SABUDANA VADAI

INGREDIENTS :

Sabudana/ Javvarisi/ Sago - 1 cup

Rice flour - 2 tsps

Onion -1 big

Chillies - 6

Jeera - 1 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

METHOD OF PREPARATION: 

1) Soak Sabudana overnight. Drain the stock the next morning and clean with cold running water.

2) Grind it coarsely with little salt and transfer it to a bowl. Mix in a tsp of Rice flour, chopped onion,Turmeric powder, Jeera, Chillies and mix it well.

3) Roll balls of it and deep fry them till golden brown.

Serve hot.

 

SWEET POTATO HALWA

Diwali is the festival of lights. But for children, it is the festival of Sweets and Snacks. They kept tempted to taste and indulge in variety of home made sweets and snacks. Let's start the sweet series this year with the Sweet Potato Halwa.

INGREDIENTS :

Sweet Potatoes/ Sakkaravalli Kilangu - 250 gms

Sugar - 200 gms

Ghee and Cashews - as required

METHOD OF PREPARATION :

1) Boil Sweet Potatoes and mash it well. It should be too watery.

2) Prepare thick sugar syrup for halwa consistency.

3) Mix in the mashed sweet potatoes to it and mix well. Add a ladle of ghee and ghee fried cashews to it and cook till reaches proper mix and halwa consistency.

Serve hot.

 

BROKEN WHEAT KESARI

INGREDIENTS :

Broken Wheat - 1 cup

Karupatti - 200 grams

Milk - 1/2 cup

Cashews, Raisins, Almond - few

Ghee

METHOD OF PREPARATION: 

1) Pressure cook broken Wheat with 2 cups of water and keep aside. Allow the steam to leave.

2) Open the lid , stir it once and add milk. Mix it up well .

3) Dissolve karupatti in 1 1/2 cups of water , strain the impurities. Add in the karupatti syrup and mix it up well. Cook till it thickens. 

4) Add in 2 ladles of ghee and garnish with ghee roasted dry fruits.

Serve hot.

KALKANDU SADAM

INGREDIENTS :

Raw Rice - 1/2 cup

Milk - 1 cups

Kalkandu/Candy sugar - 1 cup

Ghee

Cashews,Raisins, Almonds

METHOD OF PREPARATION :

1) Cook rice little soft and keep aside.

2) Prepare thick kalakandu syrup of proper consistency.

3) Mix in rice and milk. Mash it up well. Garnish with ghee roasted cashews and raisins.

Serve hot.

 

KONDAKADALAI PODI SUNDAL

Navarathiri is celebrated for 9 days with various offerings to god. 

Sundal is one of the widely prepared offering during Navarathiri.

INGREDIENTS :

Black Channa Dal/ Kondakadalai - 1 cup 

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Urad dal - 1 tsp

Mustard - 1 tsp

Jeera - 1 tsp

Red chillies - 3

Grated coconut - 1 1/2 tsps.

Paruppu podi - 2 tbsps

Salt to taste

Hing - a pinch

METHOD OF PREPARATION :

1) Soak the kadalai overnight, drain the water and boil it for 3 whistles in Pressure cooker and keep it aside.

2) Heat oil in a pan. Once hot, add mustard, jeera and Urat dal. When it splutters, add in red chillies.

3) Add in the boiled kadalai to it. Add paruppu podi and salt. Mix it well.

4) Finally, mix in the grated coconut and remove from the flame after 3 minutes.

Serve hot.

 

VINAYAKAR CHATHURTHI AND ITS IMPORTANCE

Vinayakar Chaturthi is one of the important Hindu festivals celebrated in India, marking the birthday of Lord Ganesh. 

Lord Ganesh is the symbol of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune. People bring idols of Lord Ganesh to their homes and do prayers and give offerings. In few states ,it is celebrated for 11 days. On the last day of the festival the idols are immersed traditionally in water. It is considered as Lord Vinayakar is one who removes obstacles and grants intelligence. 

INGREDIENTS : 

• Roasted dry fruits mix powder - 1 cup (Please click the link to see its preparation)
• Country sugar/ Sugar - 2 cups
• Ghee

METHOD OF PREPARATION:

1) Prepare sugar syrup of one string consistency. For 2 cups of sugar, I added 2 cups of water. Boil it, till it thickens to string consistency.

2) Then, mix in the roasted dry fruits mix to it with 2 ladles of ghee. Switch off the flame and allow it to cool down for few minutes. Roll out balls in luke warm consistency.

Serve as offerings.

KARUPATTI PONGAL

Aadi Perukku or Aadi pathinettam perukku is a one of the important Tamil Festival celebrated on the 18th day of the Tamil month of Aadi. It is celebrated on the banks of rivers or water resources, worshipping god for rains, onset of Monsoon, facilitating agriculture and cultivation. 

This festival accomplishes a delicious spread as offerings to god, including many flavours. 

Today, I prepared Sakkarai pongal with Karupatti ( Palm sugar), which goes as a traditional village style, my Grandmother's special preparation.

INGREDIENTS:

Rice - 1 cup

Moong dal - 1/2 cup

Karupatti/ Palm Sugar --i used 200 gms

Coconut pieces - sliced 1 handful

Milk - 1 cup

Cashews,Badam and elachi --few numbers

METHOD OF PREPARATION :

1) Dry roast moong dal till the flavour smells out.Turn off the flame and keep aside.

2) Meanwhile dissolve palm sugar or karupatti in hot water and filter the impurities .

3) Heat 4 cups of water. When it starts to boil, add moong dal and rice, cook till tender. 

4) Add 1 cup of milk to it and mix it well.

5 ) Then, add coconut slices, boil for 5 minutes till soft.

6) Add Karupaati syrup, one whole ladle of ghee and few crushed Elachi. Mix it well for sometime till becomes vert soft and of pongal texture.

7) Garnish it with Ghee roasted Cashews and Raisins.

CARROT NUTS PAYASAM

INGREDIENTS :

Carrot - 150 gms / 4 medium size
Milk - 1 cup
Healthy Nuts Mix - 2 tbsps
Ghee as required
Cashews / Almond
Country sugar - 1 cup (as per your taste)

METHOD OF PREPARATION :

1. Peel the skin and grate the carrot finely.



2. Boil the carrot with sufficient water. Cook till it softens. 



3. Add sugar to it and mix well. 



4. Then add milk and slightly bring it to boil.



5. Once it starts boiling, add healthy nuts mix to it and mix well. Allow it to thicken.



6. Finally, garnish it with ghee roasted cashews and almonds.

PAASIPAYAR PAYASAM ( MOONG DAL KHEER)

Today, I am sharing one of the traditional payasam recipe of Tamilnadu, Paasiparuppu Payasam. This payasam is the most flavourful payasam. We never miss to prepare this on every special occasion in our family.

INGREDIENTS :

Pasiparuppu - 1 cup
Jaggery syrup - 2 cup
Milk -  1 cup
Ghee
Few dry fruits to garnish

METHOD OF PREPARATION :

1) Roast moong dal in a vessel with turmeric powder and a spoon of oil for 3 minutes. Ass sufficient water and cook it till it softens.Mash it well till soft and smooth.





2) Meanwhile ,Take 200gms of jaggery , dissolve in hot water and take 2 cups of jaggery syrup filtering the impurities.




3) Once dal is mashed well , mix milk and jaggery syrup to it and mix it up well . Cook in slow flame till  proper consistency .



4) Add a ladle of ghee with few ghee roasted dry fruits. Stir it up well and serve hot.