Awards

A bunch of awards and a Tag…

Shoba3 Comments

Padmajha Suresh of Seduce Your Tastebuds has passed on a whole bunch of awards for me…

  1. Kreative Blogger award.
  2. One Lovely Blog Award.
  3. I Love your Blog Award.

Thanks Padmajha, you really made my day.

kreativblogger[1]

lovely_blog_award

iloveyourblogaward

I had been postponing this particular draft for at least a week as its been pretty crazy what with two festivals within a fortnight! Today I  had decided come what may, I was going for the inevitable. Getting one award itself is a very pleasing experience….getting a bunch made me feel special and its been almost 7 months of hard work and a lot of learning at the same time….And now for the tag…

  • What is your current obsession?

I am currently obsessed with the Canon 50D – Digital SLR, and I have been yearning for it since the time I felt the beauty in my hands in the store. Imagine the countless opportunities an SLR can open up to you….!!!

  • What are you wearing today?

Well…a comfortable soft cotton PJ for the night!!!

  • What’s for dinner?

Vengaya VethalKuzhambu, Alu Fry and my all time favourite curd rice.

  • What’s the last thing you bought?

A pair of comfortable Dr.Scholls floaters….I am floating when I walk now!!!

  • What are you listening to right now?

Udhaya Udhaya sung by Sadhana Sargam composed by AR Rehman!!!

  • What do you think about the person who tagged you?

She is very creative and I am sure we share photography passions quite a bit…

  • If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be?

Greece …as long as I am with my family.

  • What are your must-have pieces for summer?

My Maui Jim sunglasses, my perfume, iced drinks and loads of rose water…

  • If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?

Home is where the heart is – Chennai!!!

  • Which language do you want to learn?

French.

  • Who do you want to meet right now?

My family in Chennai.

  • What is your favourite colour?

Burgundy, Maroon in fact any shade of vibrant red…

  • What is your favourite piece of clothing in your own closet?

My crepes and my chiffons…I love flowy fabrics.

  • What is your dream job?

I wouldnt exactly call it a job. I would like to have a small montessori school for toddlers…

  • What’s your favourite magazine?

Femina, Business World, Advertising & Marketing, Inside Outside, Good Housekeeping.

  • If you had $100 now, what would you spend it on?

LUSH!!!

  • Describe your personal style?

Ethnic, Elegant,Comfortable.

  • Your all time favourite author?

Arthur Hailey.

  • What are your favourite movies?

Too many to name – a few – Kannathil Muthamittal, Salangai Oli, Nayagan, Catch me if you can, Top Gun…

  • What inspires you?

Anything creative, beautiful, colourful raptures my attention.

  • Give us three styling tips that always work for you:

Dress comfortable.

Simple and ethnic.

According to the occassion to exude inner beauty and confidence.

  • Coffee or Tea?

Freshly brewed Decoction Coffee out of a percolator!!!

  • What do you do when you are feeling low or terribly depressed?

Speaking to my mom has a way of making everything seem a lot better….Many times music has a way of soothing me.

  • What is the meaning of your name?

Beauty…

  • Which other blogs you love visiting?

Any blog that has good content, originality, great pictures, current topics of interest.

  • Favorite Dessert/Sweet?

Jangiri, Badushah.

  • Favourite Food???

Eggplant Parmesan, Thayir Sadam and Maavadu, Street foods like Bhel Puri, Pani Puri etc.

  • What do you consider to be unethical in blogging?

I consider unethical reproduction of content of any form very very unacceptable in blogging.

Now to add a question of my own…

What is your most prized possession in your kitchen??

In turn, I shall be tagging 8 other fellow bloggers, who have inspired me to reach greater heights, to think beyond the usual, who inspire me to be here and continue blogging….

  1. The Yum Blog – Latha Narasimhan & Lakshmi.
  2. Jaysri Satish of Kailas Kitchen.
  3. Lata Raja of Flavours & Tastes.
  4. MS Abhilash of Hindu Devotional Blog.
  5. Indira of Mahanadhi.
  6. Menu Today
  7. Nandita of Saffron Trail.
  8. Asal Tamil Penn.

