VELLA CHEEDAI, SWEET RICE BALLS, SWEET JAGGERY BALLS

Vella cheedai is  one of the Bhakshanam made during the Janmashtami along with Murukku, Uppu Cheedai, Appam etc.  It is made out of Rice flour, jaggery, cardamom powder,coconut, sesame seeds etc.   Now gokulashtami, janmashtami is few days away, I am posting this recipe.

Vella cheedai can be relished at any time not necessary that you have to make during Janmashtami only.  The combination of rice, jaggery, ghee, coconut , sesame seeds  and cardamom is very flavourful and tasty.

In our village, we used to sit and roll the balls while our elders starts frying them in batches.  It was the childrens job to sit and make (cheedai uruttarathu) the uppu cheedai and vella cheedai and we used to enjoy.

Let us look at the recipe now:

CHEEDAI, UPPU CHEEDAI, SAVOURY CHEEDAI, FRIED RICE MARBLES

Gokulashtami is two weeks away.  I am sure everyone willl be busy with their preparation of making cheedai, vella cheedai, murukku, thenkuzhal etc.

 Most people in India celebrate Krishna Janmashtami based on Lunar Calendar but few temples and some regions in South India observe Krishna Janmashtami based on Solar Calendar. In most years these dates don’t differ by one or two days but in some years Janmashtami date based on Lunar Calendar and Janmashtami date based on Solar Calendar might differ up to one month.

In Kerala, Tamil Nadu and in some parts of Karnataka, Krishna Janmashtami is popularly known as Ashtami Rohini and is observed based on Solar Calendar.

Two famous temples, Udupi Sri Krishna temple in Karnataka and Guruvayur Guruvayurappa temple in Kerala celebrate Krishna Janmashtami as Ashtami Rohini based on Solar Calendar.

Ashtami Rohini is also known as Sri Jayanthi and Gokulashtami which falls on 28th of this month.  (kannan pirantha naal) and uri adi i.e. gopalakala, dahi handi is on 29th August 2013.

Let us look at the recipe now:

TRICOLOUR DOSA, TIRANGA DOSA

TRICOLOUR DOSA, TIRANGA DOSA


Four days ahead of Independence day, I am posting tiranga dosa or tricolour dosa.  We can make various items viz. idli, dosa, rice, halva, sabdudana, burfi, dhokla etc.

this dosa is made with normal dosa batter by adding tomato for orange colour, coriander for green colour.  you can use carrots, gun powder and dill leaves, palak also.  I have uploaded this recipe in you tube http://youtu.be/ZqqxveRkcJw

Last year, i had shared with www.simpleindianrecipes.com more tiranga varieties recipes.  

Let us see the recipe now

NEEM FLOWER PACHADI, VEPAMPOO PACHADI

 I remember six year old, we were going to Madras (now Chennai).  I was fed up of sitting in the train for a longer hours and asked my mom when are we going to reach?  my mother said tomorrow.  I said i want to get down and go home to which my mother said, i will allow you to get down at the next station and you go home alone.  I got scared and kept quite.  After reaching Madras, we were playing,  that time,  my mom told me and my cousin to go to terrace and collect the neem flowers.  when we went to terrace, i could not believe,  such a lot of fresh flowers were lying like a carpet. we collected plenty of it in a bag and brought down.  Since that age, i am familiar with the rasam, pachadi.  In the beginning i felt it bit bitter, but we used to have karela, bitter gourd subzi, i liked these dishes also very much.

Neem flower pachadi, rasam is made during the Tamil New Year which falls mostly on 14th April.  This flowers are also available at that time, very fresh.  This pacahdi is made with mango, jaggery, chilli powder. You can use tamarind instead of mango.  Use the mangoes which are not ripe but not raw which will have a sweet and sour taste.  If you are using raw mango, ensure that less sour one is picked.

Neem flower pachadi

  Vepampoo pachadi has got five unique flavours viz salt, bitterness (neem flowers), sweetness (jaggery, vellam, sarkara), mango (sour), spice (red chilli powder).
neem-flower-rasam-vepampoo-rasam-rasam,   neem flower raita  watchyoutube : neem flower pachadi

NEEM FLOWER RAITA, VEMPAMPOO RAITA

You will think that the neem leaves are bitter so as the flower.  yes it is bitter but when you fry them in ghee, you will not feel much of the bitterness.  the flowers are usually available in the month of April during the beginning of the year i.e. New year (Varsha Pirappu) and the cuisines like vepampoo rasam, pachadi and raita are made.  if you cannot get fresh flowers, dried flowers are also available in the market.

neem flower rasam, vepampoo rasam
neem flower pachadi

SHEER KURMA (SEVAI KHEER)

Sheer kurma is made with vermicelli i.e. semiya, milk, sugar and dry fruits and dates.  Today is Ramadan, Ramzan and it is the special dish today made in every household.  It is a delicious kheer one can enjoy any time. This has got the similary to sevai kheer  or semiya payasam.  in semiya payasam, we do not add dates.  we can add kishmish also in both but my daughter does not like it hence I have not added the same.

