Janmashtami/Krishna Jayanthi

Janmashtami day is an important day for Hindus. The festival of Janmashtami is celebrated as the birth day of Lord Krishna who was born as the incarnation of Lord Vishnu in Dwapar Yug . The festival is celebrated on the eighth day (Ashtami) day of the dark fortnight of the month of Avani(August-September) in the Hindu calendar.

From Periyazhvar's Tirumozhi

Celebrations:

The festival is observed with Ras Lila and Dahi Handi celebrations for two days in the country. While the Rasa lila re-creates the flirtatious aspects of Krishna's youthful days, the Dahi Handi celebrate God's playful and mischievous side, where teams of young men form human pyramids to reach a high-hanging pot of butter and break it. This tradition, also known as uriadi, is a major event in Tamil Nadu on Gokulashtami.

Janmashtami in Mathura

Kutti Krishna is particularly fond of milk, butter and sweets. People indulge in making delicious Sweets and desserts for Lord Krishna. 

They decorate their houses with flowers, imprints of HIS Divine Sri Krishna's feet entering to the entire house.  Moreover, many people observe a  Nirjal fast during the day, as a part of the celebrations. 

 The fast is broken  after Janmashtami Puja. During both the types of Janmashtami fast, people pass their time by singing bhajans of Lord Krishna and chant mantra. They would not consume the sweet dishes or any other food unless and until they have been offered to Lord Krishna.

On the occasion of Janmashtami, I extend my greetings and good wishes to all my blog readers.

Recipes for Janmashtami (Please see the links)


Almond Cashew Burfi                                            Ambalapuzha Pal Payasam

                                   


Unni appam

                                                                                       Ashoka Halwa
                                                                                                                     

Sweet appam
                                                                                      Madhu vargam
                                

Puzhungal Arsi Murukku                        Puzhungal Arsi Thattai


                                 


Uppu seedai
                                                                                           Navaneetham
                                    

Vella seedai
                                                                                            Thenkuzhal

                                              
Mull Thenkuzhal

                                                                                                     Vadai
                                             

Thattai                                                                              Coconut Burfi


                                    



Unniappam                                                 Kalkandu Sadam

                                     


Thirattipal                                                     Kasi Halwa

                                      

Thattai - 3

Janmashtami/Krishna Jayanthi

Janmashtami day is an important day for Hindus. The festival of Janmashtami is celebrated as the birth day of Lord Krishna who was born as the incarnation of Lord Vishnu in Dwapar Yug . The festival is celebrated on the eighth day (Ashtami) day of the dark fortnight of the month of Avani(August-September) in the Hindu calendar.

From Periyazhvar's Tirumozhi

Celebrations:

The festival is observed with Ras Lila and Dahi Handi celebrations for two days in the country. While the Rasa lila re-creates the flirtatious aspects of Krishna's youthful days, the Dahi Handi celebrate God's playful and mischievous side, where teams of young men form human pyramids to reach a high-hanging pot of butter and break it. This tradition, also known as uriadi, is a major event in Tamil Nadu on Gokulashtami.

Janmashtami in Mathura

Kutti Krishna is particularly fond of milk, butter and sweets. People indulge in making delicious Sweets and desserts for Lord Krishna. 

They decorate their houses with flowers, imprints of HIS Divine Sri Krishna's feet entering to the entire house.  Moreover, many people observe a  Nirjal fast during the day, as a part of the celebrations. 

 The fast is broken  after Janmashtami Puja. During both the types of Janmashtami fast, people pass their time by singing bhajans of Lord Krishna and chant mantra. They would not consume the sweet dishes or any other food unless and until they have been offered to Lord Krishna.

On the occasion of Janmashtami, I extend my greetings and good wishes to all my blog readers.

