Mathan/Sweet Pumpkin Sambar | Inji/Ginger Pachadi | Traditional South Indian Thali!

Sara's Corner is featured on the Foodie Blogroll  Featured Blogs for April 27, 2012. See this link here Featured Blogs Page. I am very happy and excited.

Let it be festivals or any occasions, at home we will have thali prepared and served on Banana Leaf. I have served in this steel thali plate, it was given by my grandmother with other utensils for my wedding.

Click on the names for Recipes
Paal Payasam
Beans Curry(French)
Paruppu Vadai
Ingi Pachadi (for recipe see below)
Steamed Rice
Paruppu
Ghee
Parangikai Sambar (for recipe see below)
Paruppu Rasam
Appalam/Papad
Curds/Yogurt
Pickle
Salt
Banana


Recipe for Mathan/Sweet Pumpkin Arachuvitta Sambar. On all special festivals and occasions Arachuvitta Sambar should be prepared - This is my family's favourite sambar.


Parangikai/Mathan/Sweet Pumpkin -  1/2 kg
Tuvram Paruppu | Toor dal - 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tspn


For Grinding
Dhaniya /Coriander -  2 tablespoon
Channa Dal - 2 tspns
Dry red chilli - 4 nos(As per your taste)
Katti Peringayam - a small piece
Venthayam/Fenugreek seeds -  2 pinches
Fresh grated coconut - 1 /2 cup


Preparation Method
Wash, remove skin and seeds. Cut the mathan into medium cubes.
Cook Toor dal in pressure cooker with water for 4 to 5 whisltes and keep aside.
Heat a Kadai, add 1/2 tspn oil and fry all the ingredients under "for grinding" till the dal is brown. Allow it to cool and grind with little water to smooth paste.
Boil tamarind water and mathan with little salt and tumeric.
Once the mathan is boiled slightly soft add the grinded mixture and dal.
Boil well. It should be semi liquid consistency as later it will become thick.
Season it with ghee, mustard, curry leaves.

Recipe for Inji Thayir Pachadi | Ginger Yogurt Raitha.


This simple pachadi is mostly prepared on auspicious occasions at my home.


Ingredients
Ginger - 2" piece
Green Chilli - 2 nos(As per taste)
Grated Coconut - 2 tablespoons
Curds/Yogurt - 1 cup
Salt
Chopped Coriander for garnish.


Preparation Method
Grind ginger, coconut, green chilli with little water and curds in blender to smooth paste. If you like ginger you can grind to coarse paste too. Mix in the curds. Garnish with coriander.

Inji Pachadi is ready to serve.

Notes - On all festivals dishes are prepared without onion and garlic.

This recipe is going to Indian Thali Mela Event hosted by Srivalli.

Manga Sadam | Mamidikai Annam | Ugadi Special Recipe!

I wish you all my readers a very Happy n Prosperous Ugadi and Gudi Padwa!

ಯುಗಾದಿ ಹಬ್ಬದ ಶುಭಾಷಯಗಳು,  ఉగాది శుభాకాంక్షలు and  'गुढी पाडव्याच्या हार्दिक शुभेच्छा'.

Manga Sadam | Mamidikai Annam| Mavinakayi Chitranna |Mango Rice is very tangy and delicious rice. Its usually prepared on Ugadi. Click here for recipe for Ugadi Festivals.

Ingredients

Rice - 1 cup
Raw Mango - 1 no(Kizhimukku)Grated

Groundnuts - Handful

Gingely Oil - 2 tablespoon

Mustard - 1 tspn

Channa Dal - 1 tspn

Dry Red chilli - 2nos(As per your taste)

Turmeric pwdr - 1/4 tspn
Hing - a pinch

Curry leaves

Salt

Preparation method:

Cook rice with 2.5 cups water for 3 to 4 whistles. Allow the rice to come to normal temperature.

In the mean while

Heat oil in a pan/wok, add mustard seeds. Once it splutters add channa dal, groundnuts. Saute till channa dal turns light brown. Add curry leaves, red chillies and saute.
Add the grated mango and cook till its soft. Add little salt and turmeric powder.