Congratulations dear fellow bloggers on these lovely awards. Please do take your time to repost these awards on your own website.

Respond and rework – answer the questions on your own blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own invention and add one more question of your own. Then tag eight other people.

Have a great day!!!

Naivedhyams/ Festival Offerings.

Uppu Kozhukattai / Ulundhu Kozhukattai

Shoba10 Comments
Uppu Kozhukattais
Uppu Kozhukattais

Uppu Kozhukattai is the prasadam for Vinayaka Chathurthi along with the  Vella Kozhakattai and Ammini Kozhakattai. I love the Uppu Kozhakattai as its almost like a paruppu usili filled in the rice balls and then steamed in the pressure cooker. The Uppu Kozhukattais, I always felt were comparitively more easier to make as one makes the balls ahead and then stretch the outer dough over the balls to cover it.

As always the first part is the Outer Dough which is the base of the whole preparation. Keep this prepared Outer Kozhukattai Dough covered tight to preserve the moisture and warmth as this is imperative for easily working on this dough.

INGREDIENTS:

Kozhukattai Outer Dough

1/2 cup Urad Dhal..

1/4  cup Bengal Gram

3- 4 Green Chillies.

1/4 Cup Coconut.

A Pinch of Hing.

Salt

PREPARATION:

  • Soak the Bengal Gram and Urad Dhal for about 3 hours just as you would for Paruppu Usili.
  • I have used the proportion of 1/4 cup of bengal gram to 1/2 cup of urad dhal. If you want more numbers, you can extrapolate it to double the quantity.
  • Grind the bengal gram and urad dhal in the mixer with salt, green chillies  and curry leaves with as little water as possible. The water added is  important as this affects the final consistency of the urad dhal crumble.
  • It should not be ground too smooth but a little short of that, a little coarse.  Add hing and  a spoon of oil and mix it in well.
  • Place a seasoning kadai on the stove, add oil and mustard, When the mustard splutters, add it to the ground paste. Mix and in a few minutes add the grated coconut. (This is optional).
Ground Paste in Idli Plates ready for steaming.
Ground Paste in Idli Plates ready for steaming.
  • Grease 1 or 2 idli plates and fill the firm ground  paste in the idli plates. Steam in the pressure cooker for 12 – 15 minutes. Switch off gas and remove the plates and allow to cool.
  • Transfer the cooked dhal idlis to a plate and pour 1 spoon of coconut/gingely/canola oil on them and slowly crumble them with your oiled fingers.
  • Try to do this when its still warm.
  • Now with the help of a oil greased hands again, press the crumbles in to 1 inch balls. Keep covered in a container to retain the moisture.
Salt Poornam made in to balls.
Salt Poornam made in to balls.
  • Follow the usual procedure of making little cups with the Outer Dough.
  • Place a urad ball in to the little modhak cups.
Little cups for filling Poornam
Little cups for filling Poornam
  • Close like a coconut and make a little tuft resembling a coconut.,
  • Keep your hands oiled when you are working with the Outer Dough.
  • Place the prepared modhaks in greased idli plates and steam in the pressure cooker for 12 minutes.
  • Switch off stove, and after a few minutes transfer to a casserole.
  • Offer Uppu Kozhukattais Neivedhyam to the Lord.
  • Also see my post on Vella Kozhukattais.
Uppu Kozhukattai Balls ready for Steaming.
Uppu Kozhukattai Balls ready for Steaming.

HINT:

  1. If you are not able to shape the crumble in to balls, do not fret. Simply pop a spoon, and fill in your modhak cups with the crumble and continue as usual to seal them. Making them in to balls makes it more easier to handle as there is no binding agent as such except the urad dhal.
  2. If you have exhausted your Ulundhu balls and left with the Outer Dough, proceed to make in to little balls and make Ammini Kozhakattais.
  3. If you are left with the Urad dhal balls, simply crumble and make Usili with beans or cabbage.