Recipes for Janmashtami (Please see the links)


Almond Cashew Burfi                                            Ambalapuzha Pal Payasam

                                   


Unni appam

                                                                                       Ashoka Halwa
                                                                                                                     

Sweet appam
                                                                                      Madhu vargam
                                

Puzhungal Arsi Murukku                        Puzhungal Arsi Thattai


                                 


Uppu seedai
                                                                                           Navaneetham
                                    

Vella seedai
                                                                                            Thenkuzhal

                                              
Mull Thenkuzhal

                                                                                                     Vadai
                                             

Thattai                                                                              Coconut Burfi


                                    



Unniappam                                                 Kalkandu Sadam

                                     


Thirattipal                                                     Kasi Halwa

                                      

Thattai - 3

Vella Seedai

Vella seedai is must sweet for Janmashtami. For me, preparation of Vella seedai is always tricky. Here is the tip for best vella seedai.

Tips:

• While shaping seedai marbles don’t press them tight.
• All ingredients must be also free from impurities.
• The dough should be moist and non-sticky.

 Preparation Time  :   15 Mins
 Passive Time          :    30 mins
 Cooking Time       ;   20 Mins
 Recipe Category   :   Festival, Sweet, Neivedyam
 Recipe Cuisine     :   South Indian

Ingredients:

Rice flour-                            1 cup

Urad flour -                          2 tbsp.

Grated Jaggery                     3/4 cup 

Cardamon  powder               1 tablespoon

Til seeds                              1 teaspoon

Grated  coconut                    1 teaspoon

Ghee                                   1 tablespoon

Coconut oil                           1 teaspoon

Cooking oil                            for deep fry

Water                                   1/4 cup- ½ cup

Method:

• Heat the rice flour in pan. Let the color start changing to brown (take off flame when the color just starts changing. Don’t let it become fully brown). Spread on a newspaper and let it cool.
•  Dry fry the urudh dhal in a pan. Let the color change, switch off the stove. Keep aside for cooling. Make it a nice powder in a mixie. Keep aside. (If you using readymade Urdh flour, dry fry it for one minute).
• Dry fry the coconut and til for a minute. Keep aside.
• In a kadai, add the water and the jaggery, Heat it.   As soon as all the jaggery melts, switch off the gas.
• Strain it using a steel strainer to remove dirt in jaggery. Let the jaggery water cool down.
•  Take a bowl, mix rice flour, Urdh dhal flour, Elachi powder, til (ellu), coconut, coconut oil and ghee . Use a whisk to gently bring all the ingredients together. 
• Now add the mixed flour little by little and keep stirring. Add flour till the dough consistency is such that you can make round balls. Cover it and keep aside for 30 minutes.
•  After 30 minutes, with your hands make a soft ball and put it on the newspaper.
• Heat the cooking oil in a kadai. Keep the flame on medium low.
• Add the balls to the oil once heated from the side of the kadai. Do not throw it into oil.
• When the seedai has fried a little, turn it over using a long handled spoon so that it gets fried evenly on all sides. Wait till color changes to a little dark brown and take it out.
• Put it in a vessel and drain the excess oil.
• Vella seedai ready to Offer to Lord Sri Krishna as neivedhayam.

Navaneetham

"Navaneetham" means newly churned butter that Krishna is so fond of, and

He Himself pervades the whole universe as butter pervades the milk.

Ingredients:

Unsalted  Organic white Butter –        4 tbsp.

Elachi Powder                          ½ tsp.

Candy sugar                           2 tbsp.

Sugar                                      1 tbsp.

Silver almonds                     1 tsp.

Method:

Mix all ingredients very well. Offer to Kutti Krishna as Neivedhyam.

Almond & Cashew Burfi

 Burfi is a diamond shaped ,one of the most popular, sweet in India. It comes in scores of different varieties and flavors. This one is very easy to make . 

Ingredients:

 Plain Cashew-                          25 nos

Khus Khus                                 2 tbsp.

Almond s                                  25 no

Milk                                           ½ -1 cup  

Cane sugar-                              2 cup

Ghee-                                       2-3 tbsp.

