THINAI THATTAI RECIPE / FOXTAIL MILLET THATTAI RECIPE / MILLET THATTAI RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:

Foxtail millet flour OR any millet flour OR multi millet flour - 2 cups
Pottukadalai(Roasted gram) powder - 3/4 cup
Urad dhal powder - 1 tablespoon
Chilli powder - 1/4 tsp. or as needed
Pottukadalai / Soaked chenna dhal - 1 tablespoon
Butter - 1 1/2 tablespoon
Hing - 1/2 tsp.
Salt - to taste
Oil - to deep fry
Plastic sheet -  2
Roller pin

METHOD:

Prepare urad dhal powder as mentioned in this link. Dry roast pottukadalai until hot and dry grind in a mixie to a fine powder. Bring butter to room temperature or melt it. 

Dry roast foxtail millet flour and urad dhal flour separately until hot. Sieve well. When slightly cool, combine all the ingredients (except oil), mix well and make a stiff dough using water.

Make even sized balls from the dough.

Grease a plastic sheet with oil, place a ball in it, cover with another greased plastic sheet and flatten the ball evenly with a rolling pin.

NOTE: Prick the thattais with a fork. Doing like this avoids puffing of thattais.

Heat oil, and slide the thattais gently in oil. Deep fry on both sides until golden brown. Drain on a kitchen tissue.

Thinai thattai is ready for Sri Krishna Jayanthi offering.

When cool, store in an air-tight container.

WHEAT FLOUR COCONUT MILK VELLA SEEDAI RECIPE / WHEAT FLOUR COCONUT MILK SWEET SEEDAI RECIPE / GODHUMAI THENGAIPAAL VELLA SEEDAI RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:

Wheat flour - 1 1/4 cup
Rice flour - 3/4 cup
Urad dhal powder - 2 tsp.
Crushed jaggery - 1 1/2 cup
Butter - 2 tablespoons (to be melted)
Coconut pieces - 2 tablespoons
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp.
Coconut milk - 2 tablespoons or as needed
Oil - 1 cup - to deep fry

METHOD:

Prepare rice flour and urad dhal powder as mentioned in this link.

Sieve well. Dry roast rice flour until hot. Dry roast wheat flour until you get a nice aroma.

Melt butter and keep ready. Cut coconut into small pieces.

Crush jaggery, dissolve in little water and strain it without any dust, dirt or mud. Heat jaggery and make a syrup of soft ball consistency.

(Sugar syrup consistency - detailed post is here).

Add all ingredients (except oil) to the syrup and stir without any lumps. Switch off the stove. Add coconut milk to make a smooth dough. Knead well when still warm.

Allow it to cool. Make gooseberry- sized balls from the dough.

Heat oil in a kadai. Fry 5- 6 balls at a time, in medium heat, until golden brown.

WHEAT FLOUR COCONUT MILK UPPU SEEDAI RECIPE / WHEAT FLOUR COCONUT MILK SEEDAI RECIPE / GODHUMAI THENGAIPAAL UPPU SEEDAI RECIPE

Seedai is an offering made for Sri Krishna Jayanthi/Gokulashtami. Usually, seedai is done with processed rice flour. Earlier I have posted uppu seedai, maida coconut milk seedai. Now I have used wheat flour instead of maida. The gluten content in wheat breaks down when steamed and makes it easily digestible and healthy.

INGREDIENTS:

Wheat flour - 1 1/2 cup
Rice flour - 1/2 cup
Urad dhal powder - 2 tsp.
White sesame seeds/jeera - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Hing - 1/4 tsp.
Butter - 50 gms (to be melted)
Oil or Coconut oil - to deep fry
Water-coconut milk mixture - as needed

METHOD:

Prepare urad dhal powder as said in this link. Tie wheat flour in a clean white cloth and steam cook for 15 minutes. When still warm to handle, break well without any lumps or powder in a mixie. Sieve well. Sieve rice flour and dry roast until hot.

Mix water and coconut milk and keep ready. Melt butter and keep ready.

In a broad vessel, combine all ingredients and mix well to a crumbled mixture. Now add the water-coconut milk mixture little by little to make a smooth dough.

