Manoharam Kombu

The first functions for my kids happened here in USA thousands of miles away from my home town. I know I missed all of them there in India, but there were quite many things that I did not want to compromise during these functions were the specials things that we prepare for the functions, our traditional attire, the homam we perform and other rituals. One of the foods that we prepare for the occasion is the 'Paruppu thengai Koodu' and they can be filled with quite many things.

The Kombu adorns in the special occasions like marriage, house warming, seemantham, Ayushomama, Upnayanam etc. In all these occasions, it is shaped as cone and other times, they can be made in the form of balls.

I first prepared the Gunjaladdu for my daughter's Ayushomam and now for my son's Ayushomam, I have prepared Manoharam.

Maa Vilakku

An age old tradition of lighting lamp with maa vilakku. They are done by both the sub-sects, iyer and iyengar. The Saivites do it on any of the Fridays of Thai month or on aadi month in Tamil calendar. The Vaishnavites prepare on Purattasi month.

We light lamp in our home, and invite the Godess (ambal) to our home in the form of "Jothi". This is a wonderful experience every-time. We all can say slokas praising Goddess Parvathi, and recite Lalitha Sahasra namam on these days.

Purana Poli

"Pazhayana Kazhithalum Pudhiyana Pugudhalum", Lets clean our houses and get rid of old unused items. Lets not burn, rather recycle and donate.

The great series of festival, Pongal starts with Bhogi. Staying here I miss drawing Kolams, eating Sugarcane.
The recipe for Bhogi is Purana Poli, Paruppu Vadai, and Payasam.

Sankaranthi Kootu

A very special kootu, Sankaranthi kootu, is a great one to go along with pongal. Although, we never try to prepare this on any other days. Somehow, life moves like a flash, we also rush around things. This is yet another simple kootu,

Pongal is not a single day festival, it is a series of 3 days. The festival is also called as Harvest festival. The farmers worship Lord Indhra and Sun God for appropriate rain and abundant yield. So, these days helps for the family unity. Like that this kootu is prepared with lots of vegetables along with field beans and pray God for family unity.

Thalagam

I really think that the women in my family live through cooking. The stories that they tell about how they learned to make a certain dish and what occasions they cook it on tell a lot about themselves and our family history. Recently I've gotten to know my mother-in-law a lot better by learning to cook from her, importantly I've learned the dishes my husband loves the most. In-fact, he is specific to have that particular taste for these dishes.  She is the best kind of mother-in-law, I have met no other friend who can claim a the same with their m-in-laws to the one I have with mine. Knock on wood.

I have already shared  about each of our likes to food at home. Sundar hails from southern part of Tamilnadu, Nagercoil, specifically the village Erachakulam. This dish is traditionally prepared there, and usually on the occasions of Thiruvathirai as a side dish for Kali.

Thiruvathirai Kali

Thiruvathirai Kali is prepared on the auspicious occasion of Thiruvathirai. Cendanar of Naukoor, a disciple of Paddinattu Adigal, used to eat only after feeding some Saiva devotees. Due to a constant bad weather he could not get together all the essentials for a proper meal. He had no option but to mix water with flour and prepare a mashed paste. Lord Siva understood his predicament. He wanted the people to know how sincere his devotee was to him. Therefore he disguised himself as a Siva devotee and visited Cendanar’s hut and enjoyed what was given to him as food. The temple attendants saw the premises scattered with the mashed paste the following morning. Inquiries led to an understanding of Cendanar’s piety and he was thereafter bestowed with all due respect. This incident took place in a Markali Thiruvathirai. This is why Thiruvathirai Kali forms an important prasad on this holy day.

All these traditional sweets are loved by Sundar. He craves for them, I should say. And he loves to have Thalagam along with this.

Pori Urundai

Authentic recipe prepared only on the Karthigai Deepam day. They form a great snack for the kids too.
Aval Pori and Nell Pori are the two famous dishes prepared on the auspicious occasion of Thirukarthigai/Karthigaideepam.

