspoon
Oil - for Frying
Onion - 1 full size finely chopped (optional only. Brahmins dont add onion for neyvedhyam)

Curry leaves - few

Method:

• Soak the Ulundhu(Urdhal) and rice in water for 45 mins
• Strain it and grind it along with green chilli, ginger and salt in a grinder without adding water. Grind it till the urdhal is smooth without any bumps
• Sprinkle water only if necessary
• Take it from grinder after the urdhal is ground properly
• Add the finely chopped onion, ginger,curry leaves and mix well
• Now Heat the oil in pan and once the oil is hot, add a little amount of flour to check for the readiness of oil. If the flour comes up right way, then the oil is ready
• In a banana leaf or small plastic cover, add little amount of urdhal flour and make small hole in the middle and spread the flour and then take it from leaf using water and add it to the pan
• Add 4-5 urdhal flour and add it to oil. Slowly change the vadai to other side to cook properly in both sides
• Once the vadai becomes golden brown color, remove from flame

The yummy Urdhal vadai(Medhuvadai) is ready to server

Thiruvathirai (Aruthra Tharisanam)

• 
  
  rudra Darisanam, a festival dedicated to Lord Nataraja, is major event in the Shiva temples in Tamil Nadu. This festival is observed during the full moon night in the Tamil month of Margazhi (December).

This is a grand festival in which abhisheks are offered to Lord Nataraja and Sivakami, his consort. The rituals are held in the pre-dawn hours, when the moon is still shining brightly. Various ceremonies are held amid the holy chants in Sanskrit and Tamil. A grand procession is later taken through the streets.

Thiruvathira festival is also celebrated in Kerala, but for a different reason. It is more of a women festival in Kerala with women emulating Goddes parvati, who tries to get Shiva as her husband.

Ingredients:
Raw Rice - 2 cups or ground rice powder - 1 Cup
Grated Jaggery - 2 Cups

Water - 3 Cups
Moong Dhal - 2 table spoon
Cardamom - 6
Grated Cocunut - 4 table spoon
Cashew nuts - 6
Ghee - 2 tablespoon
Salt - A Pinch

Put the Raw rice in a Kadaai and fry it until the rice becomes light red color.

• Grind the Raw Rice in a mixer and the rice powder should be like Rawa. Take the contents in a bowl.
• Put the moongdhal in the kadaai and fry it till it becomes light red color and pour some water to cook the dhal.

Once the dhal is almost cooked, pour the water, jaggery and a pinch of saltWhen the jaggery mixture begins to boil, add the powdered rice and stir well to avoid bumps.

• Powder the cardamon and add it along with the grated cocunut.
• Fry the cashews in the ghee and add to the kali. Add the remaining ghee to the kali and stir it one.
• Delicious Kali is ready for Thiruvadhirai.

Vinyakar Chathurti Recipes

Thiruvadurai Kali

PAAL KOLLUKATTAI

Rice flour- 2cups Sugar-1 cup( It can be reduced to 3/4 cup if one wants to reduce the sweet) Milk-3 cups( I use HALF & HALF, it can be substituted with whole milk) Water-1cup Grated coconut-1/2cup

Make a soft dough of the rice flour, grated coconut along with 1/4 cup sugar and required amount of water.Shape them out to round kollukattai's Bring the milk to boil along with water and remaining sugar.When the milk starts boiling well add the kollukattais one by one take care not to break them.Keep them in low flame till the kollukattais are cooked

1.Uluthamparuppu poorana kozhukattai is a special tasty dish and one of the neyivedhyam on Vinayaka Chaturti Festival.
Urdhal - 1/2 Cup Green Chilli – 4 Rice Flour - 1 Cup Oil - 2 tablespoon
Salt - To Taste Curry Leaves – Few Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Soak the urdhal in water for 30 mins and after that take the urdhal from water.Add green chilli and salt and grid the urdhal in a mixer one or twiceAdd chopped curry leaves in the urdhal mixture and cook it in idly plate in a pressure cooker for 10minsTake the cooked urdhal mixture from the pressure cooker and make sure the mixture is not solidHeat the pan and add mustard seeds and once the mustard starts to sputter add urdhal mixture and mix it well and keep it asideTake a pan and add 1/2 cup water, 1 teaspoon oil and little salt and when the water starts to boil , add the rice flour and mix it well and remove from flame and keep it aside covered with plateTake the rice flour mixture after some time and sprinke some warm water and also some oil and mix it well like a doughTake some oil in a bowl and take little oil in a hand and then take little amount of rice flour and using the oil make it like a cup and then in the middle of it add the urdhal pooranam and close the flour and keep it asideSteam cook the urdhal poorna kozhukattai in pressure cooker by placing it in a idli plate for 5 minsThe delicious urdhal poorana kozhukattai is ready for neivedhyam as well as for serving

Seesame Seeds Poorana Kozhukattai(Yellu Poorana Kozhukattai)

Black Sesame seeds - 1 Cup Chopped Cocunut - 2 tablespoon Grated Jaggery - 1/2 Cup
Ghee - 1 tablespoon Cashewnuts – few Cardamom Powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Rice Flour - 1 Cup Oil - 2 tablespoon
Soak the black sesame seeds in water for 10 mins and then take it out and fry the sesame seeds in a pan and when it starts to sputter remove it from flame and then keep it asideGrind the sesame seeds in themixer and again add the jaggery and grid it for a while and then take the mixtureFry the cashew in the ghee and then add it in the sesame mixture. To this add cardamom powderMake small balls out of this mixture and keep it in a plateTake a pan and add 1/2 cup water ,1 teaspoon oil and little salt and when the water starts to boil, add the rice flour and mix it well and remove from flame and keep it aside covered with a plateTake the rice flour mixture and add sprinkle some warm water and also some oil and mix it well like a dough.Take some oil in a bowl and take little oil in hand and then take little rice flour ball and make it like a cup and then in the middle of it add the sesame seeds poorana ball and then close the flour and keep it aside. Repeat the same for rest of the flour and pooranaSteam cook all these kozhukattai in a Idli plate in the cooker for 5 minsThe mouth-watering sesame seeds poorana kozhukkati is ready for Neivedhyam on the auspicious occassion of Vinayaka Chaturti and then server it hot.

