Peerkangai Sambhar/Ridge Gourd Sambhar

Ingredients:

• Peerkangai - 2 nos
  
• Cooked Toor dal - 1 cup



• Tamarind water - 1/2 cup



• Chillipowder - 1tsp



• corriander powder - 11/2 tsp



• Tumeric powder - 1/2 tsp



• Onion - 1 finely chopped



• Tomatoes - 2 finely chopped



• Vadagam - 1 tsp



• Oil - 3 tsp



• Curry leaves - 1 string



• Cocount milk - 3 tsp

Preparation Method:

• Remove the outer skin from Peerkangai and chop into pieces.



• Heat oil in the pan, do tadka with vadagam and curry leaves.



• Add the chopped onion, fry till golden brown.



• Now add the chopped tomotoes and fry till they are mushy.



• Add salt ,close and cook for 2 min.



• Now add the Peerkangai pieces and mix well.



• Now add the chillipowder,corriander powder and tumeric powder.



• Mix well with 1/2 cup of water



• Allow it to boil for 10 min.



• Now add the tamarind water mix well, boil for 5 min



• Add the cooked dal mix well



• Finally add the coconut milk and garnish with corriander leaves

Serve with cooked rice.

Veggie Briyani

Ingredients:

• Ginger - 1 inch


• Garlic - 4 pods


• Coconut - 4 tsp grated


• Green chillies - 3


• Saunf - 1 tsp


• Mixed Vegetables - 1/2 cup[carrot,beans,green peas]


• Pudhina leaves/Mint leaves - 1 bunch


• Onion - 2 [ Chopped length wise]


• Basmathi rice - 1 cup[Soak it for 1/2 hr]


• Cinnamom - 1/2 inch


• Cloves - 2 nos


• Cardamom - 2 nos


• salt


• Chillipowder - 1 tsp


• Bayleaf - 1


• Nuts mixed - 2 tsp [ Cashewnut,almonds]


• Ghee - 4 tsp


• Oil - 2 tsp

Preparation Method:

• Grind the Ginger Garlic paste and keep it aside.


• Grind Coconut,greenchillies,saunf and keep it aside.


• Keep Ghee and oil in the cooker, do tadka with cinnamom,cardamom,cloves and bayleaf.


• Now add the ginger garlic paste saute for some time.


• Now add the chopped onion saute till they are golden brown.


• Now add the nuts mix well.


• Now add the chopped vegetables.


• Add the coconut paste.


• Add the pudina leaves mix well


• Now drain the water from the soaked rice and add to the mixture


• Mix well


• Add required amount of water - For 1 cup of rice add only 1 and 1/2 cup of water


• Add required amount of salt and chilli powder mix well


• Pressure cook it for 2 whistles

Serve hot with Raita and chips

Black Peas Kurma

Ingredients:

• Black peas - 1/2 cup [Soaked overnight]


• Tomato - 3


• Coconut - 1/2 grated


• Saunf - 1 tsp


• Khus Khus - 1/2 tsp


• Green chillies - 4


• Onion - 1/2 chopped


• Garlic - 3 pods


• Corriander leaves - garnish


• Lemon juice- 1 tsp


• Ghee - 2 tsp


• Cinnamom stick - 1/2 inch


• Cloves - 2


• curry leaves

Preparation method:

• Pressure cook the Black peas with salt and keep it aside


• Boil 2 cups of water in a pan, when the water reaches boiling point, add the whole tomatoes to it


• Close and cook for 10 min, remove from hot water immediately and transfer to cold water


• Peel off the outer skin from the tomatoes, cool and grind it


• Heat 1 tsp of oil in the pan, saute the chopped onion,green chillies and garlic for 5 min


• Remove it from fire and cool and grind it


• Heat 1 tsp of oil in the pan, saute grated coconut,saunf,khus khus till they are brown


• Remove it from fire and cool and grind it


• Now add 2 tsp of oil in the pan, do tadka with cinnamom,cloves,saunf and curry leaves.


• Now add the tomoto paste, allow it to boil till raw smell leaves


• Now add the coconut paste and allow it to boil for 5 min


• Now add the black peas


• Mix well, allow the whole mixture to boil for 10 - 15 min


• Once the liquid thickens, add the lime juice


• Garnish with Corriander leaves

Serve with Chappatis or Pooris

Brinjal Chopse

Kathirikai Chopse

Ingredients:

• Brinjal - 200 gms


• Tomato - 2 [ Finely chopped]


• Onion - 1 [ Finely chopped]


• Chilli powder - 2 tsp


• Tumeric powder - 1/2 tsp


• Salt - required


• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp


• Urad dal - 1 tsp


• Curry leaves - 1 string


• Hing - Pinch


• Oil - to fry

Preparation Method:

• Cut brinjal into length medium size pieces[Approx. one brinjal can lead to 4 length wise pieces]


• Heat oil in the pan, do tadka with Mustard seeds,urad dal,curry leaves and hing


• Now add the chopped onion, fry till golden brown


• Now add the brinjal, saute it nicely for 5 min


• Once the outer skin color changes, add the chopped tomotoes and salt


• Close the pan, and cook for 10 min


• Between keep sauting as and when required


• Once the tomotoes and brinjal are mushy


• Add chillipowder and turmeric powder, mix well


• Add 3 tsp of oil, saute well, don't close at this stage


• Allow the vegetable to fry and become golden brown

Goes well with sambhar rice and curd rice.

