POHA COCONUT PAK

Poha coconut pak is a  simple and easy sweet dish for the neivedyam.  This can be prepared so quickly for your unexpected guests too as the ingredients are always available at home.  If you get the  naadan aval " brown colour one which is very tasty and healthy too, tastes heavenly.  You can make Poha  modak also out of this.

POHA MODAK

Ganesh Festival starts this year on 29th August.  I am pretty sure, everyone will be busy breaking their head to make some different kind of modak for welcoming the Lord Ganesha, the remover of all obstacles.  Here I am presenting for you a simple and easy modak recipe made out of poha and coconut which can be used for making poha coconut pak too.

TAMIL NEW YEAR RECIPES, VISHU RECIPES

As per the Calendar which is given by our Guruji (Vadyar), the Tamil New Year begins on 14th March 2014.  As per the Malayalam Calendar, Vishu is on 15th April 2014.  We celebrate both hence both the days are important to us.  Since we do not have holiday on 15th, we will be celbrating it on 14th itself being a holiday.

WE WISH ALL OUR VIEWERS, WELL WISHERS, FAMILY MEMBERS
A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR AND HAPPY VISHU
MAY ALL WE BE BLESSED with health, wealth and peace.

Since a sumptuous meal will be prepared and all the family members will be together on this day to celebrate, here are some recipes for you.

TAMIL NEW YEAR RECIPES / VISHU RECIPES

konnapoo, kanikonna

AN IMPORTANT RECIPE

kanji and venni

PAYASAM, KHEER

Paal payasam
Paruppu pradhaman
jackfruit payasam
Idichu pizhinja paysam, chadhachadayam

RASAM

neem flower rasam, vepampoo rasam
tomato rasam

OTHERS

sambar
kaalan
olan
avial
vendakka kichadi, bhindi raita
tomato kichadi
neem flower pachadi, vepampoo pachadi
mabazha pachadi
avarakka poriyal or thoran
idichakka thoran, tender jackfruit thoran
kootu curry


PICKLES

pui inji
mango thoku
nellikka achar, nellikka upplilitathu
vadukapuli narthanga uppilitathu
instant mango pickle
kaduku manga, tender mango pickle, vadu mangai

FRIED VARIETIES

Parippu vada
banana chips,kaya varuthathu
sarkaravaratti upperi
Pappadam
Pazham

KOSUMALLI, KOTHAMBARI

Sri Ram Navami is falling on 8th of this month.  During this day, Neer moru, panagam and the kosumali, kothambari or carrot cucumber salad with moongdal is prepared and served as prasadam.  This salad is also  the speciality during feasts.  It is a simple salad preparation and very tasty to eat as it is.

kosumalli, kothambari, carrot, cucumber salad Youtube

PANAGAM, PANAKAM

Panagam, panakam it is known as is a drink prepared with jaggery, dry ginger powder and cardamom powder with lemon juice. It is a Ram Navami special along with Neer moru and kosumalli.  I have already posted neer moru, sambaram, taaq.  Here is the recipe for panagam as Ram Navami is on 8th of this month. Enjoy this drink chilled.  It is a nice summer drink too.

Youtube: panakam, panagam

KANJI AND VENNI

This year Vishu is on 14th April 2014. New Year day of Keralites and Tamilians.

Kanji and venni is made during the New Year Day by Keralites and Tamilians.  It is a  traditional simple food relished on the day of Vishu.

In the month of Chitirai, (April) mango and neem trees will be full of flowers and fruits (In the spring season).  On the day of Vishu i.e New Year day, we make a curry with sweet, bitter, sour, salty and spicy.  It symbolizes the fact of our is a mixture of sadness, happiness, anger, fear, disgust etc which we have to digest and come out of all these problems accepting the fact of life and still live happily through  our life.

In Kerala, we celebrate "Vishu"  On the day of Vishu, "Kani Kannal" is a tradition.  On the previous night, in front of the God, in a thambalam or plate or big banana leaf, we keep broken coconut filled with coins and gold, a mirror with a golden chain in it, a vellarikka (madras kakadi), flowers, fruits, all the vegetables, jackfruit, lime, rice, dhal, mangoes jaggery, banana, vettilai, paku etc to seek the blessings of God and pray that through out the year, we should get all these things abundantly.  In this Kani, a special flower called "Konnapoo" or Amaltas or Indian Laburnum is must.  On the day of Vishu, elderly women wake up all the members of the family one by one to see the Vishu Kani and Kai Neetam ( giving money by the elderly person in the family to all the younger ones) is given.  Then celebrate the whole day and nice feast is also made and enjoyed. by all the family memebrs together.  It is really fun and I really enjoy at Kerala only and not in Metro.