Make small balls from the dough and spread it on a clean, white cloth.

Heat oil and add the seedais to it. Deep fry in medium heat until golden brown. Drain on a kitchen towel. When cool, store in an airtight container.

Crispy and crunchy wheat flour coconut milk seedai is ready for offering.
Click here for regular seedai recipe.

Click here for maida coconut milk seedai recipe.

NOTE:

Make sure that there is no mud or dust in the flour, sesame seeds, jeera and salt. It is better to dissolve salt and hing in water and strain it and use.

Grated coconut is not necessary as coconut milk is used.

Coconut oil enhances the taste, but any other edible oil can be used.

MAALADU / MAALADOO / MAALAADU / ROASTEDGRAM LADOO

Maladu / Maa ladoo is an easiest, simplest and quick to make, healthy sweet made with pottukadalai (roasted gram). Ladoo courtesy: My sister Radha. The ladoos in the picture were made by my sister. 

INGREDIENTS:

Pottukadalai (Roasted gram) - 2 cups 
Sugar - 1 and 1/2 cups OR Boora sugar - 1 and 1/2 cups. 
Cashews - 10 
Ghee - 3/4 cup 
Powdered cardamom - 1/2 tsp. 

METHOD: 

Heat a pan and dry roast pottukadalai until hot. Pound it to a fine powder. Powder the sugar finely using a mixie. OR you can also use the boora chakkarai (boora sugar) which will be available in the stores. 

Break cashews into small pieces and fry it in a spoon of ghee until golden brown. Keep aside.

Melt ghee in the same pan. This should be warm while shaping the balls. 

Mix together powdered pottukadalai, powdered sugar, cardamom powder and ghee-fried cashews. Add the melted ghee little by little and shape into balls. (DO NOT POUR IN THE ENTIRE GHEE. POUR A LADLE OF GHEE AND SHAPE FOUR OR FIVE BALLS) Repeat the procedure for the entire mixture. Shape all the balls tightly. 

NOTE: Little milk can be sprinkled if felt difficult to shape.

A COMPLETE GUIDE FOR SRI KRISHNA JAYANTHI / GOKULASHTAMI CELEBRATIONS

                                              HAPPY SRI KRISHNA JAYANTHI
Sri Krishna Jayanthi is the celebration of Lord Krishna’s birthday which is also known as Janmashtami and Gokulashtami. The festival is celebrated on the eighth day (Ashtami) of the Krishna Paksha (dark fortnight) of the month of Avani (August–September) in the Tamil calendar. This festival is celebrated 8 days after avani avittam. 'Sri Vaishnavas' celebrate the festival on Rohini Nakshatram. SRI KRISHNA, the eighth avatar of Lord Vishnu on earth, symbolises the victory of good over evil. This festival is celebrated all over India with great enthusiasm and devotion, according to the various local traditions and rituals. People pray with full devotion and faith and go to Krishna temples and pray HIM. An event known as "Uriadi" in Tamil Nadu, and "Dahi Handi" in North India is celebrated in temples, where as earthen pot is filled with curd and tied high. Youngsters form a human tower and break the swinging pots.

 
How to celebrate at home?

Things to be done on the previous day:

On the previous day, clean the pooja items, lamps, idols if any. Apply chandan, kumkum to the idols, lamps, wick them and keep ready.

Soak fistful of rice for 2,3 hours and grind to a fine paste. Dilute it to a semi- thick solution. This batter is called 'izhai kolam maavu' which we make during festivals to put kolam.

Mango leaves for thoran. Make thoran and keep ready.

Things to purchase and arrange:
Flowers, Tulasi, fruits-all varieties (especially seasonal fruits like jamun(naavalpazham) guava, pear and wood apple(vilampazham), coconut, betel leaves, betel nuts, garlands. These will be available in plenty in the market on the previous day. You can shop for it. Also keep ready turmeric powder, kumkum, sandal powder, camphor, incense sticks, gingelly oil or ghee for lamp. These will always be available at home. If not, shop for it too. Put 'izhai kolam' in wooden planks. Things can be arranged according to the rituals done in one's home. However, even if one cannot afford to buy and celebrate in an elaborate manner, it is enough just to chant and pray with full devotion and faith.

