Sri Rama Navami Neivedhiyas

Sri Rama Navami - This day is celebrated as the birth day of Lord Rama. Rama was the 7th incarnation of Dasaavathara of Vishnu. Rama was born to Raja Dasharatha and Kausalya. It occurs on the ninth day, or navami, beginning count from the "no moon day" or Amavasya, during the waxing moon duration called "Shukla Paksha". Sri Rama Navami generally occurs in the months of March and April. In north of India it is also celebrated as Navarathra.

From the day i remember this day is celebrated with devotion along with different neivedhyas. Unlike other Hindu festivals neivedhyas Sri Rama Navami neivedhyas are very diffrent. Simple and not much of hard work :)
1. Panagam - Vellam/Jaggery/Gur Water
2. Neer Moor - Spiced thin buttermilk
3. Kosmalli - Split Moong dal lentils with added spices
4. Payasam - This time Javarici Payasam was made
5. Tulsi Water

Panagam
Vellam/Jaggery/Gur - 200gms
Elaichi/Elakai/Cardamom - 4-5 pods
Suk/Dry ginger powder - 1tbs
Chilled water - 10 glasses

Method/Vidhiee:
1. In a vessel powder the jaggery and add water.
2. Make sure that the jaggery mixes well in water and dissolves completely. Starin the water as there may be some impurities in the jaggery.
3. Break open the elaichi pods. Seperate the outer layer and the inside seeds.
4. Crush the seeds into powder.
5. Add the elaichi powder and dry ginger powder to the jaggery water.
6. Chill it in fridge.
Your panagam is ready.

Neer Moor
Curd/Yougurt - 6 cups
Water - 10 cups
Green coriander leaves - bunch
Curry leaves - 5 strings
Mustard seeds - 1tbs
Asafatida - 1tps
Oil - 1tbs
Ginger - 2inches
Salt - 2tbs

Method/Vidhiee:
1. Split the curd into buttermilk by whisking them.
2. Add water and blend them using a hand blender or odden stick.
3. Strain the buttermilk so that the excess lumps stays away.
4. Add salt and mix well.
5. In a small pan add oil splutter the mustard seeds, asafatida, curry leaves.
6. Clean the ginger and take of the skin.
7. Crush them or cut them into fine pcs.
8. Add the mustard seeds, curry leaves and ginger on to the butter milk.
9. Finely chop the green coriander leaves and add them to the butter milk.
Your Neer Moor is ready.

Kosmalli
Split Moong dal - 50gms
Raw mango - 1 medium
Green chilly - 1
Curry leaves - 2 strings
Mustard seeds - 1tbs
Asafatida - 1/2tps
Salt to taste
Oil 1tbs
Lemon - 1
 Green coriander leaves to decorate
Water - 1cup

Method/Vidhiee:
1. Soak the moong dal in water for  2hrs
2. Drain excess water and keep aside.
3. Finely chop raw mango, green chilly, green coriander leaves and add to the moong dal.
4. In a small pan splutter mustard seeds, asafatida, curry leaves in oil.
5. Add them to the moong mixture.
6. Add salt and mix well.
7. At end cut the lemon and sqeeze the juice to the mixture and mix well.
Your Kos malli is ready for neivedhiya

Javarici / Sabudana Payasam
Javarici/Sabudana(sago/Tapoica) - 4tbs
Milk - 3cups
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Cashew nut - 4-5
Kismis - 6
Ghee - 1tbs
Cardamom powder - 1/2tbs
Yellow food colour optional

Method/Vidhiee:

1. Soak the Jav arici/sabudana in water for 15 minutes if it is small in size, otherwise for big sized sabudana soak it
2. Heat a pan with a ghee, add kismis and cashewnuts.Saute them. 
3. Boil the milk for 10 min.
4. Now add soaked jav arici in it. Cook till it  can be easily pressed between fingers.
5. Now add sugar and mix well till the sugar dissolves completely.
6. Add cardamom powder, mix it & serve it hot

Payasam is quite thick as the jav arici pulls up the milk. If, want thin then add 1 cup milk to make it thin & then serve.