Turn the stove off. Add the rice and salt. Let it sit for a while so that the taste of mango is gets obsorbed into the rice .

Manga Sadam rice is ready to serve. This can be served with fried papads and vadams. I served with Mor Kolambu.

Notes - You can also cut mangoes into small pieces and grind coarsely in mixie.(Optional)

This recipe is going to Only South Indian event by Pari

Happy Ugadi!!!!

Dear Readers,

Wish you all a very Happy and Prosperous Ugadi.

Wish you all Happy Ugadi!!! Ugadi is a New year celebrated in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka by Telugu and Kannadigas. This is also called Chandramana Ugadi. Chaitra masa starts on this day. Bevu Bella which is mixture of neem leaves and jaggery is served in Karnataka. Ugadi Pachadi is prepared in Andhra Pradesh. Sweet and bitter represents joys and sorrows of life. People take oil bath, wear new dress and offer special prayers.

Gudi Padwa is also new year celebrated in Maharashtra, India on the same day .

Many delicious food is cooked and celebrated with family and friends.
Dishes prepared on this day in Karnataka are
Parap Boli(Bele Obattu in Kannada) - Prepared with stuffing of dal and jaggery in  dough.

Thenga Boli(Kai Obattu in Kannada)

 Coconut Boli

Kosambari

Lemon Rice/Chitraanna

Masala Vada(Am vade)

Obatt rasam

Karadaiyan Nombu | Adai Recipes!

I am reposting this again, since today is the Nombu Festival. I am going off to prepare. Happy Karadaiyan Nombu to all ladies.

Karadaiyan Nombu is on 14th March between 8.00 and 9.30pm. It is a festival celebrated by Hindu married women. The story behind this is Savitri observed fast(upavasam) for the sake of well being and long life of her husband Satyavan. It is continued and believed by tying a yellow thread tied with flowers keeping turmeric at the center in front of Goddess photos. The thread is tied during the time Panguni Masam starts temple priest is best person to get exact time. Prayers are done by Hindu married women offering pooja, vella adai & kara adai, breaking coconut, offering fruits along with betel leaves, betel nuts and turmeric.

After pooja is done, they eat kara adai and sweet adai in plantain leaf with edge.

There are two types of adai sweet and salt. Recipe as follows:

Kara Adai

Ingredients

Karamani(Black eye beans) – 1 cup
Rice Flour – 2 cups
Oil – 5 tspns
Mustard – ½ tspn
Bengal gram/Urad dal – 1 tspn
Asafotida – 1 pinch
Dry Red Chilli – 2 nos
Curry leaves – 10 nos (chopped)
Grated coconut – 1 cup
Salt

Preparation method

Cook karamani(brown or white) in pressure cooker for about 3 whistles and keep aside.
In a thick bottom kadai, season it with oil, mustard, wait till it spulters.
Add Bengal gram, urad dal, asafetida wait till it turns brown.
Add curry leaves and dry red chillies and sauté for few mins.
Add 4 to 5 cups of water. Allow it to boil.
Now add the cooked karamani and salt. Stir for few mins.
Add grated coconut and mix well.
Add rice flour and keep stirring till it absorbs all water in medium-low heat.
Off the stove and mix well like chapathi dough by hand.
Take a plantain leaf or plastic sheet and grease oil on it.
Make small balls, spread by hand to small round patties and make a hole in the center.
Steam the patties in idli cooker or pressure cooker(without whistle) for 20mins.

Karaadai is ready to serve with butter.

Vella Adai

Ingredients

Karamani(Black eye beans) – 1 cup
Rice Flour – 2 cups
Jaggery – 1 ½ cups(you can lessen if you want less sweet)
Grated coconut – 1 cup
Cardamom powder – 1 tspn

Preparation method
Cook karamani(brown or white) in pressure cooker for about 3 whistles and keep aside.
In a thick bottom kadai, put jaggery and water. Wait till it dissolves and filter it to remove mud particles.
Transfer it to a vessel.
Now add the cooked karamani. Stir for few mins.
Add grated coconut and cardamom powder mix well.
Add rice flour and keep stirring till it absorbs all water.
Off the stove and mix well like chapathi dough by hand.
Take a plantain leaf or plastic sheet and grease oil on it.
Make small balls, spread by hand to small round patties and make a hole in the center.
Steam the patties in idli cooker or pressure cooker(without whistle) for 20mins.