Sending delicious Ulundhu Kozhukattais to Festive Food Event happening at Purva`s Daawat.

krishna ganesh logo1

Naivedhyams/ Festival Offerings. · Snacks & Tiffin Items · Sweets

Vella Kozhukattai/Sweet Modhakas ( Steamed rice balls with jaggery coconut filling)

Shoba18 Comments
Ganesh Chathurthi Offerings – Sweet Kozhukattai, Uppu Kozhukattai, Ammini Kozhukattai, Sundal and Vella Aval

 

The Vella Kozhukattais or the sweet modhakas is an all time favourite of mine since I was a little girl. When I was a little girl, we lived in a big joint family so any festival was celebrated  with lots of fun and fanfare. Every year for Vinayaka Chathurthi, Madurai amma would make us the outer dough for us to work on and my sister D and me would make little cups out of the dough, fill it with the “Poornam” and arrange it neatly in little idli plates for steaming. Although we would be longing to eat the neivedhyam, we would have to wait until the entire pooja was over and we would get only 3 or 4.Mum would always promise me that she would make it for us on another day so we could have it to our heart`s content. Of course, that day would never come until the next Vinayaka Chathurthi the next  year…

Now, my daughter S loves them so much that I decided to make it whenever possible, as often as I can. For instance every month for Sankatahara Chathurthi to offer it as Neivedhyam to the Lord. Sankatahara Chathurthi  is an auspicious day dedicated to Lord Ganesha in a traditional Hindu lunar month. It falls during the waning phase of the moon – fourth day after the full moon. Staunch Ganesha devotees observe a fast  on the day.Fasting on Sankatahara Chaturthi begins at sunrise and ends after evening puja or after sighting the moon. Ganesh Temples conduct special pujas on the day.It is widely believed by Ganesha devotees that observing Sankashta Chaturthi will bring material progress, happiness and fulfillment of desires.

INGREDIENTS:

Kozhukattai Outer Dough.

1 cup of fresh grated coconut.

3/4 – 1 cup of grated jaggery (Depending on brand, degree of sweetness etc)

1 tsp of powdered cardamom.

1 tbsp of milk.( If needed)

2-3 tbsp of water.

PREPARATION:

  • Always prepare the poornams or filling ahead as the outer dough has to be made last just before consolidating the Kozhukattais.
  • In a kadai add the jaggery and very little water about 2  Tbsp and 1 tbsp milk and allow to melt.
  • When the jaggery is well melted add the fresh grated coconut and mix well.
  • Also put in the powdered cardamom and stir in well until the mixture leaves the sides.
  • I prefer to make my poornam a little thicker by keeping it on the stove for a longer time to enable me to make them in to balls.
  • Cool the poornam filling and  it will be easier for you roll  them in to little balls.
  •  

  • Keep the Kozhukattai outer dough prepared and ready as per instructions here . Keep it covered under a moist cloth and over that a lid to preserve the moisture and the warmth.
  • Create an assembly line with the Poornam balls, outer dough, greased idli plates and a small cup having 2-3 spoons of coconut oil.
  • Keep everything ready before you start as the outer dough should never dry out.
  • Grease your palms with coconut oil and then take a ball of the outer dough and smoothen it between your palms.
  • Make a little depression with your thumb and make it in to the shape of a diya with smooth sides.

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  • Fill the depression with the coconut jaggery poornam,  and close the edges and seal it with your fingers.
  • Continue until you finish the poornam filling.
  • Ready to be steamed
    Ready to be steamed
  • If you have the outer dough left over, you can add a little more salt and make delicious Ammini Kozhukattais.
  • Arrange all the prepared modhakams for steaming on the greased idli plate.
  • Steam it in the pressure cooker for 10 – 12 minutes just as you would do with idlis.
  • Remove from steam, transfer to a casserole or container and enjoy after offering it to Lord Ganesha.
  • Wishing all my readers a very Happy Vinayaka Chathurthi.