Kalyana Rasam

Generally, there is a feel that Rasam are made only when sick. But this rasam changes that trend and makes us feel like a special occasion with its special aroma while cooking!

This Rasam made in Brahmin marriages have a distinct and exotic taste. There are quite a lot other ingredients like pineapple used to give a distint taste to the rasam. I felt that this tasted like the kalyana Rasam when I prepared. The original recipe was to dry roast the ingredients. I tried by frying the ingredients in ghee/oil. I felt that the method which I fried in ghee was more flavourfulllll and it tasted like the kalyana Rasam.

Paal Kozhakattai

Paal Kozhakattai is a traditional sweet recipe of Tamilnadu. It is easily prepared and quite different ways to prepare depending on our taste and time limits. We can prepare using normal milk or using coconut milk. Well, I like to use both, as I do want the flavor of coconut milk to be there. But am lazy to take lot of coconut milk. SO I mix them and it tastes great! It is not too sweet, so anyone who are quite conscious on their sweet intake can try this out.
This would be a different healthy dessert for the kids too!

Modhagam

Its Sankatahara Chathurthi for this month. Every Sankata Hara Chathurthi reminds me of  when Shyam and Hasini were boen. Like I told in the previous Chathurthi post, I prepare Modhagam or any other kind of kozhukattai for the day and offer it to temple. Sri Guruvaayoorappan temple in NJ is where we celebrated my daugthter's Ayushhomam. And we visit there on these occasions and spend our time there. The temple is so beautifully constructed, you feel the Sanctity the moment you enter the gate!
Now they are constructing this temple to a even bigger and beautiful temple. They also have sort of donation going in the temple for their construction. People, who like their kids' names to be inscribed in the new temple, can donate for the temple and let the holy spirit grow and bless us!

Modhagam is a yummy snack and also widely used dish for neivedhyam for vinayakar chaturti or Ganesha festivals.
Also whenever we do other varieties of kozhukattai and if we have left over pooranam, then we can use that pooranam to prepare modhagam and this way we do not need to throw away the left over Pooranam. Any kind of pooranam can be used to prepare modhagam. Here I am showing thengai poorana modhagam, a very traditional way! Try this and let me know your feedback!

Mor Kuzhambu

Mor Kuzhambu is a scrumptious Buttermilk curry to have along with the rice. In Iyengar homes, these are made on auspicious days. 
Lovely Mor Kuzhambu and a different version is here, rather called the Iyengar version. This is also called as Varuthu Aracha Mor Kuzhambu. This also my MIL style of mor kuzhambu, a yummy and delicious style.

Poricha Kootu - Variety 2

This is yet another variety of Poricha Kootu. It is done on most of the function or on the special  days.
The peppercorns gives the nice aroma in the kootu. And it is a great variety in kootu during the winter time. Cold is switching between each of us in our home. So, all pepper dishes are going on. Today we had Pepper Rasam, pepper kootu with veggies for our rice.

Venn Pongal

Pongal o Pongal! Pongal is a long way...not very long, but atleast we have some other festivals coming before. I do not wait for any occasion to prepare ven pongal. When my mouth waters for the dish, I make it! Its just my favorite at home, so no one else requests. Rather, Sundar asks for the sweet pongal!

Poricha Kootu (dhal gravy)

I do this Kootu when I feel bored to cook sambar and veggie separately. The work is simple, without affecting the vegetable intake. Just mix it with hot rice or it is great with chapathi some days. Fresh, green vegetables are preferred. I have used Snake Guard to make the kootu.

Uluthamparuppu poorana kozhukattai

Uluthamparuppu poorana kozhukattai is a special tasty dish and one of the neyivedhyam on Vinayaka Chaturti Festival. I prepare any one of the kozhukattai on the Sankatahara Chathurthi every month. Last saturday, I prepared this type of Kozhukattai.
Sankatahara Chathurthi is a special day and this day is even more special both of my kids were on this day. So I try to offer something on this day of every month to Lord Ganesha.