Things to be done:
On the day of Sri Krishna Jayanthi, wash and put kolam in the frontyard. Take head bath early in the morning, wear clean clothes, clean the pooja room or the place where the idol is to be kept, put kolam on wooden planks, perumal sannidhi or raised platforms. Tie the mango leaves thoran on the main entrance. Decorate the idol. Decorate Krishna photos with chandan,kumkum and garlands. In some houses, the idol is given a bath with pure water and then decorated.
  

Make all the offerings. (In some families, as many items are to be made as offerings, people make them the previous day itself after taking a head bath. However, these are consumed 'only after offering it to KRISHNA the next day'). Draw tiny footprints of Lord Krishna - Krishnar kaal (with the izhai kolam maavu prepared as said above) from the frontyard of the home to the pooja room, which commemorates HIS birth. Usually, elders fast during the festival and make all offerings and youngsters draw kolam and 'Krishnar Thiruvadi' with rice flour paste.

Wear nine yards saree. Arrange thaligai , bakshanams and fruits in Perumal sannidhi along with thamboolam. Oil and light the lamp.

Prayers:

Pray to God by chanting mantras, and devotional songs. Tell any slokas on Krishna like Sri Mukundamala, Sri Gopala Vimsati, Geeta Govindam, Krishnashtakam, Madhurashtakam and do archana with flowers and Tulasi. Tulasi is Krishna's favourite and tulasi garland is considered important. Bhagawad Gita, Sri Narayaneeyam, Sri Vishnu Sahasranamam, and slokas can also be recited. Do pooja. Performing poojas are procedures done as per family traditions and many books are available in stores as to how to perform the pooja. The slokas can be googled and books are available in stores as well.

For Neivedhyam:

Apart from Pandigai thaligai, various bakshanams are made for offerings, out of which, aval mixed with grated coconut and jaggery, Navaneetham, uppu seedai and vella seedai, payasam and sukku vellam are considered important as these are Krishna's favourites. Offer all the neivedhyams after doing pooja, finally take aarathi.

Do punarpooja the next day with a payasam.

For neivedhyam: I have given the links for all the bakshanams. Anything of your choice can be made. Click on the recipe name for recipe links. Various dishes are cooked for offerings. In an Iyengar household, the offerings are as follows:

PANDIGAI THALIGAI:

Sadham(rice), Nei(ghee), paruppu,
Mor kozhambu or Sambhar,
Paruppu usili,
Kariamudhu(poriyal),
Kootu,
Thayirpachadi,
Kosumari,
Vadaam or appalam(fried),
Vadai or thayir vadai,
Rasam,
Payasam,
Thayir (curd),
Oorugaai(pickle).

KRISHNA JAYANTHI BAKSHANAMS:

 

BASE FLOUR FOR RICE and URAD DHAL POWDER, 

UPPU SEEDAI 
MAIDA COCONUT MILK SEEDAI 
WHEAT FLOUR SEEDAI

VELLA SEEDAI,

VELLA SEEDAI VERSION 2
WHEAT FLOUR COCONUT MILK VELLA SEEDAI

TIRUPPULLANI PAAL PAYASAM

UNNIAPPAM
MILLET SWEET APPAM 
APPAM(TANJORE STYLE)
NEIYAPPAM 

ARAVANAI/NEI PAYASAM

SEEYAM, 

MANAKKOMBU(MULLU MURUKKU),
POTTUKADALAI MANAKKOMBU

PARUPPU VADAI(AAMA VADAI), 

MANOHARAM,
OOSI THENKUZHAL MANOHARAM

KAI MURUKKU, 

THATTAI,
BUTTON PEPPER THATTAI
NIPPATTU
MILLET THATTAI 

NAVANEETHAM, 

RIBBON PAKODA

RAVA LADDU

THENKUZHAL,
OOSI THENKUZHAL
MILLET THENKUZHAL 

SUKKU VELLAM

Aval mixed with grated coconut and jaggery and 

PAYASAM.