HINT:

  1. If your sweet poornam/filling is not as thick as you would like it to be, dont fret. Allow it to sit on the stove for a couple of minutes more and add 1 spoon or two of wheat flour. This will bind them together.
  2. Another option is to make rough balls and pop them in to the refrigerator for a few minutes. This will automatically firm them up.
  3. Before steaming the prepared Modhakas, keep them covered as if they exposed to the air etc, they get dry and crack up. This might render the  poornam to seep out during steaming.

 

Side Dishes for Rotis/Dosas/ Naan.

Aloo Dum (Baby Potatoes in Spicy Red Gravy served with lemons and onion slices).

Shoba19 Comments

Aloo Dum
Aloo Dum

Aloo Dum has always been a favourite of mine when we were little kids. The concept of whole baby potatoes was something very novel and so this was a dish that was always on the top of my favourites. Amma used to make Kutty Aloo Fry with the baby potatoes, which was also a delicacy to be had with steaming hot Bisi Bela Bath or Araithu vitta Vengaya Sambar.

During my short stint in Bangalore one of my friend`s mom made such awesome Aloo Dum. Her mother learnt it from the Nawabi cooks in Hyderabad in those days and aunty had carefully passed on her recipe to me.

The actual recipe calls for dry coconut but I did not have it ready in my pantry today. The recipe tastes just as great. Try it and you will realise that it is even better than the restaurant style Aloo Dum served with a lot of grease!!!

Chopped Tomatoes.
Chopped Tomatoes.

INGREDIENTS:

1 kg of Baby Potatoes.

1 Big Red Onion.

1 Big Homegrown Tomato or 2 Roma Tomatoes.

Ginger 1 inch

Garlic 3 Pods

Dry Coconut – 1 Tbsp.

Dried Kasuri Methi – 1 Tbsp.

1 tsp Garam Masala Powder.

1 tsp Red Chilli Powder.

1/2 tsp Jeera Powder.

1/2 tsp Dhania Powder.

1/4 tsp Methi Powder.

1 Tbsp Broken Cashew pieces.

Salt to taste.

Chopped Pudina

Chopped Cilantro.

3/4 – 1 cup Tamarind Water.

Cloves, Bay Leaf, Jeera  etc for seasoning.

Lemon quarters and sliced onion to serve.

PREPARATION:

  • Wash the baby potatoes in water and prick  them on both sides with a fork. This is to enable them to cook well in the salted water. Keep the skin on.
  • Cook the baby potatoes in salted water to which you can add a bay leaf and 1 or 2 cloves. Cook to one whistle only. Set aside.
  • In a kadai, add oil and saute the onions well. Set aside to cool.
  • In the same kadai, saute the chopped tomatoes and set aside to cool.
  • In the mixer grind the following: Sauted Onions, Dry coconut, Garam Masala Powder, Garlic, Ginger, Jeera Powder, Dhania Powder, Methi Powder, Cashews.
  • Make sure that they are all ground to a smooth paste nad keep aside.
  • In the kadai, add 2-3 spoons of oil, jeera a clove, bay leaf and immediately the ground paste. Saute the paste in oil until most of the raw smell is gone.
  • Now add the sauteed tomatoes, salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, chopped cilantro and pudina and stir well.
  • After a few more minutes, add the cooked baby potatoes and stir in well for a few more minutes.
  • Now add the tamarind water in the kadai and keeping the flame on medium low allow to cook covered.
  • The aim is to allow the aloo to get cooked in the kadai, until the oil seperates and to keep it also covered to lock in the aromas.
  • When the oil seperates, switch off the flame and serve HOT with parathas or phulkas. or simple Tiranga Pulav.
  • Restaurant style ALOO DUM is served with lemon and sliced onions.

As the oil seperates..
As the oil seperates..

HINT:

This could also be made in to a dry starter entree by cutting down the tamarind water and allowing to saute until the gravy is absorbed on a slow flame. Alternately, bake it in the oven covered with foil at 400 F for 3-4 minutes. Crunchy but soft Aloo Dum Dry is ready!!!

Aloo Dum served with piping hot phulkas are packed and sent to Viki`s Kitchen for her “Side Dish for Chapathi” Event which is on until Sep 15`th 2009.