You need:
Urad dhal - 1/2 cup
rice flour - 1 cup
green chilli - 3
oil - 2 tsp
curry leaves - 3 bunch
salt - to taste
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Hing - 1/4 tsp
Grated coconut - 1 tsp


Soak the urad dhal in water for 30 mins and after that take the uad rdhal from water.
Add green chilli and salt and grid the urad dhal in a mixer one or twice
Add the ground urad dhal mixture and cook it in idly plate in a pressure cooker for 5mins. You can smell the nice aroma while it gets cooked.

Take the cooked urad dhal mixture from the pressure cooker and using your hand break the urad dhal mixture.
Heat the pan and add mustard seeds and once the mustard starts to sputter add hing, grated coconut and urad dhal mixture and mix it well and keep it aside

Make equal size urad dhal mixture balls and keep it aside.
Take a pan and add 1/2 cup water , 1 teaspoon oil and little salt and when the water starts to boil , add the rice flour and mix it well and remove from flame and keep it aside covered with plate
Take the rice flour mixture after 5-10 mins and sprinkle some warm water and also some oil and mix it well like a chapati dough.

Take some oil in a bowl and take little oil in a hand and then take little amount of rice flour and using the oil make it like a cup and then in the middle of it add the urad dhal pooranam.

For a detailed step by step explanation to prepare the outer cover for the kozhukattai is given here. Close the flour and keep it aside.

Steam cook the urad dhal poorna kozhukattai in pressure cooker by placing it in a idli plate for 5 mins
The delicious urad dhal poorana kozhukattai is ready for neivedhyam as well as for serving.

Adai aviyal

An adai when served with aviyal makes a wholesome, nutritious meal. Aviyal is a medley of boiled vegetables (think carrots, potatoes, chow-chow, white pumpkin, yellow cucumber - mostly the water based veggies etc) simmered in yogurt, coconut gravy. Its so easy to make the batter for adai, no need to toil over
fermenting the batter. The amount of lentils added does not have any hard and fast rules. But, I follow the measurements from my mom! My MOMS the BEST! (that's how it is for all of us isn't it?)

Serves 7-8 adai and it can be served for 3 people.

You need:
1/2 Cup Channa Dal
1/2 Cup Tuvar Dal
1/2 Cup Moong Dal
handful Urad Dal
1/4 Cup Rice
1/2 Cup Grated Coconut (optional)
6-8 Red Chilies
1" Ginger
Salt to Taste
2 bunch Curry Leaves
Oil

Soak the lentils and rice for about 2 hours or until tender to grind.  Grind the lentils and rice, by adding chillies and ginger. Grind it to a coarse consistency.
Once done, add the chopped curry leaves and salt to taste. Add coconut (if using) and mix well. Heat the cast iron pan, pour one laddle of the batter and spread like dosa.

(we usually make a small hole in the middle of the adai - and add few drops of oil in the hole so that the lentils get cooked well!)
Turn the adai and cook both the sides.
Serve the adai hot with aviyal (recipe follows) and a small jaggery.

Aviyal again is a dish prepared with as many vegetables as one can get. There is a legend about this dish.
It is supposed to have been invented by Bhima (one of the Pandava brothers) during his Agnaathavaasa. According to the legend, when Ballav (Bhima's name during this time) assumed his duties as the cook in the kitchen of Virata, did not know how to cook. One of the first things he did was to chop up many different vegetables, boil them together and top the dish with grated coconut and prepared "Aviyal."
Almost all vegetables go in it, except perhaps, some mushy vegetables, like, tomato, brinjal, ladies fingers, cabbage, cauliflower, beetroot (it stains the dish), radish, turnip, onion, sweet potato, etc. Otherwise, all the following vegetables can be used, depending on the availability. (Source: Wikipedia)