HAPPY SRI KRISHNA JAYANTHI

MAIDA COCONUT MILK SEEDAI / MAIDA SEEDAI / MAIDA THENGAIPAAL SEEDAI

Seedai is a popular snack made for Sri Krishna Jayanthi/Gokulashtami. Usually, seedai is done with processed rice flour. While talking with my grandma yesterday, she told me about making maida seedai and also said that it will be "vella velaer" (a beautiful golden colour without browning) in colour. Maida has high gluten content and when steamed it breaks down the gluten and makes it easily digestible.

INGREDIENTS:

Maida (All purpose flour) - 2 cups
Urad dhal powder - 2 tsp.
White sesame seeds/jeera - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Hing 1/4 tsp.
Butter - 50 gms (to be melted)
Coconut oil- to deep fry
Water-coconut milk mixture - as needed

METHOD:

Prepare urad dhal powder as said in this link. Tie maida in a clean white cloth and steam cook for 15 minutes. When still warm to handle, break well to powder without any lumps. Sieve well.

Mix water and coconut milk and keep ready.

In a broad vessel, combine all ingredients and mix well to a crumbled mixture. Now add the water-coconut milk mixture little by little to make a smooth dough.

Make small balls from the dough and spread it on a clean, white cloth.

Heat oil and add the seedais to it. Deep fry in medium heat until golden brown. Drain on a kitchen towel. When cool, store in an airtight container.

Crispy and crunchy maida seedai is ready for offering.

Click here for regular seedai recipe

NOTE:

Make sure that there is no mud or dust in the flour, sesame seeds, jeera and salt. It is better to dissolve salt and hing in water and strain it and use.

Coconut oil enhances the taste, but any other edible oil can also be used.

BUTTON PEPPER THATTAI / PEPPER THATTAI / MILAGU THATTAI / MINI PEPPER THATTAI / BUTTON THATTAI

It was my long time desire to make kutti button thattai for my Kutti Krishna. As it is small in size, I named it button thattai. This crispy, peppery thattai is slightly different from regular thattai. As Krishna Jayanthi is fast approaching, I thought of posting this now. This is an easy to make, perfect tea-time snack too. You can also make regular-sized thattais using this recipe. 

INGREDIENTS:

Rice flour - 2 cups
Urad dhal powder - 2 tsp.
Pepper powder - 3/4 tsp.
Chilli powder - 1/8 tsp.(optional)
Salt - to taste
Hing - 1/4 tsp.
Pottukadalai - 2 tsp.
Butter - 25 gms.
Oil - to deep fry
Plastic sheet -  2
Roller pin
Round shaped small cookie cutter

METHOD:

Prepare rice flour and urad dhal powder as mentioned in this link. 

Dry roast pepper and powder it coarsely.

Dry roast rice flour and urad dhal flour separately until hot. When slightly cool, combine all the ingredients (except oil), mix well and make a stiff dough using water.

Make even sized balls from the dough.

Grease a plastic sheet with oil, place a ball in it, cover with another greased plastic sheet and flatten the ball evenly with a rolling pin.

Cut out discs with a round shaped small cookie cutter. Prick the thattais with a fork. Doing like this avoids puffing of thattais.

Heat oil, and slide the thattais gently in oil. Deep fry on both sides until golden brown. Drain on a kitchen tissue.

Sri Krishna Jayanthi offering, button pepper thattai is ready.

When cool, store in an air-tight container.

THIRUPULLANI PAL PAYASAM

 

Thirupullani temple is one among the 108 divyadesams, located 8 kms. from Ramanathapuram. This temple dates back before Rama avatar. It is said that the childless King Dasaratha worshipped "Adhi Jagannathar" in this temple and offered HIM paal payasam (milk kheer) and was blessed with four sons. So, Tiruppullani temple is famed for paal payasam. Childless couple come here and pray to get children. It is believed that childless couple will be blessed with a child, if they take a holy dip in 'Sethu', worship the deity 'Santanagopalan' and offer ‘paalpayasam’ (milk kheer) to Him and partake the  payasam prasadam. This temple is closely associated with 'Ramayanam'. This is the place where Rama built the bridge to cross the ocean and reach Lanka. Sri Vaishnavas perform 'Sethu snanam' at nearby 'Sethukkarai' seashore, which relieves one from the sins. Lord Rama camped in Tiruppullani before crossing the ocean. Sri Rama reclines in 'Dharba grass' in this temple and is called 'Dharbasayana ramar'. The place is called 'Saranagathi Kshetram' because of the surrenders made by Samudraraja, Vibhishana and Mahodadi. 