2.Kadalai Paruppu Purana Kozhukattai(Channa dhal Poorana Kozhukattai)

Channa dhal - 1/2 Cup Grated Cocunut - 3 tablespoon Grated Jaggery - 3/4 Cup
Ghee - 1 tablespoon Cashewnuts – few Cardamom Powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Rice Flour - 1 Cup Oil - 2 tablespoon

Take a pan and add 1/2 cup water ,1 teaspoon oil and little salt and when the water starts to boil, add the rice flour and mix it well and remove from flame and keep it aside covered with a plateAdd the channa dhal in the pan and fry for sometimeCook the above fried channa dhal in the pressure cooker and allow it to cook for 3 whistles.Strain the excess water from the cooked channa dhal and then grid it lightly in a mixerAdd grated jaggery in a pan and some water to dissolve the jaggery and once the jaggery juice starts thicker then add the grated cocunut and grinded channa dhal powder and mix it well and then take it from flameFry the cashew in the ghee and then add it in the channa dhal mixture. To this add cardamom powderTake the rice flour mixture and add sprinkle some warm water and also some oil and mix it well like a dough.Take some oil in a bowl and take little oil in hand and then take little rice flour ball and make it like a cup and then in the middle of it add the channa dhal poorana ball and then close the flour and keep it aside. Repeat the same for rest of the flour and pooranaSteam cook all these kozhukattai in a Idli plate in the cooker for 5 mins

3.Green Gram Kozhukattai(Pachhai Payiru Kozhukattai)

Green Gram - 1/2 Cup Grated Cocunut - 3 tablespoon Grated Jaggery - 3/4 Cup
Ghee - 1 tablespoon Cashewnuts – few Cardamom Powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Rice Flour - 1 Cup Oil - 2 tablespoon
Take a pan and add 1/2 cup water ,1 teaspoon oil and little salt and when the water starts to boil, add the rice flour and mix it well and remove from flame and keep it aside covered with a plateAdd the green gram in the pan and fry for sometimeCook the above fried gram in the pressure cooker and allow it to cook for 3 whistles.Strain the excess water from the cooked green gram and then grid it lightly in a mixerAdd grated jaggery in a pan and some water to dissolve the jaggery and once the jaggery juice starts thicker then add the grated cocunut and grinded green gram powder and mix it well and then take it from flameFry the cashew in the ghee and then add it in the green gram mixture. To this add cardamom powder.Take the rice flour mixture and add sprinkle some warm water and also some oil and mix it well like a dough.Take some oil in a bowl and take little oil in hand and then take little rice flour ball and make it like a cup and then in the middle of it add the pachai payiru poorana ball and then close the flour and keep it aside. Repeat the same for rest of the flour and poorana Steam cook all these kozhukattai in a Idli plate in the cooker for 5 min

4.THENGAI PURANAM KOZHUKATTAI

Grated Cocunut - 1 Cups Grated Jaggery - 1/2 Cup Cardamom Poweder - 1/4 teaspoon
Rice Flour - 1 Cup Oil - 2 tablespoon
Take a pan and add 1/2 cup water ,1 teaspoon oil and little salt and when the water starts to boil, add the rice flour and mix it well and remove from flame and keep it aside covered with a plateAdd grated jaggery to the pan and add some water to make stir it wellWhen the jaggery juice reaches 1 string consistency, add the grated cocunut and mix it wellAdd cardamom powder to jaggery mixture and mix it well and take it from the flame and then make small balls of the purna and keep it asideTake the flour mixture and add sprinkle some warm water and also some oil and mix it well like a dough.Take some oil in a bowl and take little oil in hand and then take little rice flour ball and make it like a cup and then in the middle of it add the poorana ball and then close the flour and keep it aside. Repeat the same for rest of the flour and pooranaSteam cook all these kozhukattai in a Idli plate in the cooker for 5 minsThe yummy Thengai poorana kozhukkati is ready for Neivedhyam on the auspicious occassion of Vinayaka Chaturti and then server it hot

5. AMMINI KOZHUKATTAI
Raw Rice (Pacharisi) - 1 cup  Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp Urad Dhal - 1/2 tsp
Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp Grated Coconut - 1 tbsp Asafoetida - a pinch
Gingelly Oil (Nalennai) - 2 tbsp Curry Leaves – few Salt, to taste
Soak Rice for atleast 30 minutes. Drain and grind to a smooth paste adding required water. Add salt to taste and ensure that the batter is a bit watery. Heat about 1.5 tbsp of the oil in a pan on medium heat (i used a non-stick pan). Pour the batter and keep stirring continuously until it becomes thick. This only takes a few minutes. When it is dry enough, remove from the stove and let cool slightly before lightly kneading it. Grease your palms lightly and make small, smooth balls (abt 1 cm in diameter). Put these in a greased idli pan and steam for 10 minutes (just like you would an idli). They will get a nice sheen once cooked Heat 1 tsp of oil in a pan, season with mustard seeds, urad dhal, asafoetida, curry leaves. Add the chilli powder and immediately add the kozhukattai. Fry this for a few minutes, add grated coconut and switch off the stove. Yummy kozhukattais are now ready to be eaten up as a tea-time snack.

RAW RICE ILDLI

Parboiled Rice - 4 cups Urdhal - 1 Cup Salt - To taste

Soak the rice and urdhal separately in water for 2 hour Grind the urdhal first in grinder by adding water little by little and grind it atleast for 20 minsThen take the urdhal batter in a separate vessel and add the drained rice to the grinder and grind it till it comes to a soft batterFinally mix the both batters and add the salt and keep it separately for atleast 12 hours for the batter to undergo fermentationIdly batter is ready

PARUPPU PAYASAM

Grated Cocunut - 1 CupMoong dhal - 3 tablespoon Raw Rice - 5 tablespoon
Jaggery - 1/2 Cup Cardamom – 4 Ghee - 1 teaspoon

Dry fry the moongdhal till it becomes red colourMix the fried moong dhal and rice and rinse it and add required water and pressure cook itTake the cooked rice and dhal and put it in a heavy bottomed pan and add jaggery with little water.Let the jaggery boils well till its raw smell goes off.Grind the grated cocunut with 1/4 cup of water and squeeze the milk from it and keep it asideAgain add 1/4 cup of water to cocunut and grind it and squeeze the milk from it and keep i asideWhen the rawsmell of jaggery goes away, add the last ground(2nd time) cocunut milk to the rice mixture and let it boil for a minute. When the mixture starts to bubble, add the first ground cocunut milk and switch off the flame.

KONDAI KADALAI SUNDAL

Chole - 1 Cup Salt - To Taste Red Chilli – 2 Gratede Cocunut - 1 tablespoon
Curry leaves – few Hing - a pinch
For Seasoning:Oil - 1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds - 1 teaspoon: Soak the Chole in water overnight The next day pressure cook the chole and allow for 3 whishtles Heat the pan, pour some oil and add mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds begins to sputter, add hing, curry leaves, broken red chilli and then add the cooked chole and salt and mix it well Finally add the grated cocunut and mix it well

RICE APPAM

Rice - 1 cup (Pacha arasi) Grated Jaggery - 3/4 cup Fenugreek Seeds/Vendhayam - 1/4 teaspoonUrad dal - 1/4 teaspoon Cardamom (powdered)- 1/2 teaspon

Heat the pan (thick bottom pan) and fry the rice till the color of the rice change to light brown Add the fenugreek seeds and urad dal with the rice and soak them in the water for 30 minsAfter 30 mins rinse the water and grind the rice,fenugreek seeds,urad dal mixture to the fine paste. Dont add water during grinding.Add the Jagari now with the grinded rice and grind it again till the consistency of the batter look like a dosa batter Add the cardamom powder to the mixtureHeat the oil in the thik bottom pan (ennai chatti). Once the oil gets heat then pour one ladle (small kuzhi karandi) of appam batter and deep fry it. Keep the flame in medium