Vella Adai is ready to serve.

Note - The quantity of jaggery can be reduced or increased according to one's requirement.

Merry Chirstmas!!!

Dear Friends,

WISH YOU AND YOUR FAMILY A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS!!!

HAPPY TO SHARE THAT THIS BLOG CAN BE DOWNLOADED IN ANY OF THE NOKIA OVI APPS CLICK HERE AND DOWNLOAD. ENJOY MY RECIPE ANYWHERE ON THE GO..

CHECKOUT MY FEW PHOTOS OF SINGAPORE CHRISTMAS

This was shot at 12.00am mist covered lens...

Happy Holidays.

Regards,
Saraswathi

Celebrate Thiruvadarai with Kali and Kootu (Tamil Iyers Special) - Reposting with new photos

Thiruvadarai is on 22nd December 2010. It is also called Aarudra Darisanam. Thiruvadarai is Lord Shiva's star which falls on full moon day in the tamil month of Margazhi. Speacial prayers are performed at 9th January night in various Shiva temples all over India.

courtesy - http://www.templenet.com/

Celebrate Thiruvadarai with Kali and Ezhukari Kootu.

Here goes the recipe for Thiruvadarai Kali.

 

Ingredients

Rice Rava - 1 cup

Jaggery - 1 cup

Moong dal - 1/2 cup

Cardamom - 1 tspn (powdered)

Grated coconut - 1 cup

Ghee - 4 tspns

ashews - 6 nos

Water - 3 cups

Preparation Method

Preparation of rice rava Fry 1 cup of normal rice untill it turns light brown. Transfer it to a bowl and cool it. Grind to coarse powder in mixie(Like rava/semolina/sooji)

Fry 1 cup of moong dal till light brown and transfer it to a separate bowl.

Preparation of Thiruvathirai Kali:
In a kadai, add jaggery, add 1 1/2cup water to dissolve. Strain it prior to boiling to remove muddy particles generally present in Jaggery.

Boil moong dal with 1 1/2cup water separately and once ready add it to the jaggery water and boil it. When the desired consistency is achieved add rice rava little by little and keep stirring to avoid formation of lumps.

Add ghee and stir to make kali rich.

Add grated coconut and cardamom powder for taste and flavour.

Make the flame low and close the lid for few mins till rava is well cooked.

Heat ghee and fry the cashews (If you wish add more ghee to get good taste) mix well.

Kali is ready to serve with Ezhukari Kootu.

Here goes recipe for Kootu

Ingredients
Sweet Potato(Large) - 1 no
Potato - 2 nos
Yam (senai Kizhangu) - 1 small piece
Koorkai(Siru Kizhangu) - 6 nos
Arbi (Cheppankizhangu) - 2 nos
Chow Chow(Chayote) - 1no
Avarakai - 50gms
Mochaka - 50gms
Turmeric - a pinch
Grated coconut - 2 cups
Green chilli - 3 nos
Curry leaves - 2 tspns
Coconut oil - 2 tspns
Salt to taste
Preparation Method
Wash all the vegetables and cut them into medium size pieces.
In a Kadai, put all the vegetables with little water, salt and turmeric and cook.
Grind in mixie grated coconut and green chillies.
Once its 3/4th cooked add this mixture and mix well (do not over cook then vegetables will be mashed)
Keep it in medium flame, add little water if required.
Add 2 tspns coconut oil and curry leaves.Kootu is a side dish gravy for the Kali. It is called Ezhukari Kootu because we use 5 rooted vegetables and 2 any other vegetables. If you dont get rooted vegetables you can do with other vegetables also.

Allow it to boil.

From my mom's kitchen Kootu is ready to serve with Kali.

Navaratri Begins.....