A side dish for chapathi
A side dish for chapathi

Naivedhyams/ Festival Offerings. · Sweets

Coconut & Milk Rice Payasam.

Shoba12 Comments

Coconut & Milk Rice Payasam.
Coconut & Milk Rice Payasam.

Coconuts are always a delicacy for me and we are pretty lavish in our preparations on festivals and Neivedhyams. When I wanted to prepare a Payasam for Avani Avittam, I had to decide between Paruppu Payasam and then a rice based payasam. One of my mom`s favourites has been the simple Cooker Payasam cooked in a pressure cooker with simply rice and milk. Today I wanted to add another ingredient and make the kheer more richer and tastier. I was also enthused on seeing Viji Jeyakumar`s Rice Coconut Payasam and wanted to try something similar. The ensuing dish was extremely tasty and delicious and my husband actually had a second helping of it!!!

The ingredients are simple and wholesome and available in your pantry at all times.  One suggestion is to use natural and fresh ingredients alone, as the taste is distinctive  and particularly delectable.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups of Whole milk.

1/3 cup of light coconut milk.

1/2 cup of fresh grated coconut.

1/3 cup of Raw Rice.

1/2 cup of grated jaggery.

Powdered Cardamom Seeds.

3 spoons of ghee.

Cashews.

Raisins.

Saffron Strands for garnishing.

PREPARATION:

  • Soak the rice for about 30 minutes and when done pulse in the mixer for a few seconds.
  • To the mixer, add the grated coconut, elaichi  and the coconut milk and grind to a paste. The rice kernels will be coarsely ground and that is perfect texture for the payasam.
  • Pour this in to a heavy bottomed vessel, add the 2 cups of milk and allow the rice to slowly cook  in the rich milk mixture.
  • Maintain the flame on medium low and keep stirring the vessel with a whisk. It will slowly thicken.
  • Meanwhile, add the grated jaggery to a vessel and pour just enough water for it to be dissolved.
  • Keep on the flame and when melted add it to the milk mixture in the heavy vessel.
  • Stir for a few more minutes until the desired consistency is reached.
  • In a seasoning ladle, add ghee, and fry cashews and rasins and add to the payasam.
  • Garnish with saffron strands.

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Naivedhyams/ Festival Offerings.

Sweet Cheedai/Vella Cheedai.

Shoba6 Comments

IMG_4520

The Sweet Cheedai is a variant of the salted one, only using jaggery. The trick is to maintain the consistency of the dough to be moist and non sticky at the same time to render it pliable.By using  this method, I find that the balls come out smooth and do not crack up when they are fried. This is guaranteed to give you perfect results everytime. I have not tried this using “Cane Sugar/Brown Sugar” instead of jaggery.  I always grate the jaggery in to little shavings as this gives a more perfect measurement instead of little blocks.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup Roasted Rice Flour.

1 1/2 Tbsp Urad Flour.

3/4 cup grated Jaggery.(Please adjust as per sweetness)

3/4 cup water.( Proportion of jaggery to water is 1:1)

Elaichi Powder.

Finely chopped coconut pieces.

PREPARATION:

  • In a vessel mix the butter, rice flour, urad flour elaichi and coconut pieces.
  • In a kadai, add the water and the jaggery, slightly mix with a ladle and place on the stove.
  • Add a spoon of ghee to the jaggery water mixture.
  • As soon as all the jaggery melts, switch off the flame and remove from the stove.
  • Add the melted jaggery to the flour mix and knead them gently together little by little.
  • Do not add all the water in one go, add little by little and knead until you get a smooth non sticky soft dough ball.

Vella Seedai made in a homogenous ball.
Vella Seedai made in a homogenous ball.

DSC02520

  • Now roll smaller 1 inch balls and transfer to a plate.
  • Keep the flame on medium low just as you would do for gulab jamuns, and fry the balls until they are a deep brown on all sides.
  • Offer to Lord Sri Krishna as neivedhyam and then partake of your offering.

Sending a little serving of Vella Cheedai to Festive Food Event – Janmashtami & Krishna Jayanthi at Purvi`s Dawat.

krishna ganesh logo1

Naivedhyams/ Festival Offerings.