Pidi Kozhukattai

Raw Rice - 1 Cup Grated Jaggery - 1 Cup Moong Dhal - 2 teaspoon
Cardamom powder - 1/2 teaspoon Grated Cocunut - 5 teaspoon
Soak the rice in water for 30mins and then take it out from water and grid it to a nice powder in a mixerHeat the pan and fry the rice flour till it becomes red color and keep it asideDry fry the moong dhal in pan till it gives a good aroma Add water to cook the dhal and allow it to cook for 5 minsAfter 5 mins add 2 cups of water and add grated jaggery and stir it well till the jaggery dissolves in waterNow add the roasted rice flour and mix it evenly. At last add cardamom powder, grated coconut and mix it well Allow the mixture to cool and then make small balls out of the mixture and steam cook the balls by placing it in a idli plate and keep it in pressure cooker for 5 mins

Krishna Jeyanthi

 

Ingredients:

Rice - 2 cups
Grated Jaggery - 1.5 Cups
Sesame Seeds - 1 handfull
Grated Cocunut - 5 tablespoon
Cardamom - 1/2 teaspoon

Method:

• Soak the rice and rinse it in water and then spread the rice in a towel till it becomes dry
• Soak the sesame seeds in water for 30mins
• Now grind the rice in a mixer to a nice powder
• Add jaggery in a pan with 1/2 cup of water and when it dissolves it water take it and strain the jaggery water to avoid sand
 
• Again boil the jaggery water along with cocunut and sesame seeds and keep stirring it until the jaggery comes to one string consistency
• Now remove the jaggery from water and add that to the wet rice powder and mix it well along with cardamom powder.

Keep this mixture aside for atleast one day

The next day, heat required oil in a heavy bottomed pan

Make small balls of the vella seedai mixture and drop around 5-6 balls once the oil is hot.

Deep fry the seedai till it becomes golden color.

Thenkuzhal Recipe:

Rice Flour       2 Cups  Urdhal          2 Teaspoon    Salt    To Taste

Cumin Seeds  1 Teaspoon   Hing     A Pinch

Oil       For Frying  Butter    1/2 cup

Accessories Required:  Thenkuzhal Press  Thenkuzhal ould

Method:

Grind the cumin seeds in a mixer to a nice powder

Dry fry the urdhal in a pan and grind it in a mixer to a nice powder.

Mix the rice flour, urdhal powder, cumin seeds powder, salt, butter and hing in a vessel

Add water and make the flour into a chapati like dough

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan, and when the oil is hot add a little piece of dough to check for the hotness. When the dough raises immediately then the oil is ready for frying

Put 1 hand full of dough in a press, and close the press with Thenkuzhal mould. Squeeze the dough to a big circle.Deep fry the Thenkuzhal in low flame till it is crisp and turns golden brown color.Take it out and place it in a oil strainer with a paper towel to remove excess oil and allow it to cool.Store it in a air tight container and serve.The delicious Thenkuzhal is ready to serve.

Thattai :

Rice Flour 2 Cup  Fried Gram(Odachakadalai) Flour 1/2 Cup

Red Chilli Powder 1 teaspoon  Hing 1/4 teaspoon

Salt To Taste  Coconut sliced pieces 2 teaspoon

Fried Gram(Odachakadalai) 2 teaspoon  Curry Leaves few

Oil For Frying  Butter 1 table spoon

Method:Take a pan, add rice flour, fried gram flour, salt, red chilli powder, hing, sliced coconut pieces, curry leaves, fried gram, butter and mix it well. Sprinkle water and mix all these ingredients to make it a thick dough.Take a piece of plastic paper, spread oil in the paper, make small ball of the flour, and keep it in paper.Grease the fingers with oil and press the ball to flatten it.Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan.Slowly turn the plastic paper over your palm. The greased plastic will enable flattened thattai to slip on your hands easilyTurn them to cook evenly until golden yellow/ deep brownDrop them on a paper towel to drain excess oilOnce cooled, store them in an air tight container.

Uppu Seedai:

Ingredients:
Rice - 2 Cups
Grated Coconut - 2 cups
Salt - To Taste
Urdhal Powder - 1 teaspoon

Method:

• Soak the rice in water and rinse it and spread it in a towel for sometime. The rice should be light wet to grind it in a mixer
• Grind the rice in a mixer and strain it twice and take it aside
• Along with this add urdhal powder, grated coconut and salt and mix it well
• Now with the hand pressure make small balls of mixture and keep it aside in a plate
• Heat the oil in the pan, and once the oil is hot, add 8-10 balls at a time and deep fry it till it becomes golden color.
• Now the delicious coconut seedai is ready for neivedhyam and for serving

APPAM

Ingredients:
Rice - 1 cup (Pacha arasi)
Grated Jaggery - 3/4 cup
Fenugreek Seeds/Vendhayam - 1/4 teaspoon
Urad dal - 1/4 teaspoon
Cardamom (powdered)- 1/2 teaspon

Method:

Heat the pan (thick bottom pan) and fry the rice till the color of the rice change to light brownAdd the fenugreek seeds and urad dal with the rice and soak them in the water for 30 minsAfter 30 mins rinse the water and grind the rice,fenugreek seeds,urad dal mixture to the fine paste. Dont add water during grinding.Add the Jagari now with the grinded rice and grind it again till the consistency of the batter look like a dosa batter
Add the cardamom powder to the mixtureHeat the oil in the thik bottom pan (ennai chatti). Once the oil gets heat then pour one ladle (small kuzhi karandi) of appam batter and deep fry it. Keep the flame in medium..

Karadayan Nombu:


Karadayan Nonbu or Savitri Vratham is a traditional tamilnadu festival of fasting wherein married women will pray for the wellness and long life of their husbands. This nonbu should be done exactly in the time when tamil month 'Masi' ends and the next month 'Panguni' starts. The reason why this fasting is carried out is that "Savithri fought with yema to save her husbands life", the sameway the married women should fast on this auspicious day for long life of their husbands.
Recipes:Adai:

Ingredients:
Raw Rice - 2 Cups  Karamani - 1 tablespoon
Jaggery powder - 1 Cup Finely Sliced cocunut - 1 Cup
Cardamom - a pinchWater - 11/2 CupsGhee - 1 tablespoon
Salt - a pinch
Method:

Soak the raw rice in water for 30 mins and then drain it and grind it in mixer to a nice powder.

In a pan, dry fry the wet rice powder for a while till the flour changes its color to red and keep it aside

In the same pan, dry fry the karamani till the raw smell goes off and pour some water to cook the karamani. When the karamani is cooked add the water

Then add the jaggery powder and stir it well so that it gets dissolved in water

Add a pinch of salt and when the jaggery water starts to boil add the rice flour and stir it properly to avoid lumps. Add finely chopped/sliced cocunut, ghee and cardamom powder and then stir it well till the flour is half-cooked and tightens. Switch off the flame

Now make small balls out from the flour and press it in center to make it like a vadai and put a small hole and place the patties in the idly plates and cook it for 5mins in pressure cooker

Varalakshmi Viradham:

 

Varalakshmi Pooja is an important pooja performed by many women in the states of Andra and Tamilnadu. This year Varalakshmi Viratham is on August 20, 2010.

