Coconut Chutney

This is a very famous south Indian side dish that can be used with many breakfast types.

Very easy and simple to make..also called as Thaengai Chutney / White Chutney

Ingredients:

1.       Coconut: 1 cup (Grated)

2.       Salt

3.       Pottu Kadalai / Odacha Kadalai: Handful.

4.       Asafoedita: a pinch

5.       Green Chilly: 2 (Medium sized)

6.       Tamarind: size of a gems chocolate.

7.       Water

8.       Mustard: 1/ tsp

9.       Oil: 1/ tsp

Preparation Procedure:

1.       In a mixer jar, add ingredients 1 to 6 and without adding water, initially, make it as a coarse powder.

2.       Now add water little by little and make it in the form of a coarse paste.

3.       You can choose to have it as Getti Chutney (Solidal) or watery by adding water accordingly.

4.       Now, in a serving vessel transfer the contents, temper with mustard and serve.

PS: In the absence of pottu kadalai, you can use roasted toor dal – handful.

Carrot Halwa (For Beginners)

Ingredients:

1.       Carrots: 6 (Big Size)

2.       Sugar: 1.5 cups (about 450 gms)

3.       Ghee: 1 big ladle

4.       Boiled Milk: 1.5 cups

5.       Sliced Almonds / Cashew nuts: 5

6.       Dry Grapes: 5

7.       Elaichi powder: A pinch

8.       Pachai Karpooram (Optional) : Very small pinch

Preparation Procedure:

1.       Peel the carrots and grate them.

2.       In a kadai add the boiled milk and add the grated carrots. Allow the carrots to be cooked by the steaming method by covering the kadai with a lid.

3.       Once the carrots are cooked (the smell of the raw carrots are no more there), add sugar and stir the ingredients of the kadai until the sugar is well dissolved.

4.       Add the ghee to the kadai equally from all sides and keep stirring well. (Using ghee is optional, without ghee, the halwa may be harder)

5.       Switch off the stove when the halwa is semi solid and paste like, the halwa starts oozing out the excess ghee.

6.       In a small kadai, add a tsp of ghee and roast the cashew/almond and dry grapes, sauté them and add this to the carrot halwa.

7.       Add the elaichi powder and pachai karpooram (optional)

Delicious Carrot Halwa is all ready J

Tips:

i.                     The Halwa tastes very good if it is served immediately after cooking.

ii.                   Heat the halwa in the microwave for 2 minutes before serving it

Varalakshmi Nonbu

I take time to deviate from the tiffin groups to give my viewers an overview about Varalakshmi Nonbu / Varalakshmi Viratham, since some of our ladies may want to be ready for the poojai tomorrow.

Varalakshmi Nonbu usuall comes on Aadi Month (Friday). The date in 2012 is tomorrow (27^th July 2012). This Nonbu is observed by some Iyer families and Telugu Brahmin families.

The procedure i have indicated below is the usual customorary procedure for a Tanjore Based Tamil Iyer family.

Things Required for the Nonbu: (To be kept ready handy before the Nonbu):

1.       Katholai Karugamani (Picholai Karugamani)

2.       Poo (Flowers) – Uthiri Pushpam and Thodutha Pushpam for Amman, other Gods in the Pooja space, Kuthu Vilakku padha decoration (if you wish), all ladies in the house and for neighbours who you may invite

Include Jasmine, Lotus, Marikozhunthu, Thaazhampoo, Saamandhi and Rose, Arali for the Pooja in assorted quantities (depending on what ever you are able to get)

3.       Vethalai Pakku (You require Vethalai for Ganapathi Poojai, Amman Azhaippu and the actual Nonbu along with some more additional quantities to distribute to the neighbours , friends and relatives when you invite them home.

4.       Manjal Kizhangu (Turmeric) : 6 (2 for each vethalai pakku set)

5.       Fruits (What ever is available. Main thing to include is Banana (Poovampazham). Along with that, one may use Apples, Oranges, Mathulai (Pomegranate), Guava, Navva Pazham, etc.