Uppu Cheedai ( Roasted rice flour mixed with salt & spices and fried in oil)

Shoba5 Comments

img_6650

Preparation of Uppu Cheedai, one of the Neivedhyams offered to Lord Krishna has been a real learning experience for me. The thing about Uppu Cheedai is that there was never uniformity or consistency in my preparation. This was because there would no uniformity in the rice that we used, in the way it is ground in the mill, or in the ingredients. Many times, the jeera in the batter has caused it to splutter in the oil and hence result in small accidents in the kitchen. For a couple of years, I had given up on this specialty completely. Curiosity got the better of me as I wanted to know how to turn around the problem. This is my shortcut and I hope this works for you too.

RICE FLOUR:

The base rice flour can be made in two ways.

  • Option 1: Soak 1 cup of raw rice for 1/2 hour and allow to spread and dry on a soft towel until the water is all drained completely. Then grind the rice in the mixer to a fine powder.
  • Option 2 : is to use READY MADE STORE BOUGHT rice flour. ( I  use DURBAR/ SWAD/ Nirapara Brand).
  • Now take a dry kadai and roast the rice flour on medium low heat stirring ocassionally.
  • The white rice flour slowly changes colour to a yellowish light brown and also emits an aroma.
  • As soon as you are able to take the roasted rice flour and draw a line like a “kolam” that’s the indication that you have gone as far as you should.
  • Immediately transfer the contents to a dry container as keeping it in the same kadai might burn the rice flour.
  • Do not close the rice flour until it cools down to room temperature.
  • The method of roasting is the same whether the rice flour is made from scratch or it is store bought. Both render excellent results.
  • Sieve and keep aside. 

 

Plain & Roasted Rice Flour.

 

 

Draw a line with the roasted rice flour.

 

URAD FLOUR:

  • Dry roast 2 Tbsp of whole urad dhal/ Urad Dhal flour in the kadai on medium flame until the urad dhal slowly emits an aroma and it turns to a dull yellowish brown colour.
  • Set aside to cool on a plate.
  • Grind little by little in a mixer to a fine powder.
  • Sieve and keep aside.

Grated Coconut:

  • Dry roast 2 Tbsp of grated coconut on a low flame until its a little dry and moisture is gone.
  • Set aside.

PROPORTION OF RICE FLOUR TO URAD FLOUR : 1 cup of rice flour : 2 tbsp of Urad Flour.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup Roasted Rice flour as per procedure above.

2 Tbsp of Roasted Urad Flour prepared as per procedure above.

1 Tsp finely ground and sieved Jeera Powder. (Optional).

2 Tbsp Grated and roasted coconut.

1 Tbsp butter at room temperature.

1 Tsp salt.

Hing.

Almost 3/4 cup of water.

PREPARATION:

  • In a dry vessel add butter, ground jeera, and hing and mix well with your fingers.
  • Add the 1 cup of rice flour, the urad flour , salt and grated coconut and mix all the dry ingredients well.
  • Add the water slowly and mix it in. If the batter is already mixed in to a firm consistency, do not add all the water. Use your discretion in this regard.
  • The dough should be firm and non sticky but moist and creamy.
  • Roll out rough balls and keep on a plate. Do not press hard in to balls.
  • The secret is to roll them in to really small balls so they crisp quickly when fried.
  • I do not recommend sitting under the fan and rolling out balls  as I have felt that this robs the balls of moisture and causes cracks and hence splutters in the oil.
  • Heat sufficient oil in a kadai and when hot, add 7-8 balls of the cheedai.

img_6638-1

  • Allow to fry well on medium low heat until crisp and well done and draw out the balls on a paper towel.
  • After a couple of minutes, store in an air tight container.
  • Enjoy crisp and crunchy Uppu Cheedai after offering to the Lord.

 

HINTS:

  • Fry the cheedai balls on medium low heat like you would do with Gulab Jamuns as they need to get completely fried on the insides. Keeping the flame high would render them overcooked on the outside yet not cooked enough on the inside.
  • Right after frying, allow them to cool before closing the container. If the balls are still warm, closing them would make them “sweat” and make them chewy.