And coming to palpayasam, the taste of  'Pal Payasam' at this Kshetram is unmatched. When I enquired about the preparation of this payasam to my friend Sri.Raghuveeradayal swami from Tiruppullani, he immediately contacted the madapalli and Sri.Sudarsan babu who makes this kheer in the temple's kitchen gave me the recipe which is with very little ingredients and the bulk measurements. I have given the measurements in small quantity. Do make this at home and offer to 'Sri Rama' on 'Rama Navami' and Sri Krishna on  'Krishna Jayanthi'. The 'Palpayasam prasadam' is available daily at the temple from morning 10 A.M. upto noon. Do schedule a visit to the temple and this place which stands as a witness to history. 

INGREDIENTS:

Milk - 1 litre

Jaggery powder (naattu sarkarai in Tamil, brown sugar) - 1/2 kg.

Rice - 1/2 cup

Cardamom - 3 (to powder)

Cashews and dry grapes (optional) - It is said that King Dasaratha did not add any of these as he was in sorrow being childless. While on Yathra, he worshipped and prayed Jagannathar and  offered palpayasam with the available ingredients at that time.  

METHOD:

Heat a heavy bottomed pan, pour in 3 cups of water. When water boils wash and add the rice and cook until very very mushy. Now add milk and allow it to boil until thick, stirring frequently. Finally add brown sugar/ jaggery powder, powdered cardamom and mix well, cook until the raw smell goes. Switch off the stove. Add ghee fried cashews and dry grapes if you feel so. 

Thirupullani palpayasam is ready, Offer it to "Perumal".

NIPPATTU

Nippattu is a spicy and crunchy snack of Karnataka. Rayalaseema and Karnataka are famous for Nippattu. This is slightly different from Thattai of Tamil Nadu and Chekkalu of Andhra Pradesh. There are many variations of nippattus. Try this for Deepavali and enjoy the festival.

INGREDIENTS:

Rice flour - 2 cups
Skinned peanuts - 1 tablespoon
Coarsely powdered skinned peanut - 2 tablespoons
Roasted gram (Pottukadalai) - 1 tablespoon
Powdered pottukadalai (roasted gram) - 1/3 cup
Dry red chilly (coarse flakes) - 2 tablespoons
Curry leaves - few
Asafoetida - 1/8 tsp.
Salt - to taste
Oil - to deep fry

METHOD:

Powder chillies coarsely and soak in a ladle of water. Chillies can be added according  to your spice levels.

In a wide bowl mix all the ingredients, add a spoon of  hot oil and mix well. Add water little by little and knead to form a soft pliable dough.

Shape into equal sized balls. Grease a plastic sheet with oil, place a  ball in it, cover with another greased plastic sheet and press with a flat bottomed cup. Flatten it to slightly thick circles. Do not flatten it too thin. Flatten all the balls like this. You can also flatten the balls with your hand OR roll the dough to big circle and cut with a dabba lid to get even sized nippattus. 

Heat oil in a kadai, and slide the flattened balls gently in oil. Now ensure medium heat of oil. Flip on both sides and deep fry until golden brown. Drain in a paper towel. When cool store in an airtight container. 

Spicy and crunchy Nippatus are ready. 

UNNIAPPAM / UNNIYAPPAM (KERALA STYLE)

Unniappam has almost the same ingredients as neiyappam, with a slight variation of adding mashed ripe bananas and fried in coconut oil. It can also be deep-fried in ghee. Unniappam is a traditional kerala prasadam in temples and also offered to the Lord during festivals.