6.       Coconuts : 2 (One for Thaamboolam and one for Kalasam)

7.       Nonbu Charadu (Sacred Yello Thread) : You can tie the charadu with small flowers to use for the Nonbu

8.       Manjal Podi (Turmeric Powder): For making Pillayar for Ganapathi Poojai and also for preparing Arathi

9.       Kumkum

10.   Sandhanam (Sandal Powder)

11.   Agarbathi

12.   Soodam / Karpooram (Camphor)

13.   Ghee (For Nei Dheepam)

14.   Oil (Gingelly oil) for lighting kuthu vilakku

15.   Panju Thiri (For Kuthu Vilakku)

16.   Panju Thiri Maalai (Available in Naatu marunthu kadai / One can also make it using cotton balls and making them in the shape of oval and joining the ovals using Chandan, kumkum)

17.   Un Used Blouse Bit (For Vastharam) : Preferred is Silk. One can also use other materials but it should not have been kept for earlier poojas for the GOD.

18.   Kola Maavu

19.   Semman

20.   Maavilai (For Thoranam and for Kalasam)

21.   Vazhai Kandru (for tying in two sides of the table / stool)

22.   Medium Sized Table / Stool

23.   Rice: 8 cups to 10 cups (approx.)

24.   Toor dal: 1 tsp

25.   Coin / small ornament in gold, silver, etc

26.   Any other Gold jewels (available at Home) you would want to decorate Amman with: This can be a chain, necklace, etc. You should not remove the jewel until Saturday night (next day of Nonbu) until you take out the Kalasam.

27.   Poojai Mani (Bell)

28.   Akshadai (Yellow rice)

29.   Sunnambu (to prepare Arathi, mix sunnambu and a pinch of turmeric powder in half cup of water in a thambalam / similar tray)

30.   Water

31.   Milk

32.   Vazhai Ilai (Banana Leaf): 2 for Poojai and other required quantities for people to eat after the pooja.

33.   2 or 3 Thaambalam (Tray)

Preparation before the Nonbu:

Recommended to have a hair bath on the day of the nonbu and married women wear the Madisar saree and perform this along with your Husband

1.       In the House Main entrance, sweep, mob and then put the Padi Kolam (Naalu moolai Padakkai) and also put one at the Verandah / Foyer with Semman at both the places.

2.       Clean the space before the poojai rack / Swamy Edam and mob it and put Padi kolam and Semman there also.

3.       Have 2 Palagai (Katta Manai) ready, wipe them with water and put kolam and semman in that as well and allow it to dry.

4.       Place one palagai on the Swamy Edam (Pooja space) above the Kolam and the other Palagai on the Kolam in the Verandah.

5.       At the House Entrance, Keep the Maavilai Thoranam.

6.       Place the Small table / stool before the Swamy Place (in such a way that the Palagai is seated inside the stool like a Mandapam arrangement.

7.       Tie the Vazhai Kandru on both the sides of the stool like a pandhal kaal and tie it firmly to the leg of the stool using thread / kayiru.

8.       Also, you can surround the Table Top portion with Maavilai Thoranam. This will now look like a Mandapam for Amman with Vazhai kandru on both sides, maavilai thoranam with the seat as the Palagai.

9.       Place a Banana Leaf on both the Palagai. One at Swamy place and the other at Verandah. The tip of the leaf (Corner – Nuni ilai) should point to the left of the Amman. That is facing east (when you keep the kalasam, the tip should point to the left of the Amman tied on the kalasam).

10.   Spread 2 to 3 cups of rice and 1 or 2 toor dal in both the banana leaves. The Kalasam will reside on this during the poojai.

11.   If you have a Picture of the Varalakshmi Amman (Padam), you can place this on the palagai at Swamy place slightly inclined allowing space for the kalasam. Apply Chandan Kumkum on Amman’s face on the pottu.

12.   Now start decorating the Kalasam as below:

13.   In the Sombu, apply sunnambu and allow it to dry). The Sombu will typically have several layers quoted with Sunnambu as and when you perform it for years). You can draw Amman’s face and neck decked with Ornaments using a pencil on the Sombu indicating that SHE will reside here. You need not be an expert artist to do this J Apply Chandan Kumkum to the Amman face on the pottu (Bindi) and also to the diameter of the sombu at 5 points.