Wishing you and your family a very Happy Navarathri.

Navarathri is going to begin from tomorrow after this Mahalaya Amavasya day. Navarathri means a 9 day festival of Goddess Lakshmi, Goddess Saraswathi and Goddess Durga.

This is celebrated by Hindu religion in different states of India.

You can see Golu i.e decorating the house with dolls. They keep 3,5 or 11 padi/steps. Each day various prasadam is prepared and exchanged with ladies. Gifts are also bought and given with Kumkum. Many people keep fast on these days. Sundal is a usual prasadam prepared with the dals and its very healthy. These 10days food is prepared without onion and garlic.

Mysore, Karnataka, India is famous for Mysore Dasara and 10days its celebrated very grand.

Navarathri starts from 8th Oct and ends on 17th October. 16th October is Saraswathi Pooja, on this day books and music instruments are kept for pooja. 17th October is Vijayadashami. Aksharabyasam is also done for children before going to school on this day. Children enroll into music, dance and other classes on these days. During these 10days of the festival cleaning or dusting are to be avoided until the Ayudha Pooja day. In many places classical music navaratri concerts are conducted.

Lots of sweets are distributed in factories and many enjoy the holidays with family and friends.

In North India, they have garba and dhandiya cultural dance for this festival.

On Mahalaya Amavasya payasam or sweet is prepared and offered to God.

Since am abroad we dont keep Golu but still do all the pooja and prasadams.

Here is the prayer when lighting the lamp sent by my cousin.

Subham Karoti Kalyanam

Arogyam Dhana Sampadah

Shatru Buddhi Vinashaya

Dipa Jyotir Namostute

Some more information on Goddess Durga

Who is Goddess Durga and the meaning of Durga?



Durga, in Sanskrit means "She who is incomprehensible or difficult to reach." Goddess Durga is a form of Shakti worshiped for her gracious as well as terrifying aspect. Mother of the Universe, she represents the infinite power of the universe. The manifestation of Goddess Durga is said to emerge from Her formless essence.

She is also called by many other names, such as Parvati, Ambika, and Kali. In the form of Parvati, She is known as the divine spouse of Lord Shiva and is the mother of Her two sons, Ganesha and Karttikeya, and daughter Jyoti. Destroyer of demons, she is worshiped during an annual festival called Durg


Her Appearance


There are endless aspects of Durga described in the Puranas and Agamas and the iconography is consequently very varied. She is usually pictured as having ten arms holding Sword, Conch, Discus, Rosary, Bell, Winecup, Shielf, Bow, Arrow, and Spear. She is most often shown riding a lion from which comes Simhavahini. She is gorgeously dressed in royal red cloth and has several ornaments decorating her beauty. Her hair is dressed up in a crown (karandamukuta) which then flows out in long luxuriant tresses that are darkly luminous and soothing to the eye. The various tools reflect the eminent supremacy that helps in controlling the universe.


* Will upload photos of Golu soon.

For Sundal Recipes click here
Pacha Payir Karamani Sundal
Verkadalai Sundal
Kondakadalai Sundal

Ellu Urundai/Sesame Sweet Balls/ hei zhi ma

Hope you all had great festival and long weekend. We had wonderful celebration of Vinayagar Chathurthi, am here posting recipes prepared for Lord Ganesha. Had invited few friends for lunch and went to Marina Bay Sands Skypark.

Ellu Urundai/Sesame Sweet Balls is prepared with Black Sesame Seeds and Jaggery. Black Sesame Seeds are used in traditional Chinese Medicine. Its also good source of calcium. Black sesame seeds also have high amounts of protein, phosphorous, iron and magnesium.

This is a must offering for Lord Ganesha.

Ingredients
Karuppu Ellu/Black Sesame Seeds/Till - 1/2 cup
Vellam/Jaggery - 1/2 cup or more as required(Jaggery should be Round and not square/achhu vellam)

Preparation Method
Wash and rinse Karuppu Ellu/Black Sesame Seeds to remove the sand and dirt from it.
Leave it in a strainer to remove all water for 5-10 mins.
Dry roast in a Kadai/wok till you get good aroma and it starts spluttering.
Off the stove and transfer it to a plate for cooling.
Then in a mixie add Ellu/Sesame Seeds and wip once and then add jaggery and grind to fine powder.