INGREDIENTS:

Rice flour - 1 1/2 cups
Small ripe bananas - 2 (I used elakki variety)
Crushed jaggery - 3/4 cup
Water - 1/4 cup (or as needed)
Cardamom powder - 1 tsp
Dry ginger powder / Sukku podi - 1 tsp.
Sesame seeds (white or black) - 1 tsp. (optional)
Chopped Coconut bits - 3 tsp.
Coconut Oil / Ghee - to deep fry

METHOD:

Dry roast the rice flour until hot. Heat a ladle of water, melt jaggery, strain the impurities, keep aside. Mash the bananas. Ghee fry the coconut bits. Dry roast the sesame seeds.

Mix rice powder, jaggery syrup, mashed banana and grind together to form a semi-thick, smooth batter. (Add water as and when needed). Add fried coconut bits, sesame seeds, dry ginger powder, cardamom powder and mix well. Heat coconut oil or ghee in an "appakaral"(appam mould), pour the batter to 3/4th of the holes. Ensure medium heat. When the bottom portion is light brown in colour, flip with stick or spoon to the other side and cook until golden brown on both sides. Take them out and drain in a kitchen towel. Pour some more ghee / oil while doing the next batch. Kerala unniappam is ready to offer to the Lord.

NOTE:
Do not keep the stove in high flame. Be careful not to burn the appams.
Make sure to have ghee/oil in each of the hole while making the other batches.

CHAKKA PRADHAMAN / JACKFRUIT PAYASAM / JACKFRUIT KHEER (KERALA STYLE)

Photo courtesy : Mrs.Arya, my friend
This is a pradhaman (kheer, payasam) popularly known as "chakka (jackfruit) pradhaman" served with the traditional Kerala Sadhya. WISHING YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY AND BLESSED ONAM. 

INGREDIENTS:

Chakka(Ripe Jackfruit) pieces - 10 or 12 

Crushed Jaggery - 1 cup

Coconut milk - 1 cup 

Coconut cut into small pieces - 1 tablespoon

Cardamom - few 

Ghee - 2 tablespoons

Cashewnuts (broken) - few

METHOD:

Fry the cashews and coconut pieces in a spoon of ghee. Keep aside. 

De-seed the jackfruit and pressure cook for 1 whistle. When cool, grind in a mixie to a fine paste. Measure this paste and take equal quantity of jaggery. Jackfruit paste, jaggery ratio is 1:1.

Heat ghee in a pan, add jackfruit paste and  stir continuously until ghee leaves the sides.

Meanwhile, dissolve jaggery in little water, heat, remove scum, filter the dust and allow it to boil.  Add this syrup to the jackfruit paste and mix well. In medium heat, stir continuously until the mixture thickens. When you see bubbles all around, simmer the stove to low flame and slowly add the coconut milk stirring continuously for a few seconds and turn off the stove. 

Add the ghee fried cashews, coconut pieces and cardamom. Chakka pradhaman is ready. 

NOTE: More jaggery can be added according to the sweetness of jackfruit. 

VARIATIONS: Chakka varatti is used instead of jackfuit paste. Milk is used instead of coconut milk.

VELLA SEEDAI - VERSION 2

INGREDIENTS:

Rice flour - 2 cups
Urad dhal powder - 2 tsp.
Crushed jaggery - 1 1/2 cup
Butter - 2 tablespoons
Coconut pieces - 2 tablespoons
Oil - 1 cup
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp.

METHOD:

Prepare rice flour and urad dhal powder as mentioned in this link.

Sieve well. Dry roast rice flour until hot and light brown.

Cut coconut into small pieces. Crush jaggery, dissolve in little water and strain it without any dust, dirt or mud. Heat jaggery and make a syrup of  soft ball consistency. (Sugar syrup consistency - detailed post is here). Add all other ingredients except oil and stir without any lumps. 

Allow it to cool. Make gooseberry- sized balls from the dough. 

Heat oil in a kadai. The heat should be medium. Fry 5- 6 balls at a time until golden brown.

SUKKU VELLAM

We make this as an offering to the LORD for Sri Krishna jayanthi. This aids in good digestion. In general, everyone can have one ball of this whenever you feel uneasy after a heavy meal.

INGREDIENTS:

Dry ginger powder (Sukku powder) - 2 tsp. 
Crushed jaggery - 1 cup
Ghee - 2 drops

METHOD:

Mix all without any lumps, make gooseberry(amla) sized  balls and offer to the LORD.