14.   Fill the Sombu with more than ¾ th using Rice. Add 1 or 2 grains of toor dal, turmeric, Coin/ ornament inside the Sombu. Also add the Kadholai Karugamani inside the Sombu.

15.   Place a Maavial Kothu inside the Sombu with the leaves emerging out of the SOmbu along its diameter.

16.   Smear one coconut with turmeric and place it on the Maavilai kothu on the Sombu with the tip of the coconut facing the top.

17.   Tie the Amman’s face (Silver) firmly to the Coconut Sombu using a thread.

18.   Now, this becomes the Kalasam.

19.   Note that the Kalasam after decoration should not be placed inside the mandapam (Table) until the start of the Pooja becaue once you place it, you cannot move it. After Amman Azhaippu from the Foyer only, we need to place the Kalasam in the Mandapam. Until then, decorate it and keep it aside (away from the Mandapam).

20.   Now, you can start cleaning the Pooja Vessels, Kuthu Vilakku, Thaambalams, Trays, Panchaathra Uthirni, Silver Wares, Deebardhanai thattu, etc etc. Apply Chandan, Kumkum to all 5 sides of the Kuthu Vilakku and Padham and Vilakku Mugam (Top) and also apply Chandan, Kumkum to the 5 points alongside the diameter of the Pancha Pathra Uthirni.

21.   Fill the Thaambaalam with Fruits and coconut after washing them. (each 2), Banana (2 or 4), Vethalai Paaku Manjal, Pushpam (Small), Manjal Kizhangu and Coconut.

22.   Keep the Nonbu charadu ready on the Thamboolam by tying small flowers to it. Usually have a even number of Charadu. (2, 4, etc)

23.   Make all other Poojai Saaman (items) ready in place at the Pooja space. This includes deebarthanai thattu, uthirni, Agarbathi on the agarbathi stand, nei dheepam on thiri, Kuthu Vilakku filled with thiri on all 5 mugams and oil, kumkum, Chandan, turmeric powder, karpooram, Poojai Bell (Mani), Akshadai etc

24.   Fill Panchapathra uthirni with water.

25.   Also have one cup of raw milk (Un boiled) for pooja purposes. For making payasam, coffee etc on the day of nonbu, first keep this milk separately and then use the rest of the milk. Otherwise, it may be like you have to use the remaining milk for Pooja which is not recommended.

26.   Place the Vashtharam (Blouse bit) over the Kalasam (Coconut) for Ambal.

27.   Also, put the Panchu thiri garlands on the Ambal (2 sets of garland).

28.   Decorate Ambal with any other gold jewellery you have like chain, necklace.

29.   Finally before start of the Poojai, decorate Ambal with Flowers also. Keep this as the last otherwise; the flowers may fade over time.

30.   Also, offer flowers for other Gods at Swamy space and also for Kuthu Vilakku Padham.

31.   Keep the neivedhyams (listed below) ready and start the Poojai

Neivedhyams:

To be offered for the Amman on the day / morning of the Nonbu

1. Maha Neivedhyam (Sadham, Paruppu and Ghee)
2. Paruppu Payasam (Prepared using Gram dal, Vellam, Coconut and Moong dal)
3. Vadai
4. Kozhukattai (Vella Kozhukattai (Thaengai Poornam), Uppu (Ulutham pooran Kozhukattai). Some families also make ellu kozhukattai.

Other food items on this day may include:

1. Sambhar (Paruppu Kozhambu)
2. Rasam
3. Curry
4. Kootu
5. Pachadi (Raitha)
6. Appalam

Performing the Nonbu:

This starts with Inviting the Varalakshmi Amman to your Home.

1.       Amman Azhaippu:

Place a small Thambalam near the verandah where you have placed the Palagai with the Banana leaf and rice. On the Thambalam, have a mini thambboolam with vethalai, paaku, manjal, pushpam, Banana (2).

Have the Pancha Pathra Uthirni filled with water, agarbathi, kuthu vilakku and deeparthanai thattu at this location.

Bring the Kalasam with the Amman and on auspicious time, enter the house with the Kalasam in hand. Hold the Kalasam facing east and as you enter, sing ‘Varalakshmi Raave Maavaintiki..Sri Raja Puthri Lakshmi…’ Usually, it is good it two ladies or you and your husband hold it together and bring it to the Verandah space Banana leaf and place the Amman Kalasam there.

