Rainbow Punch

You can make this within 2 minutes. The photo shows only a sample in the  mug.

Ingredients:
Rainbow sherbet                    1/2 gal
Diet ginger Ale                       1 tin
Lemon soda                           1 cup

Method:

• Mix juices in a large bowl. Scoop sorbet in to punch bowl. Mix Ice cubes in it. Serve with ice cubes.

Kousmalli /Kosumari

This is very common in most of the South Indian Lunch menu and also special religious festivals  like Rama Navami  .

Ingredients

Cucumbers                               - 2 cups (peeled and finely chopped)

Green chillies                           - 1 or 2 (cut into small pieces)

Carrot                                      – ½ cup (Peeled and grated)

Lemon juice –                             1 tsp

Moong dhal                              - 1/4 cup  

Salt                                           to taste

For seasoning: 

Cooking oil                                 - 1 teaspoon

Mustard seeds                           - 1/4 teaspoon

Asafetida                                  a couple of pinches

Cilantro                                 -  3 tbsp (finely chopped)

Grated coconut                       – 2 tbsp

Fresh basil leaves (optional)    -  1 tbsp

Method:

• Soak moong dhal in water in a bowl for about an hour, drain the water and set aside. Using warm/hot water will speed up the soaking process .
• Add the finely chopped cucumber, cilantro, basil, green chillies and grated coconut to the moong dhal and mix well.
• In a small pan, heat oil, pop mustard seeds, add the Asafetida and fry for a second. And pour the mixture over the above carrot & cucumber mixture; add salt & Lemon juice. Mix well once again.
• The Kousmalli is ready to serve.

Neer moru. (Spiced up Buttermilk)

I make this for Ramanavami day.

 Ingredients:

Thick curd                                         1 cup

Water                                               2 – 3 cups

Hing                                                1/4 tsp

Fresh ginger grated                            1 tsp

Salt                                                 1/2 tsp

Finely chopped green chillies                 1no.

Curry leaves and coriander leaves         For decoration

 For Seasoning - mustard seeds            1/4 tsp..

Method:

• Churn the curd to butter milk ,add enough water and all other ingredients, mix well.
• Season some mustard seeds.
• Neer Moru is ready.

Rava Kesari

India is a land of sweets.  Every good news is celebrated with sweets. One of the famous and most commonly made Indian sweet is Sheera or ravakesari.  Rava Kesari is a tasty low calorie Indian recipe. This can be made with simple ingredients available in most homes. This recipe seems to be easy, but it requires lot of practice and patience to bring in the right texture.

Ingredients:

Rava (semolina)                           1 cup

Water                                           2- 3 cups

Sugar                                          1 3/4 cups

Almonds, Cashew nuts and raisins -3 tbsp (fried in ghee)

Orange edible food color             - a pinch

Kasseri color                                ¼ tsp

Ghee                                            1/2 cup

Cardamom                                   4 to 5(well crushed)

Method:

• Roast the Rava for two minutes with a tablespoon of ghee.
• Boil the water and add orange & Kesari color powder.
• Add  the boil water to Rava slowly. Stir continuously while adding Rava to avoid lumps.
• Cook Rava for 2 minutes then add the sugar slowly, just the way you added the rava, so it blends in well. Cook for a minute and then add ghee. Cook for 5 minutes till the ghee comes out of the rava.
• Again add the remaining ghee, heat a little, add cardamom, cashews, raisins fry till nice golden brown and add to the rava. Keep stirring once again till the Kesari thickens
• Pour the ghee generously, and stir well. Don’t let it stick to the bottom.
• The ghee starts oozing out on the sides. That’s the perfect time to turn off the flame.
• Tasty rava Kesari is ready. 

For Fat (and hence tasty) version:

• Add lot of dry fruits.
•  you can add whole milk with water (50% water, 50% milk)
• Use  ghee generously.
• 
  

Cornflakes Mixture

This is a great Indian snack. I always love Grand sweet’s cornflakes mixture. This is my first attempt to make it at home. Use your imagination when it comes to the nuts and seeds.  It makes a healthy snack for both kids and adults. Have it at tea time along with a cup of hot masala chai or coffee.Store in airtight container for up to three weeks.