Nei payasam (Kerala special)

Surprise!!!! A special occasion as this post marks 500 on my blog. I still remember, scratching my head how to proceed the first step of my blog. I had no clue how to do it, the benefits of blogging, or the joy it would bring me. I did not  even know how to choose a name  for my blog and just started it as a cookbook of mine. By the time, I felt to change my blog name, the search engines showed a good number  of responses and  I continued in the same banner, slowly it turned out to be of great help to the  novice cooks, which now has earned a good recognition for  me. 

After my VRS from a bank, it started out as ‘just another thing’. Never did I think, 5 years before, when I first created my blog, that I would keep updating it for so long. Even some said me " A vegetarian blog??? that too traditional blog???. You cannot do it for more than 2 years." Regardless of what others think about me and my work, I’ve dedicated an enormous amount of time and energy to each and every post, in cooking the  correct texture and  consistency of the dishes, taking photos and posting, which I think will be useful for the future generations at any point of time. I know, good bloggers post 500 posts in a  year, but I do blogging as a useful timepass. I am feeling quite exciting and emotional right now because  many  of my readers now say they preserve my blog as a treasure of traditions. 

It’s been a lovely journey so far, sharing whatever little I’ve learnt all the way, from my mother, grandma,   from other blog friends and have also had the pleasure of knowing so many wonderful people from all over the world. It’s been a real pleasure to have known you all. Thanks to all my readers, who have been simply wonderful and have lent so much support. Thanks to all  of you who mail me regularly and ask clarifications.   

All over the world, good things come with a sweet. Shall we go in for a really something sweet for all of you? Luv you all. 

NEIPAYASAM... Yes...  A very sweet combination of rice, ghee and jaggery. This is a Kerala recipe offered in temples as prasadam.  It is also prepared during poojas like bhagawath seva, sastha preethi etc.

The taste of the payasam will be heavenly. Keralites say it as as "kadu madhura payasam" meaning very very sweet.  In Kerala, the nei payasam will be made in an uruli (a heavy brass utensil).

INGREDIENTS:

Raw rice - 1/3 cup
Ghee- 1/3 cup 
Jaggery - 1 cup (preferably paahu vellam)
Cumin seeds - a pinch
Cashews- 10 
Coconut - 2 teaspoons (cut into small pieces)
Water - a ladle

METHOD:

NOTE: 
The Rice: Jaggery ratio is  1:3.  
The rice when cooked in jaggery tends to become slightly hard. So, cook the rice well. DO NOT MASH THE RICE.

Wash well and pressure cook the rice.  Dissolve jaggery in a ladle of water. Strain without any mud and allow the jaggery syrup to boil. Add  the cooked rice, and stir without any lumps. Add a tablespoon of ghee. Keep on stirring.  Add ghee at intervals and  keep stirring. Cook till the mixture becomes glossy and saucy. (Do not over cook as it will become like kamarkat  when cool).

In a pan, heat a spoon of ghee. Add finely chopped pieces of coconut. Fry till it browns. Keep aside. In the same pan, heat another spoon of ghee, add cuming seeds, when it sizzles add cashews and fry till golden brown. Garnish the payasam with roasted coconut, cumins and cashews. Kerala special Nei payasam is ready.

RAVA LADDU

INGREDIENTS:

Bombay rava (sooji) - 2 cups
Sugar - 2 cups OR Boora chakkarai - 2 cups.
Cashews - 10
Ghee - 3/4 cup
Powdered cardamom - 1/2 tsp.

METHOD:

Heat a pan and dry roast rava till golden brown. Pound it to a fine powder. (preferably in a flour mill). Powder the sugar finely using a mixie. OR you can also use the boora chakkarai (powdered sugar) which will be available in the stores in powdered form.

Break the cashews into small pieces and fry it in ghee till golden brown.

Melt ghee. This should be warm while shaping the balls.

Mix the powdered rava, powdered sugar, cardamom powder and cashews well. Add the melted ghee little by little and shape into balls. (DO NOT POUR IN THE ENTIRE GHEE. POUR A LADLE OF GHEE AND SHAPE FOUR OR FIVE BALLS) Repeat the procedure for the entire mixture. Shape all the balls tightly.