4 cups of all mixed vegetables depending on the availability. I have marked the vegetables I used and use commonly for aviyal everytime.
Raw Green plantain
Elephant yam (chenai kizhangu in Tamil),
Chembu (cheppam kizhangu in Tamil)
Snake gourd
Pumpkin
Ash gourd
Carrot
Beans
Avarakkai
Chow Chow
Drumsticks
Potato
Raw jackfruit
A small quantity of bitter gourd can be used to give a tinge of bitterness. But I avoid, as my kutti sundari likes without it. Since a variety of vegetables are used, we will need only very small quantity of each of them and also it is very difficult to prepare 2 servings or 4 servings. However, even if the prepared quantity is more than can be consumed, it keeps well for a couple of days under refrigeration.

You need
Vegetables: 500 gms of mixed vegetables.
Turmeric powder: 1tsp. (optional)
Grated fresh coconut :1½ cups
Green chillies: 2-5 (I usually use only 2)
Curds 3-4 tbsp lightly sour (if using raw mango, do not use curds)
Salt to taste
Curry leaves 2 bunches.
1/2 tspn cumin 

Coconut oil (this gives aviyal a good aroma, so do not substitute)
Wash and cut all the vegetables lengthwise into 2" pieces(stick shape). Cook the vegetables by adding little water ( I prefer to add water now and then and I make sure I do not add more water and end up draining the water with lots of nutrition from the veggies). Also one should be careful not to overcook the vegetables: they should remain crisp.(There are some vegetables which cook very fast and some which take a long time. Keep adding the vegetables according to the cooking time, the longer cooking vegetables first and the quicker ones last).

Once the vegetables are cooked, grind coconut, cumin, green chillies and add to the cooked veggies. Add the beaten curd and let stay in heat for a minute and remove. Finally, tamper the curry leaves with coconut oil
I make it little watery so as to eat with adai.
Enjoy the aviyal with you adai. Avial can also be used in the main course along with rice and sambar.

Kozhakatai & appam

Sankatahara Chaturthi is the fourth day of the waning lunar phase after the full moon. Sankashti means liberation during difficult times and therefore observing this fast is believed to reduce problems and seek the blessings of Lord Ganesh. If Sankashti Chaturthi falls on Tuesday, it is known as Angaraki Chaturthi or Angaraka Chaturthi. Angaraki is the other name of Mangal or Kuja or Chevaai or Bhauma (planet Mars).

Traditionally, Kozhakattai or modak are made on this day.

Sankata literally means “problems or worries” and Hara means “removing or eliminating”, therefore Sankata Hara Chadurthi or Sankatahara Chadurthi is a day to invoke the blessings of Lord Ganesh to remove all problems in life. 

 

How to perform Sankashti Chaturthi Puja & Vrat?

Devotees observe fast for the whole day and conclude it after moonrise. After taking a bath in the evening, Lord Ganesh is worshipped with Durva (a variety of very fine grass). Aarti is taken and the Naivedyam is offered to Lord Ganesha. Then Lord Moon is worshipped and the fast is broken by offering meal to Brahmin. Reciting prayers of Lord Ganesh form an important part of the Sankashti fast. Ganesh Gayatri, Ganesh Ashtothram Shatanamavali (108 Names), and Ganesh Atharvashirsha Avartan are the main mantras recited while observing Ganesha Sankatahara Chaturthi Vrata. Observing this fast brings happiness and fulfills one’s desires.

I used to stay on fasting till the pooja gets over, and complete my fasting with the Modak, and appam, that I prepare on this day!

For Modak

Sankatahara Chaturthi!

Mooshika Vahana
Mooshika vaahana modhaha hastha
Chamara karna vilambitha suthra
Vamana rupa maheswara puthra
Vigna vinayaka padha namaste

Namavali
Pahi pahi Gajanana
Parvathi thanaya gajanana