Puffed Rice balls

Poori Urundai/Karthikai Deepam Recipes

Ingredients

• Poori/Puffed rice - 2 cups


• Powdered jaggery - 1 cup


• Chukku /Dried ginger- ½ tsp


• Cardamom powder - ¾ tsp

Preparation Method

• Heat 3/4 cup of water in a kadai, once the water boils


• Add the powdered jaggery to it


• Make a thick consistency of the jaggery


• Try pouring a pinch of boiling jaggery mixture in water, it should be solid shape


• If this happens, your jaggery mixture is ready


• Now add cardamom powder,dry ginger powder and mix well


• Keep in the flame in lower medim, add the puffed rice to the mixture


• Mix well and switch of the gas


• Make mediun sized balls out the mixture when it is warm.

Sweet Puffed rice balls are ready for Puja.

Medhu Vada

Ingredients:

• Urdal Dal - 1 cup [Soak over night].




• Pepper corns - 1 tsp.[grounded coarsely]




• Cumin seeds/Jeera - 1 tsp.




• Green chillies - 3 [ Chopped finely].




• Corriander leaves - Chopped finely.




• Curry leaves - Chopped finely.




• Salt - Required.

Preparation Method :

• Grind the soaked urdal dal in a blender/Mixe - without adding water




• If required only 1/2 - 1 spoon of water




• The batter should be of thick consistency and should be grounded to a fine paste





• Make sure you sure the blender/Mixe properly, don't allow it to become hot, grind it slowly, giving some gaps.




• Once you are once with the batter, Mix it well with you hand, mix it in circular motion




• Do this for around 10 - 15 min, this helps the vada to come soft




• After this is done, take a pinch of batter, drop it in water and check if it floats on the top





• If it floats, you batter consistency is prefect and now you are ready for making vada





• Else keep doing the mixing with your hand for another 5 min and check with water and you will see the batter floating in water.




• Now add salt,ground pepper, cumin seeds,chillies,curry and corriander leaves




• Mix well all the ingredients.




• Heat oil in the Kadai, once the oil is hot.




• Dip you hand in water, take a small ball of water and just roll in your palm




• Make a hole in the centre with your thumb and drop it in the hot oil




• You can put 4 vadas together in the oil




• Don't turn them immediately, wait for some 3 min, now turn




• Fry till they are golden brown.




• Serve hot with Chutney or sambhar.

Karthikai Deepam Special

Karthikai Deepam - Festival of Lights

• This festival is celebrated in South india - Tamil Nadu.


• Celebrated by Hindus.
  
• Lord shiva and Karthikeyan are the lords who are mainly worshipped during this festival.

The lighted lamp is considered an auspicious symbol. It is believed to ward off evil and bad vibration and bring in prosperity and joy. While the lighted lamp is important for all Hindu rituals and festivals, it is indispensable for Karthikai.

History of Karthikai Festival

There was a demon who had, by severe austerities, obtained the boon that he could be invincible and immortal so long as the three forts in which he had entrenched himself were not demolished at one stroke. Because of these three forts or cities he had come to be known as Tripurasura.

The forts were impregnable, one within the other. If only one or two of them were destroyed by his opponents, they would immediately spring up again as strong as ever and the demon would remain unconquerable for such was the boon. Only when all the three forts were demolished and razed to the ground at one stroke and at one time could the demon be vanquished and destroyed. All the forces of good-the gods-tried to rid the world of the atrocities and tyranny of the demon but could not succeed They could destroy one fort or at least two and that too one after the other and the forts would spring up again, none the worse in all the onslaughts of the gods. In despair the defeated gods approached Lord Shiva to come to their help and protect the world.The merciful Lord Shiva agree.

All the gods joined Him and made up His equipment. Armed with the organised strength of the gods, he took up his great bow and sallied forth against the demon. In the beginning, He too demolished one fort or two but found them springing up again and again without even so much as a scratch. Then remembering the boon the demon had been blessed with, Lord Shiva took out His terrible Arrow and shot it at the three forts and lo! The impregnable walls came crumbling down and became dust and could not come into being again and the fearful demon deprived of his invincible shelter was slain.

The whole creation heaved a sigh of relief and once again righteousness reigned in the world People could freely follow their religious duties and live in peace and prosperity. It was this auspicious Kartika Purnima-Full Moon Day-when this great victory of good over evil was achieved and so it is observed as a day of rejoicing and at night a big light is lighted in honour of the Lord's victory.

Following are presented before lord during the celebration

• Poori Urundai - Puffed Rice balls
• Appam
• Payasam
• Vada
• Fruits &
• Flowers