Ingredients

Raw Cornflakes (not fried)                    - 4 cups 
Maize Poha -                                         2 cup

Thick Beaten rice (Aval/poha) -                1 cup

Split roasted gram dal (dalia/porikadala)-  1/2 cup

Roasted peanut –                                     1cup

Raisins -                                                  1 cup

Cashews –                                               ½ cup

Curry leaves

Oil-                                                           for deep frying

Whole Red chillies –                                  4 no

Masala (for sprinkling)

Powdered salt -                                             1 tsp

Red chili powder -                                         1 1/4 tsp

Citric acid - (OPTIONAL)                                2 pinches

Sugar -                                                        1 tsp

Asafetida powder -                                        1/4 tsp

Roasted cumin seed powder                          - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric -                                                     a pinch

Method:

• Select cornflakes which are raw and meant for frying. (Do not buy breakfast cereal)
• Deep fry handful of cornflakes each time in hot oil.
• Drain away the excess oil.
• Fry each of the other ingredients separately and mix with fried cornflakes.
• Mix all mentioned spices under masala powder together.
• Sprinkle over fried ingredients when it is still hot (whenever powdered spices are added to any mixture, it should be sprinkled when it is still hot).
• Store in air-tight container after it attains room temperature.

Happy Vishu

Vishu (Malayalam:വിഷു) is a new year festival celebrated in the state of Kerala, India. Vishu generally falls on April 14 of the Gregorian calendar. This occasion signifies the Sun's transit to the zodiac - Mesha Raasi (first zodiac sign) as per Indian astrological calculations and astronomically represents the vernal equinox.

konna (Cassia fistula)

The most important event in Vishu is the Vishukkani, which literally " the first thing to be seen on the Vishu day post waking up". The Vishukkani consist of a ritual arrangement of auspicious articles like raw rice, fresh lemon, golden cucumber, betel leaves, arecanut, metal mirror, the yellow flowers konna (Cassia fistula), and a holy text(Ramayana) and coins, jewels ,in a bell metal vessel called uruli in the puja room of the House. A lighted bell metal lamp called nilavilakku is also placed alongside. This arrangement is completed the previous night. On the day of Vishu, the custom is to wake up at dawn and go to the puja room with the eyes closed so that the Vishukkani is the first sight of the new season.. Devotees also throng the well-known temples like Sabarimala Ayyappan Temple, Guruvayur Sree Krishna temple to have a "Vishukkani Kazhcha" on the early hours of "Vishu" day.

"Vishu" is celebrated with much fanfare and vigor in all parts of Kerala. Bursting crackers is part and parcel of the celebration especially for children. Elder’s gift firecrackers to children and every child vie with each other to make a world of their own. People wear new clothes (Puthukodi) for the occasion and elders of the family distribute tokens of money, called Vishukkaineetam, to children, servants and tenants. 

Vishu is also a day of feasting, wherein the edibles consist of roughly equal proportions of salty, sweet, sour and bitter items. Feast items include Veppampoorasam (a bitter preparation of neem) and Mampazhapachadi (a sour mango soup) and Kerala sadya dishes.

Recipes

Kerala Sadya

Gothuma Payasam                                         Chekka Pradhaman                                               
                                                         

Pavakkai Kichadi                                                  Kerala Sambhar

                            

Pal Ada Pradhaman

SriRama Navami

The birth anniversary of Lord Rama is celebrated in the month of Chaitra, which usually falls in March or April according to the Hindu calendar is known as Ramnavami. Ramnavami is dedicated to the memory of Lord Rama. It occurs on the ninth day (navami). The festival commemorates the birth of Rama who is remembered for his prosperous and righteous reign. Ramrajya (the reign of Rama) has become synonymous with a period of peace and prosperity. It is celebrated with great devotion across the nation and every region has its own regional significance behind the celebration. The public worship starts with morning ablutions, chanting Vedic mantras dedicated to Vishnu, and offering flowers and fruit to the god. People keep a fast throughout the day, breaking it only at midnight with fruit.

 Pandigai thaligai for Sriram Navami is very simplest for all the Pandigai. (Please click the link)


Neer Mor                                                           Panakam, 

                                 


Kosumari.                                                        Cucumber Kosambari


                          

JAI SRI RAM……….HAPPY RAMA NAVAMI