Kadala Paruppu Vadai

Kadala Paruppu Vadai - One of the traditional vadais made down south of India during festival days. Its one of the basic authentic snack prepared. Its being made from the early centuries. Thought to share this as many are unaware of the procedure. Do try once and enjoy the taste :)

Serves 8 people
Ingredients:
Kadala Paruppu/ Channa Dal - 2 cups
Toor Dal/Toram Paruppu - 2tbs
White raw rice - 2tbs
Dry Red Chilly - 4/5 (depending on the hot meter of of the chilly you use)
Asafatida/Hing/Perunkayam - 1tps
Curry Leaves - as per need
Green chilly - 2/3
Ginger - a small pc
Salt - 1 to 1 1/2tbs
Fresh coconut grated - optional 2tbs
Water - 4 cups
Refined oil  - to fry

Method/Vidhiee:
1. In a bowl soak channa dal,toor dal,raw white rice and red chilly in 3 4cups of water for minimum 3hrs.
2. You can soak them for maximum 6hrs more than that you might get a foul smell from the dals.
3. Drain the water. Pluck the upper stem of red chilly and grind them along the dals.
4. Grind them bit coarsely and not into a fine paste.
5. If required add water to grind them.
6. Once the batter is ready add salt, curry leaves, green chillies chopped,ginger if preferred, asafatida.
7. Mix them well.
8. Meanwhile in a heavy bottom pan pour oil to deep fry the vadais
9. Once the oil gets heated  lower the heat.
10. Take one medium size batter on to your palm and flatten thick and not thin.
11. Like a small bun and carefully drop inside the frying pan from the side sliding towards centre.
12. Do not put the batter from the top or oil might spill.
13. Make similar size buns and drop inside the frying pan.
14. Depending upon your pan size you can fry 3-4 at a time.
15. After 2 mins turn the vadais and raise the flame.

16. Do not keep stirring often.
17. Once the vadais turn golden brown drain excess oil and transfer them on to a tissue paper.
18. For the next set of vadai frying process kindly lower the flame to sim.

Serve hot with coconut chutney/green chutney/tomato sauce.

Pineapple Semiya Payasam

Ingredients:
Pineapple - 100gms
Pineapple essence - 2drops
Semiya/Sevaiyan/Vermicelli - 100gms
Pasteurized Milk - 1/2ltr
Sugar - 5tbs /Sugar Substitute - 2tbs
Kaju/Cashew/Mundhiri - 20gms
Sara parupu/Chironji - 10gms
Kismis/Dry grapes - 5gms
Ghee - 2tbs
Condensed milk - 2tbs
Elaichi/Cardamom powder - 1tps
Water - 1cup
Yellow edible colour - 1/2tps

Method/Vidhiee:
1. Boil the milk in a pan and thicken it and keep it aside.
2. In a pan add 1tbs ghee and saute the kaju & kismis. Keep aside
3. In the same pan add the remaining ghee and saute the semiya.
4. Saute till they turn light transparent.
5. Then slowly add water and cook them.
6. Once they turn soft completely add milk and bring them to boil.
7. Keep stirring and add sugar. Lower the flame.
8. Once the sugar dissolves add the crushed pineapple pieces (You can even boil the pineapple separately and add/grind them in a mixer)
9. Add few drops of yellow edible colour, pineapple essence.
10. Mix well and add condensed milk if preferred. This is not mandatory.
11. Add the elaichi powder and mix well. Bring them to boil.
12. Add the roasted nuts.

 Serve hot!!! Remember if you leave this payasam even for an hour semiya would take up the milk and you would end up having a pineapple semiya without milk. So if you are going to serve chill. Once you take out of fridge add some more cold boiled milk and condensed milk. Mix well and serve :)

Cool Summer Slush

It so happened that one fine afternoon was in desperate need of a cool refreshing drink and so happened this good SLUSH :)  Well those kids and adults who don't take cucumber or pomegranate would definitely like this. Try it!
Serves 4
Ingredients:
Red Pomegranate - 2
Cucumber - 1
Sugar - 3tbs
Black salt - 1 pinch
Rose milk  syrup - 3tbs
Ice Cream essence - 2drops
Roasted Jeera powder - 1/2tbs
Chat masala - 1/4tps
Ice water - personal needs
Ice cubes - crushed

Method/Vidhiee:
1. In a juicer add the pomegranate ,cucumber peeled & diced, jeera powder,black salt, chat masala, sugar,rosemilk  syrup, ice cream essence.
2. Grind them well. Then add water to the thick juice as much you require.
3. Add crush ice and beat again before serving.

PS. Since, its a slush do not strain of the seeds fine seeds of pomegranate. But, if you are very particular go ahead then it would turn into a thin pomo juice which would not be as good as the slush :)