Happy Vishu 2013

Dear  Friends & Readers

Wishing You Good-luck and prosperity on this auspicious occasion of Vishu

Happy Vishu 2013

 I posted the vishu recipes . Please see the link

http://sadhanakitchen.blogspot.com/2011/04/happy-vishu.html

Tamil New Year /Chithirai Varuda Pirrappu

Dear Readers:

May we all have the divine shower of Perumal, Thayar and Acharyas in this Vijay  Varusha Pirappu!

"Iniya Tamizh Puthandu Nalvazhthukkal" (இனிய தமிழ் புத்தாண்டு நல்வாழ்த்துக்கள்).

 Varhusha Pirrappu Thalighai” (Please see the links)

   
       Paruppu                                       Kootu                          
                  

     

  Paruppu Usli                             Veppampoo Rasam      

    

                    

Mor Kuzhambhu                                  Paruppu Usli

        

    Thayir Pachadi                             Manga Pachadi

    

       


Koosumalli                                      Thirukana amuthu/Payasam                  

             
                                          

            

 Vadai                                                        Paruppu Vadai              

                         


Plain Curd                                                                   Pickle 
  

                                

                                           

                                                            

                    

              


      
   

Masi Charadu Festival/ Karadaiyan Nombu Adais

Karadayan Nonbu is a major Tamil festival which is celebrated at the time on Meena Sankranti . It is celebrated at the moment when Tamil month Maasi ends and month Panguni starts.. This nombhu is observed by all married women for the wellbeing of their husband and that the couples should remain together always. Unmarried women also observe Karadaiyan Nonbu and pray to Goddess Lakshmi to get good men as their husband

Karadai is the name of a unique Nivedyam prepared on this day .The puja starts and the naivedyam is offered to Goddess Lakshmi &  Goddess Parvathi,While offering the women chant this mantra:

"Urugada Vennaiyum Oradaiyum Naan Tharuven

Orukaalum En Kanavar Ennai Piriyadirukkanum"

which means I offer butter and the rice made out of kaara arisi bless me that i live happily with my husband.

After performing the puja the Nonbu Charadu is tied around the neck. While wearing the Nonbu Charadu, women chant this sloka:

"Throram Krishhnami Subhake Saharithamdharami Aham

Bharthuayushya Sidhartham Supreethabhava Sarvadha."

After wearing the sharadu (sacred yellow cotton) the ladies partake of the prasadam of adai  with butter on their leaves.

The sharadu should ideally not be removed until the next Karadaiyan Nonbu.  The tradition of Kaaradayan Nonbu every year is believed to attain a long married life.

Karadaiyan Nonbu festival is celebrated with great importance on the Southern states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh.

There are two types of adai for neivedyam. One is salt and other one is sweet .

Sweet Adai Recipe

Ingredients

Raw Rice                                    2 cup

Karamani (Dried cowpeas)           2 table spoons

Grated Jaggery                           1 cup

Cardamon powder                       1 teaspoon.

Grated coconut                           ½ cup

Ghee                                           2 Teaspoon

Method:

• Roast the cow peas and soak them in hot water for 4 hours. Cook the cow peas and keep it aside.
• Heat one teaspoon of ghee in a pan, fry the coconut and cardamom powder in it. Keep aside.
• Wash and soak the rice for 1 hour. Drain water and dry the soaked rice in a white cloth under shade. Dry grind it to a fine powder.
• Roast the rice flour – stop when it is off white to light brown color& nice fragrance comes out of it. The consistency should be like the rice powder used for drawing kolams. Once roasted properly keep the rice flour aside.
• Add a little water to the jaggery, when jaggery is dissolved well,. Filter it and allow for boiling. Add the fried grated coconut, fried rice powder and cooked cow peas.
• Cook the dough on small or medium flame. Keep stirring until the dough thickens. Allow dough to cool.
• Now add remaining ghee in it and make a soft dough ball.
• Roll the dough into balls. Take some balls and flatten in the form of small circular or disc adais Make a hole in the center. The remaining balls are to be shaped into adais.
• Steam the adais in an idly-cooker or pressure cooker with steamer trays. Cook for 10 minutes. In the case of pressure cooker, cook without putting the weight.
• Now sweet adai is ready for neivedyam.

Salt Adai Recipe

Ingredients

Roasted rice flour -                       2 cup

Karamani (Dried cowpeas) -          2 table spoons

Grated coconut                            ½ cup

Salt                                              To Taste

Water                                           1 cup

Seasonings:

Coconut oil                                   2 Tablespoon.

Mustard seeds                               1 Teaspoon.

Urdh dhal                                      1 Teaspoon

Finely chopped green chilies          2 Tablespoon

Finely chopped curry leaves           1 Tablespoon

Grated fresh ginger                        1 Tablespoon

Asafetida (Hing)                             ½ Teaspoon

Method:

• Heat the oil in a pan, put mustard seeds, when it spluttered , add the urad dhal,chillis, curry leaves and the ginger. Sauté' for a few minutes and add the  grated coconut , asafetida and salt.
• Pour water in it and bring to boil. Reduce the stove heat to moderate.
• Now add the flour while stirring it in water. Stir well to avoid lumps.
•  Cook until mixture leaves the sides and get thickened, remove from the fire and allow to cool.
• Make a lemon sized ball from the cooked and cooled batter and flatten in the form of adais .
• Steam the adais in an idly-cooker or pressure cooker with steamer trays. Cook for 10 minutes.
• Now uppu adai is ready for prasadam. 