Varalakshmi Pooja is celebrated on the friday, before the full moon day, in the Tamil Month Sravana (July-August). Varalakshmi is yet another form of Lord Vishnu’s consort, Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. Varalakshmi is believed to be the one who grants boons (Varam).
Varalakshmi Pooja can be performed any woman with no restriction of caste or creed. The legend of Varalakshmi Vratham is that Goddess Varalakshmi appeared in a woman devotee named Charumathi’s dream and expressed her satisfaction in the woman’s devotion towards the Goddess.

During this auspicious day, married women gets up early in the morning,take oil bath and start preparing neivedhyam for the pooja and decorate the kalasam.Every women who has the ritual to perform this viratham will have the Varalakshmi face(Amman mugham) in Silver.

Decorating Varalakshmi AmmanIn a thambalam(Plate), plantain leaf(Vazhaiilai) is laid and over the leaf, put 1 cup of raw rice and spread it evenly. Keep a silver pot(Sombu) and decorate the sivler pot with sandal and kumkum. Take a coconut rub it with turmeric keep that Over the silver pot, on the top of the coconut, decorate with karugumani bangles and cover the silver pot with blouse piece. Now place the Varalakshmi face over the coconut and tie it tightly in the back of the coconut to avoid falling. Decorate the Amman Mugham with different colors of flowers and gold chains. Now decorate a small table with thoraman and maaviali(Mango tree leaf) and place the thamabalam inside the table.

Perform PoojaPooja is avaialable in the internet as well as we can get DVD's which can be played to perform the viratham. We can also call sastri(priest) who will perform this pooja at our home. Finally once the pooja is about to complete, keep all the food which we have prepared for the neivedhyam. At last, the elderly married women ties the nonbu kayiru in her right hand with the help of her husband and she will in turn ties other nonbu kayiru to kanya(unmarried) girls at home. Everyone after they tie the knot in their hand ,they will pray to Varalakshmi godess to seek her blessings.

 

Adiperukku is a unique South Indian and specially a Tamil state festival celebrated on the 18th day of the Tamil month of Adi (mid July). The festival coincides with the annual freshes of the rivers and to pay tribute to water's life-sustaining properties. It is celebrated near River basins, water tanks, lakes and wells etc of Tamilnadu when the water level in the rises significantly heralding the onset of Monsoon Aadiperukku, water ritual through religious practice: In India the rivers Ganges and Yamuna, Cauvery and Gothavari are considered sacred. Just like the earth gives us food, water is considered as a considered sacred. Just like the earth gives us food, water is considered as a sacred necessity to meet the needs of individuals. People began to worship water in the form of wells, tanks and rivers. It is common among people to throw fruits, saffron cloths, etc., when the rivers and lakes are in spate purely based on the belief that these rivers are the species of female deities. Similarly every temple has sacred wells and tanks, and water in these resources are considered pure. There are cultural developments of the society that highlight many variations on the theme of primeval water which shows that water culture and civilization represent human interest with sacredness. Aadiperukku, otherwise called Padinettam Perukku – is peculiar to the all the perennial river basins of Tamilnadu and major lakes/ water source areas and is intended to celebrate the water rising levels due to the onset of monsoon, which is expected to occur invariably on the 18th day of the solar month, Aadi corresponding to the 2nd or 3rd of August every year. Hence "Padinettam perukku" - Padinettu signifies eighteen, and Perukku denotes rising. This festival is observed predominately by women in Tamil Nadu. The Aadiperukku, as a water-ritual, celebrated by women is said to honour Nature. In this auspicious day, Goddess Parvathi Devi is worshipped by offer of different rice dishes. Offerings of flowers, Akshata and rice offerings are done into sacred rivers like Cauveri. As per Purana, Parvathi devi meditated upon Lord Siva to see the divine vision and Lord Siva appeared as Shanka-Naraya swami. The avatar of Shri Bhooma devi also is believed to have taken place during this month.

Recipes

Coconut Rice. 
Ingredients:
Grated Coconut - 1 Cup
Salt - To Taste
Cooked Rice - 1 Cup
Green chilli - 2
Curry Leaves - 1 teaspoon chopped

For Seasoning:
Cocunut oil - 2 tablespoon
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Moongdhal - 1 tablespoon
Hing - 1/2 teaspoon

Soak the Moondhal in water for atleast 10mins.

Chop finely the green chilles and curry leaves and keep it aside.

Pour 1 tablespoon oil in the pan and add the grated cocunut and fry until the cocunut turns into golden brown color and keep it aside.

Now pour the remaining cocunut oil in the pan. Take the moong dhal from water and add it to the pan and fry until it becomes golden brown and then add the chopped green chilles and curry leaves and fry for a while.

Add the cooked rice to the pan and mix it with the grated fried cocunut. Add salt to your taste and mix it thoroughly.

Lemon Rice

Ingredients:Lemon - 1
Salt - To Taste
Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Cooked Rice - 1 Cup
Green chilli - 2

For Seasoning:
Gingelly oil - 3 teaspoon
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Channadhal - 1 teaspoon
Hing - 1/2 teaspoon

Squeeze the lemon and extract the juice and add the salt and keep it aside

In a heavy bottomed pan, add the the gingelly oil and add the mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds begins to sputter add the channa dhal and hing and fry for a while till the dhal changes its color to red.

Now add the chopped green chilli and then add the turmeric powder.

To this add the cooked rice and stir the rice gently to avoid smashing of rice.

Finally add the lemon extract and gently stir the rice

Puliyothari Rice Recipe
Tamarind - 1 big lemon size
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Salt - To Taste

For Grinding:
Urdhal - 2 teaspoon
Coriander seeds - 2 teaspoon
Curryleaves - few
Fenugreek seeds/Vendhayam - 1/2 teaspoon
Red chillies - 15

For Seasoning:
Gingelly oil - 2 teaspoon
Channa dhal - 1 teaspoon
Peanut - 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Hing - 1 teaspoon

Method:

• Soak the tamarind in water and extract the juice and keep it aside
• Heat the pan and dry fry the urdhal,fenugreek seeds, coriander seeds and curry leaves and keep it aside
• Again pour some oil in a pan and fry the red chillies and then grind it to powder along with the above fried ingredients
• Now in the pan pour the gingelly oil and add the mustard seeds. When the mustard starts to sputter add the channa dhal, peanut and hing and fry until they change their color to red.
• Now add the tamarind extract and add the salt.
• Let the mixture boils till the raw smell of the tamarind goes off.
• Now add the ground powder to the mixture and let its consistency becomes thick.
• Finally add the grated jaggery and then switch off the flame

Curd Rice
Ingredients:Milk - 1 Cup
Curd - 1 tablespoon
Salt - To Taste
Grated Ginger - 1 teaspoon
Green Chilli - 1 teaspoon chopped
Curry leaves - few

Seasoning:Ghee - 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Moongdhal - 1 teaspoon
Hing - 1/4 teaspoon