Now, take water from Pancha pathram and encircle the thamboolam three times and perform Deeparthanai.

Tell one or two slokams and after namaskarams, you may move the Amman to the actual Poojai space by taking the kalasam alone. Do not take the banana leaf and rice.

You can also move the other poojai items to the Main pooja space now.

2.       Ganapathi Poojai

This is the usual customorary that any auspicious event / pooja always commence with Ganapathi Poojai.

Have a small Thamboolam again separately with vethalai, paaku, manjal, pushpam, Banana (2) and make Manjal Pillayar using turmeric powder and water (Very small one) and place it on the thaambalam.

Perform Poojai and Thaamboolam Neivedhyam for this using the Poojai Book.

This includes Sankalpam, Pushpa Archanai, Thaamboola neivedhyam and Deeparthanai. If you are unable to read, chant the mantras using poojai book and perform, nowadays, cassette is available with the instructions from the priest wherein you can follow and perform.

3.       Actual Pooja

Now that the Ganapathi Poojai is over, Move the Manja Pillaya Thaambalam to the north.

Start the Poojai following the instructions and chanting aloud the mantras in the poojai book or cassette.

This would include Sankalpam, Lakshmi Ashothram, Pushpa Archanai, Sarva Rajopacharams in order concluding with Nei Dheepam, Neivedhyam and Actual Deeparthanai. Follow the procedure from the poojai book or cassette.

Before offering Neivedhyam, sprinkle drop of water thrice on the floor and then place the neivedhyam items there.

After the Deeparthanai,  tie the nonbu charade holding the Thaamboolam in one hand. If any elderly ladies is there at your home, they can tie or you can ask your husband to tie the thread on your right hand.

Finish the poojai with namaskrams and pradakshanam with flower and akshadhai.

Finally the pooja concludes after you take arathi and sprinkle few drops at the house main entrance kolam.

4.       Punar Poojai:

The next day of poojai is called punar poojai and this is usually performed with a Maha Neivedhyam of

rice, dal and ghee and a small thamboolam with unused vethalai, paaku, manjal, pushpam, Banana (2)

On the evening of Punar Poojai, perform neivedhyam for Amman with Sundal, invite ladies, sing songs in praise of the Goddess and offer Sundal and Vethala Pakku. Before 10 pm, take arathi , sing Gowri Kalyanam Vaibohamaee for the Goddess and remove the Amman Kalasam and place it inverted in a rice drum which means you have completed the entire pooja.

Wishing all my readers and their families a very Blessed Varalakshmi Nonbu.

Rava Upma

This is a very simple and easy to make tiffin item yet very delicious. Excellent to have it alone or with Chutney or Sambar or Vathal Kuzhambu or Milagu Kuzhambu or any thokku.

Ingredients:

1.       Double Roasted Sooji / Rava : 1 Azhakku (Cup) : Say 250 gms

2.       Salt

3.       Green Chilly: 4 (Big) : Vertically Slit or cut in to tiny pieces (How ever you would prefer)

4.       Gundu Vathal Milagai / Red Chilly: 2 (Medium size)

5.       Onion: 2 (Medium) : Finely Chopped

6.       Carrot: 1 (Big) : Finely grated or chopped in to tiny pieces

7.       Ginger: finely chopped: ½ tsp

8.       Mustard: ½ tsp

9.       Orid dal : 1 tsp

10.   Gram dal: 1 tsp

11.   Asafoedita: a pinch

12.   Curry Leaves: 10 to 15

13.   Coriander leaves: very few

14.   Oil: 3 tbsps

15.   Water

Preparation Procedure:

1.       In a dry kadai, roast the rava in sim flame for 2 to 3 minutes to eliminate the raw smell of rava. Already we are using a double roasted rava and hence 2 to 3 minutes would be sufficient.

2.       Transfer the roasted rava to another container and use this kadai now for preparing the upma.

3.       Add 3 tbsps oil to the kadai and when the oil starts heating up, add mustard.

4.       When mustard starts spluttering, add the following in order one by one while sauting in between for few seconds: Orid dal, gram dal, asafoedita, red chilly, green chilly, ginger, onions.