 

Festivals & Significance

Sri Krishna Jayanthi – Significance & Offerings to the Lord.

Shoba12 Comments

Lord Shri Krishna in a lovely Tanjore Painting at my home.
Lord Shri Krishna in a lovely Tanjore Painting at my home.

Krishna Jayanthi is celebrated as the birthday of Lord Shri Krishna. Lord Sri Krishna was born on the ‘Rohini’ nakshatram (star) on Ashtami day.  The festival Sri Krishna Jayanti is also known as Gokulashtami and Janmashtami. Sri Krishna is Lord Vishnu’s eighth avatar (incarnation) on earth. He is considered to be the Lord’s most glorious incarnations.  Even saying and remembering His name brings joy because Sri Krishna himself was a manifestation of joy at all levels and in all walks of life. In Tamil Nadu Krishna Jayanthi is celebrated with great pomp as its a festival spelling happiness and joy as the saviour was born on this day.

People offer sweets like Vella Cheedai, Aval or Poha Payasam, Butter etc as these happen to be the Lord`s favourites. Many homes have beautiful kolams adorning their homes and little feet drawn in the floors as if to show little Krishna coming in to our homes. Poojas are performed and flowers and neivedhyams are offered late in the evening when the moon rises as this is the time the Lord was born.

DSCF5111

In my home, Krishna Jayanthi is celebrated with the utmost devotion and love. From the time I learnt the art of “Yezha Kolams” when I was in school, it was my bounden responsibility to decorate the front yard with lovely kolams and with little baby footprints coming all the way to the pooja sanctum at home. In the mornings, we would help Madurai amma roll out the Cheedai balls and scrape the jaggery for the sweets. My sister and me would thread cleaned mango leaves in to a “Thoranam” and hang it outside our main entrance to the home. The home would be cleaned and decorated to welcome the little Lord!!!

Mango Leaves threaded in to a Thoranam.
Mango Leaves threaded in to a Thoranam.

Prayers Offered:

Krishnashtakam

Sri Krishna Ashtothram

Madhurashtakam

Sri Vishnu Sahasranamam.

Maduraiamma`s Uruli with flowers.
Maduraiamma`s Uruli with flowers.

Neivedhyams Offered to the Lord:

Gokulashtami Neivedhyams
Gokulashtami Neivedhyams


Brisk Breakfast · No Need of Onions!!! · Snacks & Tiffin Items

Quick Fix Arisi Upma (Upma made from coarse cream of rice cooked with seasoned spices)

Shoba5 Comments

Quick Fix Arisi Upma
Quick Fix Arisi Upma

Every evening from school meant having tiffin prepared by dear Madurai amma. It would not be a lot in quantity, just a little bit to satisfy that crazy hunger pangs when you come home from school after a tiring day and a crowded journey jostled in public transport. It would not even be warm, let alone hot, but lovingly served. When you are a student, somehow you crave for exotic eatables like Gobi Manchurian, fried rice. pulav, channa batura and the like. In contrast, madurai amma would make Upma,  Pidi Kozhakattai,  Poha, Dosa etc. After some  years, in my hostel for my Masters, I would recount those lovely home made preparations waiting for you when you come home after a tiring day. Life after masters was completely different. I started eating all fruits and vegetables and an thing that amma or Madurai amma would prepare and serve on  my plate. I had realised the importance of what I had taken for granted!!!

One such tiffin entree that Madurai amma was an expert at, was  Arisi Upma. Many times, it would be the dinner for every one on Amma Vasya, festivals, Pradosham etc.This evening, I had made Arisi Upma for dinner and was recounting those lovely days of my childhood…..

It is a quick preparation, that does not need any prep work done ahead of time.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup of Raw Rice ground coarsely in the mixer.

1/4 cup of Toor Dhal.

1 spoon of Urad Dhal.

1 1/2 spoons pf Black Pepper.

1 spoon of Jeera.

1/4 cup of fresh coconut.