Method: 

• Pour the ghee in the pan and add the mustard seeds, once the mustard seeds begins to sputter add the moongdhal and fry till it becomes golden brown color.
• Now add hing , chopped ginger and green chilli and fry for a while
• To this add chopped curry leaves and fry for sometime.
• Remove the pan from the flame. Now add cooked rice and pour the milk and curd and mix the rice thoroughly.
• Add salt to tast

Sakkari Pongal:
Ingredients:Raw Rice - 1 cups
Moong dhal - 1/4 Cup
Jaggery - 1 Cup
Cashews - 5-6 numbers
Elachi - 1 number
Pachai Karpooram - A pinch (optional)
Dried Grapes - 4-5 numbers
Ghee - 4-5 tablespoon

Method:

• Heat the dry pan/cooker and add a table spoon of Ghee. Roast the moongdhal in the ghee and add with the raw rice for rinsing.
• Cook the raw rice along with the moongdhal in the pressure cooker by adding 1/2 up extra water than normal rice cooking and for 2 extra wistles in the cooker than normal. This will make the rice smashed. (you can add 2 cups of water and allow 4-5 wistles)
• In the pan, pour little water and add the jaggery.
• When the jaggery gets dissolved add the smashed cooked rice with dhal.
• Stir the rice evenly to spread the jaggery by keeping the flame low.
• Add the ghee slowly and keep on stirring the pongal for atleast 4-5 mins ( you can notice the pongal leaves the side of the vessel).
• Finally add the fried cashews, powdered elachi, Karpooram powder and dried grapes.

Navarathri Special

Navratri also called as Dasara, meaning ‘ten days’, becomes dasara in popular parlance. The Navaratri festival or ‘nine day festival’ becomes ‘ten day festival’ with the addition of the last day, Vijayadashami which is its culmination. On all these ten days, the various forms of Mother Mahisasura-mardini (Durga) are worshipped with fervour and devotion

Recipes:

NAVARATHIRI SUNDALS

1. Kondakadalai Sundal (Chole Sundal) Chole - 1 Cup
Salt - To Taste Red Chilli – 2 Gratede Cocunut - 1 tablespoon Curry leaves - few
Hing - a pinch
For Seasoning: Oil - 1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds - 1 teaspoon
Soak the Chole in water overnightThe next day pressure cook the chole and allow for 3 whishtlesHeat the pan, pour some oil and add mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds begins to sputter, add hing, curry leaves, broken red chilli and then add the cooked chole and salt and mix it wellFinally add the grated cocunut and mix it well

2.Karamani Sundal(Perum Payiru Sundal)

Karamani/Perum Payiru - 1 Cup Red Chilli – 1 Salt - To Taste Hing - a pinch
Grated Cocunut - 2 teaspoon
For Seasoning: Oil - 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon Curry leaves - few

Pressure cook the Karamani/Perum Payiru with salt till it is soft. Allow for only 2-3 whistlesHeat the oil in pan, add mustard seeds, and when the mustard seeds begins to sputter add curry leaves and hing and fry for a while Now add the cooked Karamani/Perum Payiru and mix it wellFinally add grated cocunut and mix it well

3.PachaiPayiru(Green Moong dhal) Sundal

PachaiPayiru(Green Moong dhal) - 1 Cup Red Chilli – 1 Salt - to Taste Grated Cocunut - 1 teaspoon

For Seasoning: Oil - 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon Curry leaves - FewHing - A pinch

Heat the pan, and add the dhal and add water till the dhals are soaked and add salt and allow them to cook till the dhal becomes soft but not stickyTake the cooked dhals and keep it asideNow heat the oil in the pan, and add mustard seeds and when the mustard seeds begins to sputter add curry leaves and a pinch of hingTo this add the cooked PachaiPayiru(Green Moong dhal) and mix it thoroughlyFinally add the grated cocunut and then mix it well

4.Pattani/Peas SundalIngredients:
Pattani/Peas Sundal- 1 Cup Salt - To Taste Red Chilli – 2 Grated Cocunut - 1 tablespoon
Curry leaves – few Hing - a pinch

For Seasoning: Oil - 1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds - 1 teaspoon
Soak the Pattani/Peas Sundal in water overnigh The next day pressure cook the Pattani/Peas Sundal and allow for 3 whishtlesHeat the pan, pour some oil and add mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds begins to sputter, add hing, curry leaves, broken red chilli and then add the cooked Pattani/Peas Sundal and salt and mix it wellFinally add the grated cocunut and mix it well

5.Moong dhal Sundal(Payitham paruppu sundal) Ingredients:
Payitham Paruppu (Moong Dhal) - 1 Cup Green Chilli – 1 Salt - to Taste Grated Cocunut - 1 teaspoon

For Seasoning: Oil - 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon Curry leaves – Few Hing - A pinch

Heat the pan, and add the dhal and add water till the dhals are soaked and add salt and allow them to cook till the dhal becomes soft but not stickyTake the cooked dhals and keep it asideNow heat the oil in the pan, and add mustard seeds and when the mustard seeds begins to sputter add curry leaves and a pinch of hingTo this add the cooked Payitham Paruppu (Moong Dhal) and mix it thoroughlyFinally add the grated cocunut and then mix it well

6.Sweet PuttuRice - 2 cups Grated Jaggery - 1 Cups Grated Cocunut - 5 tablespoon
Cardamom - 1/2 teaspoon Cashews – few

Soak the rice in water for 30mins and rinse it in water and then spread the rice in a towel till it becomes dryNow grind the rice in a mixer to a nice powderHeat the pan and add the ground rice flour and fry it till the flour turns light brown colorHeat 1 cup of water along with pinch of turmeric powder and a pinch of salt and boil the water and allow it to coolAdd the water little by little in the fried rice flour and mix the flour so that the flour should be wet and not like a doughThen the flour should be strained in a strainer and should be placed in a white towel and steam cook it in a pressure cooker for 10 minsTake the cooked flour and with the help of a ladle broke the flour so that it becomes like Rawa/soojiIn a separate pan, add little ghee anD fry the cashews till it turns golden brown color and take it separately in a plateAdd the grated jaggery to the pan and add water and stir it well till the jaggery juice becomes thickerNow add cardamom powder and grated cocunut and remove from flameAdd the broken flour and mix it well with the jaggery juiceAdd the fried cashews and mix it well.