Make small balls. If you are not able to make balls add little more jaggery and grind.

I made 11 nos. out of it.

Enjoy the Ellu Urundai/Black Sesame Sweet Balls.

Kozhakattai/Modhakam (Steamed Dumplings) for Vinayagar Chathurthi Step by Step Recipe

Vinayagar Chathurthi neivedyam Ullandu/Kara Kozhakattai and Poornam Kozhakattai recipe. To know more about this festival click here. Indusladies forum also has some recipes click here.


Dough in common

Ingredients
Rice flour - 2 cups and little more

Water - 2 cups or more if required.

Nalla Yennai/Gingelli oil/Sesame Oil - 2-3 tspns

Salt a pinch

Preparation Method

In a wide vessel boil water, add oil and salt. Reduce the flame slowly add rice flour and stir continously to form a chapathi dough consistency. Allow it to cool. Grease hands with oil and make small balls out of it. Close a clean wet towel on it to avoid drying.

Poornam/ Sweet Stuffing

Ingredients

Fresh Grated Cocont - 1 cup

Jaggery - 1 cup(powdered)

Cardamom /Elachi- a pinch 

Preparation Method
In a wide kadai, add jaggery with a tspn of water. Allow it to dissolve with stirring on intervals. Add grated coconut and cardamom powder. Mix till its thick and dry. Transfer it to a plate.

To make Kozhakattai

Now take the Rice flour balls.

Spread in hand to form a round shaped cup.

Fill a tspn of coconut filling.

Seal the edges by pressing slowly to form triangle shape.

Steam it in the idli cooker for 15mins.

Poornam Kozhakattai is ready for Lord Ganesha.


Ullandu Stuffing

Ingredients
Ullandu/Urad dal - 1 cup

Dry Red Chilli - 1 no
Green chilli - 2 nos
Asafotida/Hing - a pinch
Oil - 1 tspn
Mustard - 1/2 tspn
Curry leaves - few
Salt
Fresh grated coconut - Optional - 1/2 cup


Preparation Method

Soak Urad dal with green chilli for about 1 hour.

Grind it coarsely not to fine in a mixie with red chilli and salt.
Steam this in Idli cooker for 10 mins or till its well cooked.
Now season it with oil, mustard,hing and curry leaves and grated coconut.
Mix the steamed stuffing and keep aside.


Stuffing is ready.

To make Kozhakattai

Now take the Rice flour balls.

Spread in hand to form a round shaped cup.

Fill a tspn of Urad dal filling.

Seal the edges by pressing slowly to form crescent shape.

Steam it in the idli cooker for 15mins.

Ullandu Kozhakattai is ready for Lord Ganesha.

Thank you friends, am happy that this is my 250th post. I know am late:-)

Wish my muslim friends Ramadan Kareem!!!


Happy Long weekend:-)


Regards,
Saraswathi

Varalakshmi Nombu/ Vratham

Courtery - google

One of my reader had asked me to post about this festival here.
After Aadi maasam all festivals will start. Varalakshmi Nombu /Vratham / Vrat is a festival  observed in India. Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped on this day. Ladies decorate the kalasam with silver idol of lakshmi (Called Mukawada in Kannada) with a coconut , new saree, kolams(rangoli) and jewels. They fill the pot with rice, dal, money and beatle leaves. The pooja is performed in the morning. The procedures are slightly different in all states. This festival is observed by married women if only the ancestors were following. Otherwise they do not do nombu and just do Lakshmi pooja. Like before marraige in mom's place they will celebrate but at in laws place they don't follow it and vice versa. 9 yards saree is worn on any special occasions by Tamil Brahmins or Iyer.

Lord Ganesh pooja is performed first then followed by Goddess Lakshmi.

You can start decorating the house today itself with Madi. So early morning its easy to perform the pooja.