RICE MARBLES, RICE BALLS, AMMINI KOZHUKKATTAI, MANI KOZHUKKATTAI, RICE DUMPLINGS

AMMINI KOZHUKKATTAI, MANI KOZHUKKATTAI, RICE BALLS, RICE DUMPLINGS

 
Ammini Kozbukkattai, mani kozhukkattai, rice balls, rice dumplings, you name it anything, it is a nice snacks for everyone.  This is loved by all at home as my mother makes it very easily.  You can also make it,  provided you have rice flour at home. You can make it plain, spicy and put in yoghurt like we make dahi vada.

LOTUS STEM PICKLE (kamal kakkadi pickle), tamarakizhangu urugai

Kamal kakkadi, lotus stem, thamarai kizhangu is the root of Lotus flower.   I was knowing only about the Tamarakizhangu vattal until such time, one of my colleage brought the pickle and one of my friend gave me the curry made along with potato. 

Crunchy, delicate flavored lotus root is an under-water edible rhizome of lotus plant. Since centuries, the lotus rhizome has held high esteem in oriental regions, especially in Chinese and Japanese cultures. Almost all the parts of the plant: root, young flower stalks, and seeds are being used in the cuisine.

It is good source of vitamin C and dietary fibre.  In addition, it contains moderate levels of some of valuable B-complex group of vitamins such as pyridoxine (vitamin B-6), folates, niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, and thiamin.

kamal kakkadi pickle

lotus seed pickle

SEASAME RICE, ELLU SAADAM,

Ellu saadam or sesame seed rice is one of the Chitrannams (varieties of rice preparation) made during Pathinettamperukku.  On Saturday,  this rice is made and offered to Shani Bhagwan.  If it is given to the crows also, Shani bhagwan bless us because the Vehicle (Vaahanam) of Shani is Crow, is the belief.

Apart from the above, it is a flavourful rice, I love to eat.  Since I forgot to click the picture separately on the day of Pathinettamperukku, shall post the picture later on.

chitrannams

BISI BELE BHATH l BISI BELE HULIANNA l MASALA BHATH

Bisi bele bhath is a spicy, rice-based dish with origins in the state of Karnataka, India. Bisi bele bhath, which translates to 'hot lentil rice dish' in Kannada language, is a wholesome meal. It is said to have originated in the Mysore Palace and from there spread across the entire state.
  
I love this dish  as one of my neighbour used to give me this.  It is a dish which includes the dals and vegetables along with rice.

I have used the masalas of my version and not the original one.  If anybody is not finding time to prepare the authentic masala, then they can opt for my method of preparing it.

I shall give below the original version also.

I love to eat this rice along with Pappadams, Appalams, Karuvadam and Onion Raita.

Bisibele Bhath

When I was carrying my daughter, I was craving for this dish.  I told one of my colleague to make it because she was from Karnataka, she said she does not know how to make it.  Finally, before my delivery, I  happened to be to my  family Doctor's house in the night when she was ready to eat her dinner.  She just asked me casually, Raji, Bisibela bhat khayegi, before she could finish the sentence, I  ran to her kitchen, pulled out a plate and took out some rice out of the cooker.  She gave me some karuvadam, vadiyum, papad etc. to eat along with it.  Piping hot from the cooker, I really enjoyed it.

When I checked with her the recipe, it was a long process.  Today, I wanted to make it as I was running short of time and everyone was hungry.  So I decided to make it and the recipe is here.  I adopted a simple method and it was lovely.

If you see the ingredients of the recipes in any of the sites, you will get a long list.  All those ingredients are included in the Garam masala except one or two.    So I decided to make  this way.

While preparing in the cooker, must ensure that it does not get burnt from the bottom.  or you can cook the same directly on a thick bottom vessel which you can check very often.


Let us look at the recipe now:

                                      
                                     Bisibele Hulianna l Bisibele Bhat

                                  Broken wheat Bisibele bhat l Lapsi Bisibele Bhat