5.       Once the onions turn golden brown, add the carrots and curry leaves and sauté them lightly.

6.       Now add 2 cups of water (say around 500 ml) to the kadai and allow it to boil.

7.       Add salt now

8.       Now add the roasted rava to the kadai slowly and while adding, make sure that you keep stirring to avoid lumps.

9.       Allow it to cook for around 10 minutes on medium flame.

10.   Once you see that the rava is cooked, make sure to keep sauting the contents so that the upma is loose and not sticky or massy.

Note: You can choose to have this as Kichadi also by making this preparation as a mass adding little more water while cooking and then putting the cooked contents in a cup so that the kichadi takes the shape of the cup. Serve hot with Sambhar and Chutney.

Pongal (Ven Pongal)

This is a very popular south Indian breakfast type. Makes an excellent combination when served with Ulunthu Vadai and Thaengai chutney (coconut chutney) and sambhar.

Ingredients:

1.       Rice : Moong dal in the ratio of 4:1 for 1 cup (for 250 gms – you can use 200 gms rice and 50 gms moong dal )

2.       Salt

3.       Black Pepper: 15

4.       Cashew nuts: 15

5.       Ghee: 3 to 4 tbsps

6.       Curry leaves

7.       Milk: 3 tbsps

8.       Water in the ratio of 1:4 (1 cup ingredients: 4 cups water)

9.       Ginger: very finely chopped in to tiny little pieces (1 tsp)

10.   Jeera (Cumin) : ½ tsp

11.   Asafoedita

There are 2 types that you can m ake this dish.

Type I : Like Hotel Pongal / Kalyana Pongal

In this type of ven pongal, you cook all the ingredients together including whole black pepper.

Preparation Procedure:

1.       In a heavy bottomed kadai, light fry the moong dal and rice in sim for 2 to 3 minutes so that the raw smell of the rice and the moong dal is eliminated.

2.       Wash the ingredients well in water and filter the rice moong dal.

3.       In a pressure cooker vessel, add the rice moong dal and water in the ratio mentioned in the ingredients section.

4.       Add salt, jeera, black pepper, ginger tiny pieces, milk, and curry leaves and pressure cook for around 10 to 11 whistles so that it is well mashed.

5.       After switching off the pressure cooker, allow it to settle for 15 to 20 minutes.

6.       In the mean while, add a tsp of ghee to a kadai and in sim medium roast the cashew nuts to golden brown colour

7.       Open the pressure cooker, immediately add 3 tbsps of ghee, a pinch of asaofedita and the roasted cashew nuts and well mash the cooked pongal very nicely. This needs to be done as soon as you open the cooker. Once the pongal cools down, mashing may become difficult and it will not come smoothly.

Hot delicious pongal is ready J

Type II: This is more like Perumal Kovil Ven Pongal

In this type of Ven pongal, we powder and add the pepper, jeera at the end.

Preparation Procedure:

1.       In a heavy bottomed kadai, light fry the moong dal and rice in sim for 2 to 3 minutes so that the raw smell of the rice and the moong dal is eliminated.

2.       Wash the ingredients well in water and filter the rice moong dal.

3.       In a pressure cooker vessel, add the rice moong dal and water in the ratio mentioned in the ingredients section.

4.       Add salt, milk, finely chopped ginger pieces and curry leaves.

5.       Pressure cook for around 10 whistles.

6.       After switching off the pressure cooker, allow it to settle for 15 to 20 minutes.

7.       In the mean while, add a tsp of ghee to a kadai and in sim medium roast the cashew nuts to golden brown colour and keep it aside.

8.       Powder 20 pepper in a mixie as a coarse powder.

9.       In the kadai, add a tsp of ghee, add the powdered pepper and jeera on sim and immediately take it out after a minute.

8.       After 15-20 mins, Open the pressure cooker, immediately add 3 tbsps of ghee, a pinch of asaofedita and the roasted cashew nuts and well mash the cooked pongal very nicely. This needs to be done as soon as you open the cooker. Once the pongal cools down, mashing may become difficult and it will not come smoothly.

10.   Again add the powdered pepper and jeera and mix with the mashed pongal nicely.