7.PachaiPayiru(Green Moong dhal) Sweet SundalIngredients:
PachaiPayiru(Green Moong dhal) - 1/2 Cup Cardamom powder - a pinch
Grated cocunut - 2 teaspoon Grated Jaggery - 1/4 cup Ghee - 2 teaspoon

Dry fry the PachaiPayiru(Green Moong dhal) in a pan till its raw smell goes off and clean it in water and cook it by adding water to the panIf the cooked PachaiPayiru(Green Moong dhal) have more water strain it and keep it asideHeat the pan and add grated jaggery and pour little water for the jaggery to dissolveWhen the jaggery dissolves, add the cooked PachaiPayiru(Green Moong dhal) and mix it well till the mixture does not stick on to the panAdd ghee,cardamom powder and grated cocunut and mix it well

8.PACHAI PAYARU SPICY SUNDAL

PachaiPayiru(Green Moong dhal) - 1 Cup Red Chilli – 1 Salt - to Taste Grated Cocunut - 1 teaspoon

For Seasoning: Oil - 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon Curry leaves – Few Hing - A pinch
Heat the pan, and add the dhal and add water till the dhals are soaked and add salt and allow them to cook till the dhal becomes soft but not stickyTake the cooked dhals and keep it asideNow heat the oil in the pan, and add mustard seeds and when the mustard seeds begins to sputter add curry leaves and a pinch of hingTo this add the cooked PachaiPayiru(Green Moong dhal) and mix it thoroughlyFinally add the grated cocunut and then mix it well

9.SWEET SUNDAL Kadalai Paruppu(Channa dhal) - 1/4 Cup PachaiPayiru(Green Moong dhal) - 1/4 Cup
Karamani(Perum payiru) - 1/4 Cup Cardamom powder - a pinch Grated cocunut - 2 teaspoon
Grated Jaggery - 1/4 cup Ghee - 2 teaspoon
Dry fry the dhals in a pan and clean it in water and pressure cook it If the cooked dhals have more water strain it and keep it asideHeat the pan and add grated jaggery and pour little water for the jaggery to dissolveWhen the jaggery dissolves, add the cooked dhals and mix it well till the mixture does not stick on to the panAdd ghee,cardamom powder and grated cocunut and mix it well

10.KARAMANI SUNDAL

Karamani/Perum Payiru - 1 Cup Red Chilli – 1 Salt - To Taste
Hing - a pinch Grated Cocunut - 2 teaspoon

For Seasoning: Oil - 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon Curry leaves - few
Pressure cook the Karamani/Perum Payiru with salt till it is soft. Allow for only 2-3 whistlesHeat the oil in pan, add mustard seeds, and when the mustard seeds begins to sputter add curry leaves and hing and fry for a whileNow add the cooked Karamani/Perum Payiru and mix it wellFinally add grated cocunut and mix it well

11.PEANUT SUNDAL Raw Peanut - 1 Cup Red chilli – 1 Salt - To Taste
Curry leaves- Few
For Seasoning: Oil- 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon

Soak the peanut/verkadalai in water for atleast 3 hoursRinse the peanut and pressure cook it along with salt. Allow for 3 whistlesIn a pan, heat the oil and when the oil is hot add mustard seeds and curry leavesWhen the mustard seeds begins to sputter add the broken chilli and fry for a secNow add the cooked peanut/verkadalai and mix it well

Diwali :

RAVA LADOO

Ingredients:

• 2 cups - Rava/Sooji (Upma rava)

• 2 cups - Sugar ( adjust depending on how sweet u want them, starting from 1:3/4)

• 5-6 nos - Cardamom/Elaichi

• 1/4 cup - Raisins

• 1/4 cup - Cashews/Almonds

• 1 cup - Ghee
• Heat 1 Tbsp of ghee in a wide saucepan and roast the rava in it for a few minutes. When you start getting the pleasant aroma of the rava, switch off the heat and let the rava cool. The rava will have turned a slight orange, do not let it brown though.
• Once the rava is cooled, transfer it to a blender along with the sugar and cardamom seeds. Blend them for a few minutes so as to mix the sugar and rava well. But see to it that the rava does not become too fine.
• Heat 1 tbsp of ghee and roast the raisins and cashews/almonds and allow to cool.
• Now in a small kadai melt the rest of the ghee, you can reduce the heat to the minimum amount so that the ghee remains in its liquid form until u are done with the laddoos.
• Take the rava+sugar mixture in a wide vessel or plate. Separate small portions of the mixture and add required amount of ghee to form small ladoo's. Initially I was placing the dry fruits in each laddoo individually while making them. But towards the end I lost interest and added the dry fruits to the whole mixture !! hehe

KARA SEV

Ingredients needed:
1. Gram Flour (Besan ) 2 1/2 cups
2. Rice flour 1
3. Chilli powder 1/4 tsp
4. Black pepper coarsely powdered 1 tsp
5. Ghee 2 1/2 tsp
6. Cooking soda pinch (optional)
7. Salt to taste.
8. Crushed garlic (optional) 2 pods
9. Oil to deep fry.

Sieve both flours and make a pit.
2. In that pit put chilli powder, Pepper powder, Salt , Crushed garlic, Ghee, Cooking soda (if u r using).
3. Mix thoroughly with hands. It should look like bread crumbs. Make this into 4 portions.
4. Take One portion of this mixture, sprinkle water, knead like Puri dough.
5. Heat oil in a kadai, Use a ladle with lot of holes (Kara Sevai ladle) or Sev maker.
Put some dough on that and rub directly into oil.
6. It will be like split string. Deep fry in oil , drain excess oil.
7. After cooling this off, Store this in an airtight container.
Follow the same procedures (4 to 7) to make remaining Sev.

Ground Nut Balls or Kadalai Urundai

Ingredients:

Groundnut – 2 cups

Grated Jaggery – 1 cup

Water – as required

Method:

1. Roast the groundnut, remove the skin and break it into halves.

2. Add some water to jaggery and heat it until it thickens (thick syrup)

3. Now take a bowl, add the groundnut and pour the jaggery syrup and keep stirring and mix well.

4. When heat subsides, take few portions of the groundnut mixed jaggery and make small balls.

Mixture

Ingredients:

• Gram flour(Besan)- 4 cup
• Chilli powder- 7 tsp
• Crushed Garlic- 5 to 7
• Crushed ginger- small piece
• Curry leaves- few
• Raw peanuts- 1/2 cup
• Rice flakes (Aval)- 1/4 to 1/2 cup
• Salt- to taste
• Oil- to deep fry

Recipe:

1. Boondi batter preparation: Mix Gram flour, Chili powder (2 tsp), Salt and 1 to 2 cups Water in a vessel without any lumps. The batter should be little watery and not so thick.
2. Omapodi dough preparation: Mix Gram flour, Chili powder( 5 tsp), Salt, gradually add water and knead to make a soft dough (like murukku dough).
3. For frying: Heat Oil in a pan. Keep the stove in low flame.Add Garlic, Ginger, Curry leaves and Peanuts, fry till Peanuts turn into dark in color or till Peanuts are cooked. Keep this aside.
4. Making boondi: Heat Oil in pan on medium flame. Pour the batter over the perforated ladle(ladle with small round holes) and rub it with another ladle which makes the batter to fall through the ladle holes evenly. Cook till it turns into crispy. Drain this from oil and repeat the same for the whole batter. Now boondi is ready.
5. Making omapodi: Fill the dough(from step 2) into omapodi press (with very small holes). Once the oil is hot enough, squeeze the omapodi over the hot oil. Do not over crowd the pan. You can see the bubbles of oil immediately. Once these bubbles are almost stopped, remove them from oil and drain them on paper towels.
6. Frying Rice Flakes (Aval) (Below Pic.3): Heat Oil in pan on low flame. Place some rice flakes over the ladle and fry it in oil. While frying rice flakes(aval), make sure rice flakes stays on top of the ladle itself.
7. Finally mix Boondi, Omapodi, fried items and little Salt.

