Madappalli - Temple's Kitchen

Jan 1, 2012

Happy New Year 2012

Dear Readers

I Wish in 2012

God gives You...

12 Month of Happiness,

52 Weeks of Fun,

365 Days Success,

8760 Hours Good Health,

52600 Minutes Good Luck,

3153600 Seconds of Joy...and that's all!

Dec 31, 2011

Madappalli turns one - 200th post

My Virtual Kitchen turns one today! What a great year it has been. The first post here on the Madappalli was exactly one year ago, December 31^st 2010. When I started this blog, I had little idea of what I wanted it to be. I didn’t have much experience in professional blogging. The wonderful comments that kept coming by were my biggest inspiration of all!! Now, I’m really happy to have a small community of people who encourage me by commenting regularly and sharing my posts.

Looking after the blog over the year has been a great experience, and after writing about 200 posts and 35,484 page views, I learnt a lot. I hope you’ve enjoyed it, but remember that I always welcome your feedback.

Let me say a BIG THANKS to all my readers who visited, read my posts, commented, sent me emails, joined my network and subscribed to my posts. I want to say special thanks to my lovely husband Paddy, Anudinam.org and SNDG (Seattle Nalayeera Divya Prabhatha Ghosti), It has been an exciting journey and without your support it won’t be possible. Thank you very much to all for supporting my blog.

I pray that the Lord Krishna will continue to bless this blog!

Dec 22, 2011

Aval / Poha / Flattened Rice Vadai

This is simple and delicious snack.

Ingredients:
Aval(Beaten rice/Poha) - 1 cup
Gram flour 1 tbsp.

Rice flour 1 tbsp.

Corn flour – 1 tsp

Grated coconut 1 tbsp.

Salt to taste

Finely chopped Green chili 4 no

Hing - a pinch
finely chopped Coriander leaves -1 tbsp.
finely chopped Curry leaves - a few
Grated Ginger- 1 tsp.

Oil – For deep frying

Method:

Wash Aval and rinse well. Set aside for 10 minutes till it turns soft.
Add all above ingredients (expect oil) and form a dough.
Make dough without using water, as Aval is already enough wet. Make soft dough.
Divide the dough into 10 parts and make small Vedas with hand of each part.
Heat the oil in a pan and deep fry vadas, until golden brown and crispy.
Serve hot with mint chutney or ketchup.

Ribbon Pokada

Ribbon Pakoda is a very popular South Indian tea time snack made from gram flour and rice flour. Ribbon Pakoda are an inclusion to all festivals and occasions. My husband loves it a lot, and I am sure you would too… Even though many of us know the recipe, this is my version.

Ingredients:-

Rice flour - 1 cup

Besan flour – 3 cup

Urdh dhal powder – 3 tbsp.

Unsalted Butter – 3 tbsp.

Red chili powder – 1 tsp. (according to taste)

Asafetida powder – ¼ tsp.

Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp.

Crushed Black pepper – ½ tsp.

Salt to taste

Water 1 cup

Cooking oil for deep frying

Tools:

Sev Press

Slotted Spoon

Paper Towel

Kadai

Method:

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan. The stove heat should be in medium flame.
Combing all above ingredients expect water and oil. Gradually add water to make it a stiff dough, adding extra water if required.
Grease the Sev Press with oil. Fill in the dough into the press.
Press out thin strips of the dough into the hot oil. Only press in enough to cover the oil.
Fry it till becomes golden brown, strain the excess oil in a paper towel, let it cool.
Press the remaining batches of the dough in the similar manner.
Cool the entire ribbon Pakoda and store in an air tight containers.
Serve with Tea or coffee.

Dec 20, 2011

Potato Varuval – Potato Fry

Potato fry is a simple to make side dish and goes well with sambhar and Saathuamuthu.

Ingredients

Medium Size Potato - 8 nos

Chili powder – 1 1/4 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Salt – to taste

Seasonings:

Mustard seeds 1 tsp

Cumin Seeds – ½ tsp

Asafetida powder – ¼ tspp

Oil - 4 tsp

Method

Wash potato and cut them to small cubes.
Heat 3 tsp oil in a Cast iron pan. Reduce the heat to low and add mustard, when it’s done popped add cumin seeds and asafetida powder.
Add the potato pieces; add salt, turmeric powder and chili powder. Stir well, cover with lid and cook for few minutes. Open the lid and add 2 tsp of oil and stir fry for 5 minutes in a lower heat.
Serve hot with Rice.

Potato Fry

Kumbalanga Kuttan(White Pumpkin Curry)

Kumbalanga Curry is a very easy to prepare dish and can be used with steamed rice.

Ingredients:

Chopped Kumbalanga (White Pumpkin) – 1 1/2 cup

Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp.

Chili Powder - 1/4 tsp.

Salt - as required

To Be Grind

Grated Fresh Coconut - 2 tbsp.

Jeera - 1/2 tsp.

Grated Ginger – 1tsp.

Green chilies – 3 no

Seasonings:

Coconut oil / cooking oil 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp.