Pongal

Pongal is a harvest festival - the Tamil equivalent of Thanksgiving. In an agriculture based civilization the harvest plays an important part. The farmer cultivating his land depends on cattle, timely rain and the Sun. Once a year, he expresses his gratitude to these during the harvest festival. With the end of the wet month of Margazhi (mid- December to mid-January) the new Tamil month of Thai heralds a series of festivals. The first day of this month is a festival day known as "Pongal Day".

According to the calendar based on the solar system the year is divided into two halves following the apparent movement of the Sun northwards and Southwards. The farmer is termed Uttarayanam and the latter is Dakshinayanam. On the first day of the Thai, the Sun leaves the zodiac sign of Sagittarius and enters that of Capricorn, the latter is known as Makaram. The event thus is celebrated as Pongal.

Pongal 

 Pongal is a four-day affair. The first day, Bhogi.  That day when people discard old things and focus on new belongings (பைழயன கழிதலும் புதியன புகுதலும்). The disposal of derelict things is similar to Holika in North India. The people assemble at dawn in Tamil Nadu and Andhra to light a bonfire to discard old used possessions. Indra Vizha was celebrated in honor of Lord Indra, also called Bhogi, the God of thunder and rain. Apart from regular Thaligai, we prepare Paruppu Boli ,  Venpongal - and Sweet Pongal with vadai - thirukkannanamuthu. After   thiruvaradhanam all family members eat together.

The second day is Perum Pongal, the most important. It is also called Surya Pongal because people worship Surya. A sage named Hema prayed to Lord Vishnu on the banks of the Pottramarai tank in Kumbakonam. On Perum Pongal day, the lord is believed to have taken the form of Sarangapani and blessed the sage.

The third day is Mattu Pongal, celebrated to glorify cattle that help farmers in a myriad ways. On this day, the cows are bathed and decorated with vermilion and garlands and fed. In certain villages in southern Tamil Nadu especially in Alanganallur (Madurai district) a bullfight called manji-virattu is held in the evening.

Mattu Pongal has little significance to city folks. In most urban homes, the day is celebrated as Kannu Pongal. Special prayers are offered by women for the well-being of their brothers.

 Kolams:

Pongal festivals are not only famous for Pongal and also very famous for Kolams. The Kolam is much more than just an aesthetic art. "Kolam" refers to ornamental artwork drawn on the floor in front of deities in puja rooms or in front of houses in Tamil Nadu. In Tamil language, the word kolam means beauty; The Kolam and the bright red border or kaavi enclosing it are also believed to prevent evil and undesirable elements from entering the houses.

 Let’s celebrate the Pongal, welfare to spread and delight to sunshine in our lives.

Pongal Recipes are

Sarkarai Pongal   
                                                                          Venn Pongal

                                                                         

Thaalatha Kuzhambhu

Vadai                                                                                     Thirukanaamuthu

                                          


MoreKuzhambhu,                                                       Avial, 

                                         


Sathuamuthu,                                                       Paruppu usli                                  

                                                                         


Pachadi,                                                                      Pickle
                                            


Mango Pachadi                                                                    Ezhu Kari Kootu

                                               

Deepavali - Festival of Lights

 The Indian Festival of Lights is the most widely celebrated festival of the people from the Indian sub-continent and across the whole world. Deepavali means rows of lights; it is the festival symbolizing victory of good over evil, light over darkness, and knowledge over ignorance. The lighting of lamps is a way of paying obeisance to god for attainment of health, wealth, knowledge, peace, valor and fame.  

History of Deepavali:  Please see the link

http://www.indiaexpress.com/faith/festivals/dhistory.html

Deepavali Sweets:(Please see the links)

Almond Cashew Burfi                                      Ashoka Halwa

                              

Microwave Thirattipal                             Badam Burfi/ Almond Burfi

                            


Carrot Halwa                                                   Coconut Burfi 

                           

Peanut Urundai                                                     Gulab Jamoon

                         


Shahi Tukda                                         Gulab Jamoon with Khoya

                       


Almond Shrikand                                   Soft Mysore PaK

                 

RasGulla                                                          Kasi Halwa

   

Rava Kesari

Maladu



Deepavali Savories (Please click the links)

Mullu Thenkuzhal                                 Thenkuzhal Murukku

                       


   Ribbon Pokada                                  Cornflakes Mixture 

                        


Thattai                                                          Omapodi

                      

Thool Pokada                                    Kara Sev                        
                     

Kara Boondhi                             Puzhghal Arisi Murukku  Murukku


                  

                                                 Puzhungal Arisi Thattai

Thattai

     Nippattu / Rice Crackers

Wishing all my dear readers and everyone out there a Happy Deepavalli