BOONDI LADDU

ngredients:

• Gram flour (Besan)- 2 cups
• Sugar- 1 cup
• Cashew nuts - 15
• Dry grapes - 15
• Cardamom -4
• Cloves - 3
• Water -2 to 3 cup
• Ghee - 4 spoons
• Oil - to fry

Recipe:

1. Batter preparation: Mix Besan flour in 1 or 2 cups Water without any lumps. The batter should be little watery and not so thick.
2. For frying: Heat 2 spoons of Ghee in a pan. Add Cashew nuts, Dry grapes, Cardamom and Cloves, fry till Cashew nut turns into light brown color.
3. Sugar syrup preparation: Heat Sugar and a cup of water in a vessel. Allow to boil till Sugar is completely dissolved in water and the syrup sticks in between the fingers.
4. Making boondi: Heat Oil in pan on medium flame. Pour the batter over the perforated ladle(ladle with small round holes) and rub it with another ladle which makes the batter to fall through the ladle holes evenly. Do not over cook this. It should not be crispy. Drain this from oil and put it into the sugar syrup. Repeat the same for the whole batter. Now Boondi is ready.
5. Making ladoo: Mix well the sugar syrup, boondi, 2 spoons of Ghee. Finally add the fried items(Cashew nuts, Dry grapes, Cardamom and Cloves) and make balls in warm stage.

KARABOONDI

ngredients:

• Gram flour(Besan)- 1 cup
• Rice flour- 1 spoon
• Chilli powder- 2 tsp
• Water- 1 to 2 cups
• Crushed Garlic- 5 to 7
• Crushed ginger- small piece
• Curry leaves- few
• Raw peanut- 1/4 cup (optional)
• Salt- to taste
• Oil- for deep fry

Recipe:

1. Batter preparation: Mix Gram flour, Rice flour, Chili powder, Salt and 1 to 2 cups of Water in a vessel without any lumps. The batter should be little watery and not so thick.
2. For frying: Heat little Oil in a pan. Add Garlic, Ginger, Curry leaves and Peanuts, fry till Peanuts turn into dark in color or till Peanuts are cooked. Kept this aside.
3. Making boondi: Heat Oil in pan on medium flame. Pour the batter over the perforated ladle(ladle with small round holes) and rub it with another ladle which makes the batter to fall through the ladle holes evenly. Cook till it turns into crispy. Drain this from oil and repeat the same for the whole batter. Now boondi is ready.
4. Finally mix the boondi, fried items(from step 2) and little Salt.

MILK PEDA

• Milk - 4 cups
• Sugar - 1/2 cup
• Lime juice - 1 tspn
• Corn flour or rice flour - 2 tspns(dissolved in water without any lumps )
• Food color (optional)
• Ghee - to grease
• Any nuts (Cashew/Almond/Pistachios)

Recipe:

1. Boil milk in a pan and stir once in a while to avoid burning the bottom.
2. Approximately, after 1 hour the milk would be reduced to half. Then add lime juice, sugar and rice flour dissolved in water.
3. Again Stir the milk for every 2 to 3 minutes. Once the milk starts to thicken, stir the mix continuously.
4. Once the mix is almost thickened, remove from heat and allow this to cool.
5. Grease your hands with little Ghee, then shape them into small balls and garnish with any nuts of your choice.

SUIYAN

Ingredients:

• Idli/Dosa Batter - 2 to 3 cups (to dip the balls)
• Chana dal(kadalai paruppu) - 1 cup
• Sugar - 5 to 7 spoons
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - 1 cup(to deep fry)

Recipe:

1. Fry Chana dal without oil.
2. Half cook the fried Chana dal. Let it cool off.
3. Squeeze out the water from the cooked Chana dal and semi grind the Chana dal with Sugar. Don’t add water while grinding.
4. Make small balls out of the semi ground Chana dal.
5. Heat oil in a pan. Once the oil is hot enough, dip the Chana dal balls into the Idly/Dosa batter and deep fry till it turns into golden brown color.

PALKOVA

ngredients: (For 2 People)

• Milk - 500 ml
• Lemon juice– 3 to 4 drops
• Sugar – 4 spoons
• Ghee – 2 to 3 tspn

Recipe:

1. Heat Milk in a pan and add Lemon juice into that. Keep it aside.
2. Heat a pan. Add 2 to 3 tspns of Ghee into the pan.
3. Pour the pre-treated Milk in to the pan and then add Sugar.
4. Stir this mixture till the Milk separates into very tiny particles (like beach sand) and becomes thick. Ready to eat now.

RASAGULLA

Ingredients:

• Milk - 4 cups
• Lime - 1/2

For syrup:

• Water - 3 cups
• Cardamom - 1 (crushed)
• Sugar - 3/4 to 1 cup

Recipe:

1. Heat milk in a pan. Stir it once in a while to avoid burning the bottom.
2. Once the milk starts boiling, reduce the heat to medium and add lime juice to it, then milk starts to curdle.
3. After 3 to 4 minutes Paneer is completely separated from milk. Remove this from heat and add some cold water to it.
4. Strain the Paneer using a nice muslin cloth. Hang the muslin cloth for 1 hour to drain the water from paneer.
5. After that Squeeze the muslin cloth to remove the extra moisture completely.Now remove the paneer from cloth and knead it for 5 minutes.
6. Make equal sized small balls from the paneer and keep aside. Now the Paneer balls are ready.
7. Heat Water, Sugar and Cardamom together in a pan. Once it starts boiling, add the paneer balls to it, cover the pan with a lid and cook for 7 to 10 minutes.
8. You can cook these paneer balls in pressure cooker too. After cooking, the size of the balls will be increased from its original size.
9. Rasgullas are ready now. Serve chilled.

BOLI

• Maida – 1 cup
• Chana dhal (kadala paruppu) – ½ cup
• Grated coconut – 3 spoons
• Grated Jaggery (vellam) – ½ cup

Recipe:

1. Cook Chana dhal in pressure cooker and keep it aside.
2. In the mean time prepare Maida dough using Maida, Oil and Water.
3. The Maida dough should not be so hard or so soft.
4. Mix cooked Chana dal, Grated coconut and Jaggaery. Smash Chana dhal well. This is the mix we are going to stuff inside the boli.
5. Make small rounds in dough and roll into thin round chapathis.
6. Spread the stuffings over a chapathi. Then place another chapathi over the stuffing. Seal the two chapathis around the edges.
7. Heat a tava. Place the boli in tava. Pour 2 to 3 tspns of Oil over the boli till it becomes light brown. Do the same for the other side too. Then remove from heat and Serve.