Red chilies – 2 no

Asafetida – ¼ tsp

Curry leaves

Method:

Cook the Kumbalanga along with a little water, turmeric powder, chili powder and salt.
Grind Coconut, green chilies, ginger with Jeera and a little water to a fine paste
Mix the grounded coconut with the cooked Kumbalanga.
Heat Oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds, curry leaves, Asafetida and dry red chilies.
Pour the seasonings to the of Kumbalanga mixture
Serve with Steamed or boiled rice.

Dec 18, 2011

Among the months - I am Margazhi"

Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita: Among the twelve months in a year, I am Margazhi. “mAsAnAm mArgasirso ‘ham” [Chapter 10 Slokam 35]

Brhat-sama tatha samnam Gayatri chandasam aham

Masanam marga-sirso ’ham rtunam kusumakarah

The most beautiful month in the Tamizh calendar! Lord Krishna says that he is the month of Margazhi from which one can imagine the beauty and sanctity of this month. The holy star Mrigaseersha combined with the Pournami thithi is the birth of the great Margazhi month. Among the 12 Tamil months, Margazhi brings the spring season.

Sriman Narayanan is called with various thiru Naamams. 12 ThiruNammas - (Kesava,Narayana etc) are considered very special. And these 12 thiru Naamams denotes 12 Tamil months. Out of these 12 thiru Naamams, Kesavan is considered to be the greatest and divine Naamam and this Naamam - Kesavan is related to the Margazhi month. This also explains the greatness of Margazhi month.

On all the thirty days of this month, Thiruppavai Pasurams will be rendered in the early morning in all temples and houses. Adhyayana Utsavam for 21 days (10+10+1) will also be held during this month by rendering holy scriptures (Four thousand Divya Prabhandam Pasurams) at 108 Divya Desam including Sri Rangam and many other Vaishnava Sthalams). The month is also of great significance in the SrIrangam Sri Ranganatha Temple. Apart from the Vaikunta Ekadasi, the SrIrangam temple during the month witnesses the Pagal pathu and Rapathu – chanting of 4000 Divya Prapadham

Pavai Nombu, also known as Margazhi Nonbu, is observed in Tamil Nadu during Margazhi masam or Margali month. It is said that Andal performed Pavai Nonbu to merge with Sri Ranganatha (Lord Vishnu).

The Pavai Nonbu observed as per the Thiruppavai verses illustrates the desire of the jeevatma to merge with the paramatma. All the austerities performed in this regard are part of the sharanagati performed by Andal to Lord Ranganatha. Andal's thirty songs contain the cardinal principles of Vaishnava dharma during the month of Margazhi. Vaishnavas sing these songs to bring peace, prosperity and Divine Grace.

The first five stanzas provide an introduction to the main theme, its principle and purpose. According to Andal one should give up luxuries during this season. Sincere prayers to the God would bring abundant rain and thus prosperity. Offering Lord Krishna fresh flowers would expiate sins committed earlier and those that may be committed in future.

In the next ten stanzas she describes the importance of community participation. She invites her friends to gather flowers. She essays the ambience at her village, the chirping of birds, colorful blossoms, the musical sound of butter-churning, herds of cattle with tinkling bells, the sounding of the conch from the temple.

She visits each household and awakens all her friends to join her for a bath in a nearby pond. She also praises the incarnations of the Lord. The next five stanzas describe her visit to the temple accompanied by her friends. She desires to render Suprabhata gently to wake up the Lord. The group appeases the temple guards, enters the temple and recites prayers extolling the parents of Lord Krishna and begging them to wake up Krishna and Balarama. Then they approach Neela Devi, the consort of the Lord, to have a Darshan.

The last nine stanzas are on the glories of the Lord. On receiving his blessings Andal lists her demands; milk for the vrata, white conch, lamps, flowers, and rich costume and jewellery, plenty of ghee and butter. The concluding stanza is an envoi identifying her as the daughter of Vishnucittar who made this garland of 30 pasurams and says those who recite with devotion will have Lord’s blessings.

This Margazhi month has another specialty also. This month is considered and should be considered as the divine and highly spiritual month because in all the other months, there are lots of festivals and happy occasions fall. The main reason why there are no festivals in this month is mainly because of mind and soul should completely think only towards the Perumal and this is the only month in which all the 30 days should be dedication towards the Perumal. This is the main reason why no festivals are done during thing month, as this month is highly sacred and divine.

There is also a scientific meaning, which explains the greatness of the Margazhi month. During this month, the ozone layer will be lowered a little bit and because of this, any disease will reduce and gives a healthy body.

Margazhi Bhajanai & Unjavrithi

Margazhi is known for its bhajanai early morning and people also do unjavrithi. People go in groups singing in praise of God.

The Tamil Margali Masam, or Margazhi Month, is the month of Bhakti and Music. Elders and music lovers also visit to the Sabhas in the evening to listen music, attend dance programmers and other cultural activities throughout Margazhi. This month is familiarly known as Margazhi Maha Festival.