Evening kumkum with fruits, sweets and bangles are offered to the neighbours.

We don't celebrate this but my sister-inlaws house they do. So to blog I took some information from her. Thanks akka.

Coming to Recipes

Many varieties of dishes are prepared on this day.
(Click on the name for recipes)

Ullandu Kozhakatai - scroll down for recipe
Pooranam Kozhakatai - scroll down for recipe
Payasam
Paruppu Vadai
Vella Appam
Sundal
Panagam
Kalanda Sadam
White Rice
Sambar
Rasam
Poriyal
Pachadi

On all festivals cooking is done without Onion and Garlic. To know about any other festival click here.

I am giving recipe for

Pooranam Kozhakattai(Sweet Steamed Dumplings)

Ingredients
Rice flour - 2 cups
Water - As required
Oil - 1 tspn
Fresh Grated Coconut - 2 cups
Powdered Jaggery - 1 cup(As per choice of yours)
Salt a pinch

Preparation method
Filling
In a Kadai, heat the jaggery with little water. Once its dissolved and becoming thick, add grated coconut and mix well.
Once it becomes thick off the stove. Let it cool.

Dumpling
In a wide bowl, boil little water with a tspn of oil and a pinch of salt.
Then reduce flame and slowly add rice flour stir continuously until it thick.
Now once the dough is cooked for 5mins. Allow it to cool a bit and with oily hand make a soft dough out of it.
Take a big lemon size and spread like you do for puris. Stuff a tspn or more in the center and close it with water. So its almost crescent shape.

Do same with the rest of them and Steam for 10-15mins in Steamer or Idli cooker.

Ullandu Kozhakattai

Follow same procedure stated above for the dough.

Filling
Ullandu/Urad Dal - 3/4 cup
Kadala Paruppu/Channa Dal - 1/2 cup
Red Chilli - 2 nos(As per your taste)

Grind this to fine paste in blender or mixie.

Then in a Kadai, add oil, mustard, hing, curry leaves, dry red chillis saute for a minute.
Now add the grounded mixture, salt and mix well. Cook till the raw smell leaves. If required add little oil.

Now when done fill the dumplings and steam it in Idli cooker for 10-12 mins.

Offer Neivedyam to God and enjoy it.

The next festival for us is on Aug 24th Avani Avittam click here for details.

Happy Varamahalakshmi Festival to all those celebrating.

Aadi 18/Aadi Perukku

This is a month of Aadi maasam is 4th month in Tamill Calendar. Its also called Ashada Maasa in Karnataka. Mostly for Kannadigas it will finish earlier then Tamilians. This month is inauspicious for most of us. In this month, many will not perform auspicious events. But nowadays you can see Aadi offer in many shops for clothes and gold.

Today is Aadi 18, we prepare mixed rice like Tamarind rice, Lemon Rice, Pongal and Coconut Rice. Pooja is performed and offered to god as prasadam. 

It also has some important days like

Aadi Amavasai,(9th Aug) - No moon day.
Aadi Pooram (12th Aug) - This day is for Andal Goddess.
Aadi Perukku( 3rd Aug) - This day is 18th day of Aadi dedicated to Kaveri River and falls.
Aadi Karthigai(4th Aug) - This day is dedicated to Lord Murugan. Kavadi is taken on this day in temples.
Aadi Velli (Fridays) - All Fridays in this month is considered auspicious and ladies exchange kumkum and sweets. Sweets are prepared and offered to God with prayers.

This month also has Varalakshmi Vratham.

Now over to the Recipes.

I prepared Kalanda Sadam - Puli Sadam/Puliyogare, Thenga Sadam/Coconut Rice, Elamichai Sadam/ Lemon Rice and Sweet Pongal/Jaggery Rice.

My Recipe for Coconut Rice. This is one of my hubby's favourite rice.