NOTE: Little milk can be sprinkled if felt difficult to shape.

RIBBON PAKODA / OATU PAKODA

This was made by my mom. As it was very tasty & crispy, we finished it off. I suddenly remembered of posting it in the blog. But only one piece was there to take a snap.

INGREDIENTS:

Rice flour - 3 cups
Gram flour - 1 cup
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp.
Butter - 100 gms.
Hing - 1/4 tsp.
Salt - as per taste
Oil - 3 cups

METHOD:

Mix all the ingredients without water (except oil). Take out a small portion, add little water and knead to form a medium soft dough.

Heat oil in a kadai. Make balls out of the dough, place it in a ribbon pakoda achu and press it firmly, in a circular motion, directly into the oil. Flip gently on both sides and take out when golden brown. Ensure medium heat of oil. Proceed with the remaining mixture.

NOTE:  You can use the above ratio if making small quantities.

MOONG DHAL PAYASAM

This is popularly known as payathamparuppu payasam. This is offered to LORD OPPILIAPPAN on a Sravanam (Tiruvonam) day, when we dont eat salt in any form.

INGREDIENTS:

Moong dhal (yellow) - 1/4 cup
Milk - 1/2 litre
Jaggery - 1/2 cup
Ghee - 1 tablespoon
Cashews - 10
Cardamom - 2
Raw camphor (pachaikarpooram) - a pinch

METHOD:

Pressure cook moong dhal and mash well. Boil milk till it reduces to half. Dissolve jaggery in little water, strain the dust and allow it to boil till it diffuses its raw smell. Now add in the mashed dhal and milk. Bring it to a boil. Season it with fried cashews, powdered cardamom and pachaikarpooram. Offer it to the LORD.

SEEYAM

INGREDIENTS:

Scraped coconut - 1 cup
Crushed jaggery - 1/2 cup
Water - 2 tablespoons
Cardamom - 3
Thenkuzhal maavu - 2 tablespoons
Oil - to deep fry

METHOD:

Heat a kadai, add crushed jaggery and water. When the jaggery is dissolved, add the coconut and powdered cardamom. Stir for sometime till it is slightly thick. When
cool, make small balls out of it.

Prepare a thin batter using thenkuzhal maavu and water. Dip the balls in this batter and deep fry in oil till golden brown.

NOTE: Using thenkuzhal maavu gives a fantastic aroma for the sweet snack. If the batter is thick the outer cover will be hard. I prepare a thin batter and the outer cover will also be soft and melt in mouth.

APPAM (TANJORE STYLE)

INGREDIENTS:

Wheat flour(Atta) - 3/4 cup

Rice flour - 1/4 cup
Jaggery crushed - 3/4 cup
Cardamom powdered - 1/4 tsp.
Scraped coconut - 2 tsp. (optional)
Oil - for deep frying

METHOD:

Mix all the ingredients well. Add water and form a batter. The batter consistency should be like dosa batter.  Rest for 30 minutes. Heat oil, and pour a ladle of the batter, when fluffy on one side, flip and fry until golden brown. Do one by one. Appam ready.

NOTE: Do not pour two or three at a time. The batter will stick together.

Variation: 50:50 flour ratio 

PALADA PRADHAMAN

INGREDIENTS: 

Palada(readymade) - 1 ladle
Milk - 1 ltr.
Cardamom powdered - 1/2 tsp.
Sugar - 2 1/2 ladles
Cashews(optional)
Ghee - 1 tsp.

METHOD:

Wash the ada well and drain out the water.

Soak the ada in hot water for half an hour. Strain completely and again wash in cold water, strain and keep aside.

Boil milk in a heavy- bottomed pan. (I used pressure cooker).

Simmer and add the ada gently into the milk and stir continuously without any lumps. Allow it to boil again.

Stir frequently till the milk reduces to half. By this time, the ada will be cooked and soft.

Now add sugar and stir continuously till the milk is thick.

Add the powdered cardamoms and ghee.

Serve hot or cold. Both will taste good.