Crushed Cardamoms                5 no

Method: 

• Wash and soak the Almonds in warm water for one hour.
• Wash and soak the Cashews in warm water separately.
• Soak Khus Khus in hot water for one hour.
• Peel the skin from almonds and drain the water.
• Grind the almonds, cashew and Khus Khus in a blender to a smooth paste, with milk.
• Put a sugar in a nonstick pan and turn the heat on. Cook it till the sugar syrup forms 2-3 thread consistency.
• Now add the cashew and almond paste and keep stirring constantly.
• Ghee can be added slowly, while the paste is cooking.
• In about 20-25 minutes, simmer the heat and add the remaining ghee and carefully observe for consistency.
• The mixture will combine together to form a single mass and leaves edges. The color of the mixture will be pale color. Now add the ghee and stir. You can turn the heat off.
• When you cook more than this, it can turn very hard or get charred.
• Grease the plate to which the Burfi mixture has to be transferred and keep ready. Remove the mixture and spread it evenly to the plate.
• After 5 minutes, cut them into little squares, when it is still warm.
• Store it in a container.

I am   " Sending to Dish it out – Sugar and Butter and Vardhini’s page".

Madhuvargam

Madhu vargam is a form of fruit mix sweet made in all Perumal kovil during Thirumanjanam. This is also offered as Neivedhyam. I am giving below my modified version of Madhu vargam.

Ingredients

Chopped Mixed fruits - 2cups(Apple,Banana, all Berries, Jack fruit, cantaloupes)
Chopped Dates                            3 tablespoons

Mixed dry fruits                              4 tbsps.

Sugar Candy (Kalkandu)                   3 tbsp.
Grated coconut                               1 tbsp.
Cardamoms & cloves powder -         1 tablespoon

Raisins                                                    1 tbsp.

Ghee                                                        1 tbsp.

Honey                                                       ¼ cup

Jaggery (Crushed)                                  1 cup

Method:

• Wash, clean and chop the fruits.
• Take a clean mixing bowl.
• Add all the chopped fruits, dry fruits, sugar candy, coconut,raisins, ghee, cardamom powder and jaggery.
• Mix them very well.
• Now Madhu vargam is ready for Perumal’s neivedhayam .

Mullu Thenkuzhal

 Murukku can be magical for first timers – especially first time makers. Be it the ones made by the murukku maker, or the hand-made kai-murukkus, making murukku is an art by itself .In most South Indian family festivals, won’t end up without Murukku items.  This Mullu Thenkuzhal is an all-time favorite Indian snack that is sure to satisfy both in our family. This recipe guarantees crunchy and smooth  Mullu Thenkuzhal. This is very easy and simple recipe.

Murukku tips:

• Do not keep the dough for a long time. Make sure you keep the dough covered throughout to avoid drying of the dough.
•  Do not mix the whole flour at a time to make dough. Make dough little by little and fry at once. Otherwise, the preparation will become red.
• Make sure the rice flour and other flours, you use is fine in texture. Otherwise the Murukku will break.
• Butter gives whiter color and crisp texture.
  
  

Ingredients:

  Rice flour –                                         2 cup

Moong dhal flour –                            ¼ cup

Chutney dhal flour (Pottukadalai) – ¼ cup

Cumin seeds –                                    ½ tea spoon

Asafetida powder                              1/8 tsp.

Unsalted butter –                               2 table spoon

Salt –                                                     as per taste

Oil for frying

Method:

• Dry fry the Moong dhal in a pan,  grind in the mixer till fine powder.
• Mix all together. Divide them into two equal parts.   
• Make dough with first half, with enough water to a stiff dough.
• Make balls out of the batter and put it in the mould (mullu thenkuzhal) of the achu.
• Heat the oil in a pan and press out the dough.
• Cook in low flame till crisp and golden in color.
• Remove from the fire and drain.
• Now prepare the other half (follow the same steps)
• Mullu Thenkuzhal is ready.  Store it in an air tight container.
•  

  

  Murukku Aachu