Ingredients
Steamed Rice - 2 cups(as required)
Fresh Grated Coconut - 1 cup
Green chilli - 2nos (chopped)
Oil - 2 tspns(Coconut oil or any cooking oil)
Mustard - 1/4 tspn
Hing/Asafotida - a pinch
Urad dal/Channa Dal - 1 tspn
Cashews - chopped
Curry leaves - few chopped
Salt

Preparation Method
In a Kadai, heat oil add mustard and wait till it splutters. Then add hing, dals and saute till its brown. Add green chilles and curry leaves.
Now add cashews and roast it brown.
Add grated coconut and fry till brown.
Then add salt and rice mix well.

Serve hot with fried papadams and vadams.

Recipe for Puli Sadam/Puliyogare.

Ingredients
Puliyogare dry mix - 3 tspns(My mom made the powder)
Steamed Rice - 2 cups
Gingely Oil - 2 tspns
Mustard - 1/2 tspn
Curry leaves - few
Ural Dal/Channa Dal - 1 tspn
Salt

Preparation Method
In a Kadai, heat oil add mustard and wait till it splutters. Then add hing, dals and saute till its brown. Add curry leaves and saute til it splutters. Now add the Puliyogare powder and off the stove. Serve hot with fried papadams and vadams.
Add salt and rice mix well.
Once cooled add rice and mix well.

You can see another version of this Coconut rice here. Lemon Rice and Pongal here.

These recipes are perfect for lunch box.

Vellam/Sweet Appam for Father's Day!!!

Appam is sweet dish. Its very soft inside and crunchy outside. My Dad likes sweet this is also one of his favourite sweets. Sweet Appams are prepared along with vadai on KaarthigaiDeepam day also to know more about this click here. It can be prepared on any other day too.

My Dad is in India so could not be with him but he has tasted many of my recipes while here. So I am sure these are his favourites, so sending to the event. I thank him for always being by my side. He has given maximum support and taught me many sweet recipes as he is an expert in Sweet Making. Thank you Dad:-)

Ingredients
Raw Rice or Normal Rice - 1 cup
Vellam/Jaggery - 1 cup(powdered)(If you it to be more sweet you can add little extra)
Elachi powder - a pinch
Oil for deep frying.

Method

Wash and soak rice for about 6 hours or more in water.

Then grind rice with jaggery to fine paste(Like dosa batter)

Leave it for 2 to 3 hours. Then while making appams add elachi powder and mix well.

Heat an Appa Karal or Kuzhi paniyaram chetthi with oil.

Slowly pour them and deep fry both sides till brown. If you dont have proper stick you can remove them by fork or tikka sticks too. Remove them on a tissue.

Tasty sweet appams are ready to eat.

Variations : You can also add Jackfruit paste to this and it will taste yummy.

This is going straight to  I love my Dad Event for Father's Day by Jay.  Am also sending Kesari Bath to the event.

Ramanavami Panagam, Neer Mor and Kosambari!

Ramanavami falls today thats 31st March 2012. Ramanavami is celebrated on the occasion of birthday of Lord Rama. It falls on the 9th day of Shukla Paksha.

On this day prayers are done and visit to Lord Rama temple. Observe fast/upavasam. Special pooja is performed at home and temples offering Panagam/Panaka, Neer Mor/Buttermilk and Kosambari as prasadams to Lord. Ladies will exchange kumkum with the prasadams with neighbours.

In Tamilnadu only Panagam is prepared. In Karnataka Panaka, Neer Mor and Kosambari is prepared.

Heres the simple and easy recipes for this.

Panagam/Panaka is a sweet drink prepared with Vellam/Jaggery.

Take 1 cup mashed or powdered vellam/jaggery in 4 glasses of water.
Add 1/2 tspn elachi powder/cardamom powder and 1/2 tspns sukku powder/dry ginger powder.

Mix well and keep it aside till all the vellam/jaggery is dissolved. Serve chilled or as it is.

Note - If case you feel Jaggery is less you can add later and mix after offering to Lord.

Variation - You can add ripen mash melon/Kirnipazham. It will be very refreshing.

For Neer Mor/Buttermilk

Take 1 cup thick curds/plain yogurt add 3 cups water, chopped coriander leaves, salt, chopped ginger mix well and Serve.


For Kosambari Recipe click here.

Happy Ramanavami.