Kanji and Venni

Kani Konna poo,  Indian laburnum

Kanji and Venni Youtube

NEEM FLOWER RASAM, VEPAMPOO RASAM, RASAM

Neem flower rasam is made during the Tamil, Telugu New year day.  Sour,  bitter, sweet, salt & spice  everything is mixed and the same should continue in the following days that is why on the new year day, these kind of dishes are made

Neem flower can be purchased form the Tamilians stores or if you have the tree nearby, can collect the flowers.  Yesterday, I had been to the market to buy certain things for the GUDI PADVA, i.e. the New year day of Maharashtrians, I happened to see the bunches of neem leaves full of flower and could not resist myself from buying the bunch as the New Year is on April 14, Monday, 2014, I wanted to make the rasam or raita or thogayal  or pachadi out of it.  

Neem flower, vepampoo

This recipe is lying in my folder since last year and I forgot about it.  I thought I had already posted it.  when I was checking it today, found that I have not posted it.  Hence sacrificing my sleep, I decided to upload the same and then go to sleep.

If you put them in a paper, pack it tightly and keep it in fridge and forget.  you will get the dried flowers.  there is no need to keep them in the hot sun for drying or you can use the fresh flowers too.

neemflower pachadi, vepampoo pachadi     neem flower raita       neem flower and leaves

Vepampoo rasam, neemflower rasam

NOMBU ADAI (SWEET)

Karadaiyan Nombu is a traditional fasting festival of the Tamil Brahmins in which the married women pray for the well being and long life of her husband. It is celebrated during the transition of Tamil months Maasi and Panguni. 

There is a story behind it.  Savithri brought back her husband from "Yama".  To celebrate this, she picked up some mud in the jungle and made the adai out of it.  the rice powder resembles the mud and the cow pea resembles the stones.   In short, it is followed by the women for the well being of her husband and long life.

This special dish during this festival made is called Nombu Adai. It is made in two ways one is sweet and aother savoury. Here is the savory version link:    nombu-uppu-adai-nombu-adai-savoury




Let us look at the recipe now:

NOMBU UPPU ADAI NOMBU ADAI (SAVOURY)

Karadaiyan Nombu is a traditional fasting festival observed by tamil brahmins. The married women pray for the well being and long life of their husband. It is celebrated during the transition of tamil months Maasi and Panguni. 

A sweet adai or vella adai is made for the neivedyam.  It is made out of rice flour and jaggery and steamed like idli.  It  is called the karadaiyan nombu adai.   Sweet adai, vella adai 

It can be made in savory too which can be served as evening snacks on normal days.  All the festival items are we make only during festivals and on normal days, we feel lazy to make it.  But certain items can be prepared for breakfast or for evening snacks.  This savory version I make it frequently like we make the uppu kozhukkatai which we make for Ganesh Festival.

Nombu adai, savory , uppu adai

Let us look at the recipe now:

THANDAI

Thandai is basically made with almonds, pistachios, milk and sugar.  This is a summer cooler and healthy too. It is associated with festivals viz. Mahashivaratri and Holi  and we used to gulp this chilled drink.  It is quite tasty especially when it is made with raw milk.   It is heavenly when the temperature soars and cools you down.

 My friend has shared this recipe with me which I am sharing with you all and am sure  will definitely like it.

Thandai

POORAN POLI

Pooran poli  is a sweet bread made out of wheat flour, maida  for outer cover with  the stuffing of chana dal and jaggery.  It is basically a Maharashtrian dish and mostly are prepared during festivals especially for HOLI which is on 17th of March this year.

I love this dish and one of my colleague always used to bring this for me after the festival.  This can be served any time.  You can make the puran ahead and keep it in fridge.  whenever you want to make the poli, only have to prepare the dough.

Puran Poli

PARUPPU PRADHAMAN, MOONGDAL KHEER, YELLOW DAL PUDDING

Moongdal kheer is very easy to prepare and a nice sweet dish served during feasts or festivals.  Normally, the moongdal kanji is also known as paruppu kanji,  prepared during fast without adding  much sweet in it.  It can be prepared with sugar and milk and with jaggery and coconut milk.

Here I am presenting the second method i.e. with jaggery and coconut milk.  