2-2 1/4 cups of water.(Depending on induvidual preference of Upma consistency)

Salt.

Coconut Oil.

Hing.

A handful of broken cashews.

SEASONING:

Mustard, Jeera, Red Chillies, Urad Dhal, Channa Dal, Cashew, Hing and Curry Leaves.

PREPARATION:

  • As already mentioned coarsely grind the rice in the mixer and set aside.
  • In the mixer jar add – toor dhal, pepper. 1 red chilli and give it a quick pulse. Then add the fresh coconut and 5-6 cashew pieces.
  • Pulse it for a few more seconds and set aside. You will have a coarse mix.
  • Set the kadai on the stove and add 2-3 spoons of coconut oil. (You could also use ghee/canola.)
  • Add urad dhal, channa dal, mustard, cashew, jeera, 2-3 red chillies coarsely broken, hing and curry leaves.
  • After a few seconds add the coarse ground rice and then the coarsely ground dal coconut mix.
  • Allow to saute in the oil for a minute or two.
  • Now add the water and mix well. Switch off the heat and transfer to a vessel along with the water.

To be kept in the cooker.
To be kept in the cooker.

  • Pressure cook it just as you would do with rice.
  • Generally I allow 3 whistles after the weight. Give a couple minutes for the steam to work off and then open the cooker.
  • Hot, cooked Arisi Upma is ready to be served.
  • Serve with Coconut Chutney or Tomato Ginger Gravy.
Naivedhyams/ Festival Offerings.

Nei Appam ( Spongy soft balls made from rice and jaggery fried in ghee)

Shoba10 Comments

Nei Appam
Nei Appam

Festivals have been an integral part of our lives and they usher in so much of redundant goodness and positive vibrations. Every festival has its own significance and I try to capture as much as I can with what I have lived with, in my childhood. It`s more an effort to showcase to my daughter all the traditions that I had grown up with, although in many cases it can never be the same. It`s always better with a grandmother in the household, leading the way for all of us to learn. I do miss the fact that my daughter is not growing up in a joint family, with elders to guide and grow with….

Nei Appam is a staple “neivedhyam” for karthikai deepam, avani avittam, Krishna Jayanthi etc. I remember the lovely heavy bronze Appakaral that Madurai amma had with its huge curvy depressions. I have an Appa Karal thats made of non stick and very shallow depressions. I do miss the heaviness and the beauty of the bronze one I am used to.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup of Rice soaked for 3-4 hours.

A little less than 1/2 cup of Jaggery. (I don`t prefer the dripping with sweetness taste)

1/2 a ripe banana.

1 Tsp Wheat flour.

A pinch of baking soda.

1 tsp cardamom seeds powdered.

1/4 cup of finely chopped coconut pieces.

PREPARATION:

 

"Appa Karal"

 

  • Clean the soaked rice and put in to a mixer jar. Pulse it to grind to a smooth paste adding little water .
  • Crush the ripe banana with a fork. Grate the jaggery with a peeler or knife. Set aside.
  • Now add the ripe banana and the grated jaggery and pulse it once again to mix it well. The jaggery pours out more water in to the mixture.
  • It is always better to watch the water added as we dont want the batter too runny.
  • Pour out the batter in to a vessel and add the chopped coconut pieces. Stir well.
  • In the Appa Karal add a few spoons of ghee and allow to heat.
  • Pour out the batter in to the depressions and allow to cook well on one side.
  • Now flip it over with a knife or a skewer  and allow the other side to cook in the ghee.
  • When done, it would look a little crusty on the outside.
  • Remove and allow the ghee to drain on a tissue.
  • Keep closed.
  • The Nei Appam should be a littl crusty  on the outside but soft and spongy on the inside, with the aromas of the cardamom, ripe banana and fried coconut pieces.
  • Offer to the Lord and ENJOY!

HINT:

Retried the recipe today and I added 1 spoon of wheat flour and a pinch of baking soda to the ground batter.The results was an  astonishingly crunchy crust with a very soft spongy inner layer!!!

Appam Stick or Flipper!!!
Appam Stick or Skewer.