Grapes Sheera Recipe / Sheera Recipe

Sheera, a popular prasadam in Perumal temples is prepared with milk and no added colours. Also known as sooji halwa and kesari, this is a traditional sweet, prepared at home with milk or water, during festivities and for breakfast as well. I was tempted to make it with these grapes (in Australia) which was so tasty. 

INGREDIENTS:

Double roasted rava/sooji - 1 cup

Water - 2 cups

Grapes puree - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 1/2 cups
Ghee - 1/2 cup
Cashew and raisins - few

Cardamom powder -  1/4 tsp.

Saffron strands - few (optional)

METHOD:

Grind grapes in a mixie. I have used seedless grapes. 

In a kadai, heat a spoon of ghee and fry the cashew and raisins until golden brown, keep aside. 

In the same kadai, fry rawa (sooji) until you feel a nice aroma. 

Add hot water gradually, stir quickly so that no lumps are formed. Add ground grapes, little ghee. Cover with a lid and allow it to get cooked. 

Now add sugar, stir, mix well. Add some more ghee. Initially while adding sugar, the mixture looks like forming lumps. Do not panic. Mix well, stir continuously mashing the lumps, and the sugar melts well. Add remaining ghee.

Add cardamom powder, fried cashews and raisins. Cook until the mixture comes together, forms a mass and separates from the pan.

Serve warm or hot.

Broken Wheat Kadambam recipe / Dalia Kadambam recipe

Jai Sri Jagannath 😊 

Broken Wheat Kadambam / Dalia Kadambam (Iyengar special Kadambam with a twist) made with samba godhumai kurunai (not godhumai rava). I have been making this for more than 20 years, similar to Iyengar kadambam, with a slight twist, during vrat days when rice and tamarind is not permitted, but have not posted in my blog. Some of my close friends and family members asked me to post it in blog. I promised to post it soon. Hence, posting this Dalia Kadambam.

INGREDIENTS:

Broken wheat - 1 cup
Tur dhal - 1/2 cup
Raw mango chopped - 1/2 cup
Mixed vegetables - 3 cups (Ash gourd, Beans, Carrot, Pumpkin, Potato)
Tomato - 1
Green chilly - 1
Sambar powder - 1tsp.
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp.

Ghee - 1 tablespoon
Gingelly oil - 2 tablespoons
Salt - to taste

To fry in oil and powder:
Oil - 1 tsp.
Coriander seeds - 3 tablespoons
Bengal gram - 2 tsp.
Methi seeds - 1/4 tsp.
Urad dhal - 2 tsp.
Dry red chillies - 2 (or more as needed)
Pepper - 1/2 tsp.
Hing

To temper:
Ghee - 1 tsp.
Dry red chillies - 2
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp.
Curry leaves - a sprig

METHOD:

Dry roast broken wheat until it changes colour to white. Wash and drain water. Add turmeric powder, salt.

Peel and roughly chop mango. Add to broken wheat. 

Pressure cook broken wheat and tur dhal with turmeric in separate containers, mash well and keep aside. Water ratio 3:1

Cut vegetables and tomato into medium-sized pieces.

In a pan, heat a teaspoon of oil and add the items given in the list "To fry in oil and powder" until golden brown. When cool, powder coarsely in a mixie. Keep aside.

 

In the same pan, heat the remaining oil, temper with mustard seeds, curry leaves, dry chilly, green chilly, hing and add tomato. Saute a bit and add all the vegetables, a pinch of turmeric powder and stir fry for 3 minutes. Add little salt, sambar powder, sprinkle little water and cover with a lid.

When done, add cooked broken wheat and mashed dhal, ground powder, little salt and mix well without any lumps. 

Add enough water to get the desired consistency and cook for 3-4 more minutes stirring frequently. Temper with the ingredients (given in the list "to temper"). Finally add a spoon of raw gingelly oil and ghee. Mix.

Offer to Perumal.

Serve hot with any vadaam or poricha appalam.

VARIATION: 

1. With or without tamarind

2. Can be made as one pot dish. But tastes perfect when made as said above.

MARGAZHI MONTH PRASADAM RECIPES

Madhangalil naan margazhi!!
'mAsAnAm mArgasheershoham' says Lord Krishna.

Lord Krishna says that HE is the month of Margazhi among the 12 months, from which one can imagine the sanctity of this month.

Perumal and Shiva temples celebrate all the 30 days of the Tamil month Margazhi with many rituals and food offerings. Godha/Sri Andal observed 'Paavai Nonbu', sang 30 paasurams named 'Thiruppavai' during these 30 days and finally merged with Sri Ranganatha (Sriman Narayana) Himself. It is said that Gopikas observed 'Paavai Nombu' to get Lord Krishna as their husband. In Tamil Nadu, men will go for 'Unjavrithi'. They go for 'nagara sankeertan' in which they sing praises of the Lord and practice devotion. Women draw big kolams in front of their homes. Margazhi Utsavam is celebrated in a grand manner in Srirangam, Tiruvallikeni, Kanchi and in all Divyadesams and Perumal temples. A twenty days festival called 'Pagal Pathu' (day time festival) and 'Ra Pathu'(night time festival) is celebrated in all Perumal temples during the month of Margazhi(December–January). The first day of Ra pathu is 'Vaikunta Ekadashi'. The ‘Paramapadha Vaasal’(the gate to the heaven) is opened on this day. Lakhs and lakhs of devotees queue up to pass through this gate. 'Vratam' is observed on this day.

Lord Shiva worship on Tamil month Margazhi:
Thiruvathirai is the star of Lord Shiva and HE is worshipped in the full moon day of Margazhi month. Abhishekams and special poojas are performed in all Shiva Temples. Thiruvempavai which was sung by Manickavasagar is recited in all Shiva temples.

In this Margazhi month unmarried girls sing/recite 'Thiruppavai' and 'Thiruvempavai' daily and pray to get good husband for them.

Let us pray and worship God in this auspicious month and get blessings from HIM.
Happy Margazhi!!

I present here, a collection of 30 prasadam/offerings made during margazhi month. I have also given links for recipes made during vaikunda ekadashi vratham and dwadashi paranai.

CLICK ON THE PICTURES FOR RECIPES.👇👇