PAAL PAYASAM, RICE KHEER, MILK KHEER

Paal payasam or milk and rice kheer is the favourite dish of Lord Krishna.  Ambalapuzha Paal Payasam is famous in Kerala.  Last year when I went to Kerala,  I got a chance to visit the temple and was truly blessed to witness the abishekam of Lord Krishna.

Paal payasm is made with rice, milk and sugar and I just love it.  I always make the same with Mahananda Milk I prefer that because it tastes awesome.  When you reduce the milk the colour changes and the taste of the dish is also yummy.

In Kerala, a vessel called uruli, see the picture below, the kheer is made it in it.

Today is International Women's day. Co - incidentally, our friends and neighbours decided to host the Kitty Party today.  Hence I decided to make this kheer.  Although I have made this and clicked the photographs so many times, could not post it as I totally forgot about this.   Hence I thought I will post the same today.


Happy women's day.

Let us look at the recipe now.

PARIPPU VADA, DAL VADA

Dal vada or parippu vada is made out of tuvar dal and chana dal.  we can serve this along with a cup of tea or coffee for evening snack.  This item is also served during feasts but can enjoy any time.  My children call it as  P VADA.


You can add onion also while making this vada, however, for festivals, we do not use onions.

It is a tea time snack normally.

THIRUVATHIRA KALI

Thiruvathira Kali is made out of rice, moongdal  and jaggery as main ingredients by Tamils along with thalagam or kavathu puzhukku. In Kerala, Koova kali is made  along with puzhukku.   Koova means arrow root.  this kali is served along with a vegetable viz. thalagam or puzhukku which is made out of 5 or 7 vegetables like Potato, sweet potato, yam, raw banana, avarakka (broad beans, papdi), carrot, pumpkin, colacasia, & Asiatic yam in English and Perumvalli Kizhangu in Tamil.

Thiruvathira is cleberated on full moon day in the month of Dhanu Masam as per Malayalam calendar and also as the birthday of Lord Shiva on the day of star Thiruvathira.  This festival is celeberated in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Ladies get up early morning, take bath, prepare the kali and kootu or thalagam and offer this as Neivedyam to the Lord. They visit the temple for ardra darshanam.  Girls and ladies enjoy the swings, a dance known as "Kai kotti Kali" is also  performed by ladies by certain  community in Kerala.

THALAGAM (mix veg curry)

Thalakam, mix veg curry is made with various vegetables in coconut and white seasame seed paste gravy.  This is served along with roti, rice and also with Thiruvathira kali a sweet dish made out of rice powder with jaggery during Thiruvathira.

KAVATHU PUZHUKU (ASIAN YAM SUBZI), KAVATHU KOOTU

Kavathu puzhuku, kootu  or asian yam subzi is very simple and easy to make.  My mother used to make this during Thiruvathira festival along with thiruvathira-kali.  Normal days also, she used to make to have it with rice.  During thirvathira, along with kavathu, we also put some other vegetables and it goes well with rice, chapati too.

PULIYODARE l PULIYOGARE l TAMARIND RICE

Puliyodare l  Puliyogare l Tamarind Rice it is known as is made with Tamarind pulp and Puliyodare l Puliyogare l Tamarind rice Spice powder.  This is the speciality of South Indian dishes and in temples it is served as Prasadam specially in Balaji Temples.  The taste is awesome when it is served hot with papad.  We can make the tamarind paste and store in fridge and whenever you want to make it, only cook the rice.

Video : how to make the paste:

COCONUT BURFI, THENAGAI BURFI, NARALACHI VADI

Coconut burfi is made with sugar and easy to prepare.  Whenever any guests unexpectedly visit us, for sweets, i used to prepare this within no time as I love this sweet.  Very simple and easy to make and relished by everyone.  For any occasion or whenever you feel like eating sweets, you can make this.

PUFFED RICE URUNDAI, PORI URUNDAI

Karthigai Deepam is a festival of lights celebrated in the Tamil month of Karthigai, in Malayalam Vrischikam.   In the evening huge rangolis or kolams are drawn and lamps are lit.  It is a beautiful sight.  I love to draw rangoli and keep the vilaku.

This festival is celebrated according to my knowledge for the well being of brothers.  On this day, both Aval Pori - fried beaten rice and Nel Pori - puffed rice urundais or balls or as it is  are made with jaggery for neivedyam.   During this season, we get these two varieties of poris or murmuras or kurmuras.  We also make adai with vellam (jaggery) and white home made butter for neivedyam along with Nei appam.