PAL PAYASAM

• savory(semiya) - 1/4 cup
• Javvarisi - 1/2 cup
• Sugar - 3/4 cup
• Milk - 250 ml
• Cashew nuts- 5
• Dry grapes- 5
• Cardamom-3
• Ghee - 2 to 3 teaspoon

Recipe:

1. Cook javvarisi in pressure cooker or in a pan and keep it aside.
2. Fry cashew and dry grapes in ghee and keep it aside.
3. Heat water in a bowl and then add savory(semiya) into that.
4. After savory is cooked add sugar.
5. After couple of minutes add javvarisi and fried cashew and dry grapes.
6. After 3 minutes add hot milk. Leave it for 2 minutes in stove.

SPICY THUKKUDA

Ingredients:
Maida flour/All purpose flour - 1 Cup
Red Chilli powder - 2 teaspoon
Hing - 1/4 teaspoon
Oil - For frying thukkada

Accessories needed:
Rolling Pin
Chapati Pan
Knife

Method to Prepare Thukkada:

·         Mix the Maida flour/All purpose flour along with water,chili powder and hing and make this into a tight dough like chapati dough

·         Make small balls out of the dough and keep it aside

·         Take the chapati pan and rolling pin and keep 1 ball of the Maida flour/All purpose flour mixture and roll it like a chapati

·         Using a knife cut the Maida flour/All purpose flour dough into small diamond pieces

·         Place the diamond shaped pieces in a paper and allow it to dry

·         Repeat the above steps for the remaining balls and allow all the diamond shaped pieces to dry completely

·         In a pan, heat the oil and when the oil is hot, add handful of dried diamond shaped thukkadas and fry it until it becomes crisp. Take the crisp thukkadasand keep it in a bowl with a paper tissue to dry the excess oil.

The delicious spicy thukkada is ready for serving.

PARUPPU VADAI

ngredients:
Kadalai Parupu(Channa Dhal) - 3/4 cup
Urdhal - 2 table spoon
Thur Dhal - 2 table spoon
Green Chilli - 2 Nos
Ginger - 1 table spoon
Curry leaves - Few
Coriander Leaves - Few
Onion finely chopped- 1/2 Cup(Optional. Some people dont add onion on auspicious day)
Salt - To taste
Hing - A Pinch
Oil - For Frying the Vadai

Method:

·         Mix all the dhals and Soak the dhals in water for 3 hours

·         After 3 hours filter the water and keep the dhal for 1 more hour

·         After an hour, Keep 3 table spoon of the dhal separately in a bowl and grind the remaining dhal with salt and a pinch of hing without adding water.

·         Add the above ground mixture with the 3 table spoon of the dhals in a bowl along with green chilli, onion, ginger, curry leaves and coriander leaves.

·         Heat the oil in a kadai and once the oil is hot, make small rounds of ground dhal and press it in the center and put it in the oil and deep fry it.

·         Once the Vadai becomes brownish color take it out in a bowl with a paper towel to dry the oil and serve hot.

MULLU THENKUZHAL

Thenguzhal(Mullu Muruku) is one of the spicy, crispy, easy to make recipe. Mullu Thenguzhal(Mullu Muruku) is a very simple, easy to do snacks on any occasion. This can be given even for marriages/seemandham or any auspicious occassion.

Ingredients:

Raw Rice - 4 Cups

Channa dal - 1 Cup

Moong dal - 1 Cup

Salt -To Taste

Butter - 1/4 Cup

Oil - For Frying

Accessories Required:

Mullu Thenguzhal Press

Mullu Thenguzhal Mould

Method:

·         Rinse the rice in water and spread it over the towel and allow it to cool

·         Heat the pan and add channa dal and fry for some time till the dal is hot. Keep it aside

·         Add moong dal and fry for some time till the dal is hot. Keep it aside

·         Mix Rice and dals and grind to a nice powder it in rice mill.

·         Mix the rice flour, gram flour, salt, butter and hing in a vessel

·         Add water and make the flour into a chapati like dough.

·         Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan, and when the oil is hot add a little piece of dough to check for the hotness.

·         When the dough raises immediately then the oil is ready for frying

·         Put 1 hand full of dough in a press, and close the press with Mullu Thenguzhal mould.

·         Squeeze the dough to a big circle.

·         Deep fry the Mullu Thenguzhal in low flame till it is crisp and turns golden brown color.Take it out and place it in a oil strainer with a paper towel to remove excess oil and allow it to cool.

·         Store it in a air tight container and serve.

DIWALI LEGIUM

Ingredients:

Coriander seeds - 1/2 Cup
Cumin Seeds/Jeeragam - 3 teaspoon
Omam - 3 teaspoon
Ginger - 100gms
Grated jaggery - 1/2 Cup
Ghee - 2 tablespoon

Method:

·         Dry fry coriander seeds, cumin seeds, omam in a pan and grind it in a mixer to a fine powder and keep it aside

·         Grind the ginger and jaggery in the mixer

·         To this add the above ground powder and grind it in a mixer once.

·         Heat the ghee in a pan, and add the ground paste

·         Stir it continuously in a low flame

·         When the mixture starts to separate from ghee and leaves the sides of pan without sticking, then switch off the flame

·         The delicious deepavali legium(inji legium) is ready to serve on Diwali

Thirukarthigai Deepam:Thirukarthigai/Karthigai Deepam comes on thetamil month Karthigai on Pournami day(Full moon day). Throughout the month lamps are lit in the front of the house in the evening . On theThirukarthigai/Karthigai Deepam day the whole house is decorated with the oil lamps. Thiruvannamalai is famous for Thirukarthigai/KarthigaiDeepam.

Aval Pori:

Aval Pori         4 Cups

Grated Jaggery        1/2 Cup

Finely chopped coconut pieces       2 Tablespoon

Cardamom powder    1 Teaspoon

Method:

Add jaggery in a pan with 1/2 cup of water and when it dissolves it water take it and strain the jaggery water to avoid sand.

Again boil the jaggery water along with coconut and keep stirring it until the jaggery comes to stone consistency. This means when we take a drop of jaggery juice and pour it in water, it should not dissolve rather we should be able to make a ball out of it.

Now remove the jaggery from flame and add the Aval pori/Nell Pori and mix it well along with cardamom powder. Now the Aval/Nell Pori mixture is ready

Remove this pori mixture and place it in a paper. Make small balls ofAval/Nell pori.The delicious Aval/Nell Pori orundai is ready for neivedhyam

Adhrisam:

Raw Rice 1 Cup

Jaggery 1 Cup

Coconut Small Piece Chopped

cardamom Powder 1/2 Teaspoon

Cooking Oil 1/4 Litre for deep frying

Method:

Soak the rice for 30mins and rinse it in water and grind the rice in a mixer to a nice powder

◦Add jaggery in a pan with 1/2 cup of water and when it dissolves it water take it and strain the jaggery water to avoid sand

◦Again boil the jaggery water and keep stirring it until the jaggery comes to stone consistency. This means when we take a drop of jaggery juice and pour it in water, it should not dissolve rather we should be able to make a ball out of it.

◦Now remove the jaggery from flame and add to the wet rice powder and mix it well along with cardamom powder. Now the adhirasam mixture is ready for preparation.

◦Keep this adhirasam mixture aside for at least one day.