KATTU PONGAL [ DHANURMASAM PRASADAM]

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INGREDIENTS

Rice – 1/2 cup

Moong dal – 1 1/2 tbsp

Water – 2 cup

Asafoetida

Salt – 1/2 tsp

TALIMPU

Cow ghee – 3 tbsp

Cumin seeds – 1/2 seeds

Black pepper – 1/2 tsp coarsely powdered

Dhanur masam is considered the month of bhakthi. Offering of pongal as naivedya is the most sacred offer for Lord Vishnu. Basil is one more thing that is more important and auspicious to offer to god.

METHOD

1. Heat a pan and add moong dal. Dry roast it till they are slightly golden brown colour.
2. Cool it . Wash rice and dal twice and drain it .
3. Heat ghee in a pressure cooker. Add cumin seeds and coarsely grounded black pepper. Fry on low flame till the pepper starts to burst.
4. Then add asafoetida, curry leaves and fry for 10 seconds.
5. Add washed moong dal and rice. Mix well. Add salt and 2 cups of water. Pressure cook on high flame till the first whistle .
6. Then cook on low flame for 6 to 7 minutes. Switch off the flame.
7. Allow the pressure to release on its own and then open the cooker.
8. Mix well and offer as naivedyam to god.

UGADI PACHADI

INGREDIENTS:

Tamarind – 100 grams makes one cup of thick paste

Water – 1 1/4 cup

Jaggery – 2 1/2 cups

Finely chopped sugarcane – 2 tbsp

Finely chopped coconut – 2 tbsp

Finely chopped banana – 1/2 cup

Finely chopped mango – 1 tbsp

Neem leaves – 1/2 tbsp

Salt, red chilli powder, black pepper powder – 1 pinch each

Each home has their own way of preparing ugadi pachadi.

METHOD:

• Soak the tamarind in 1 1/2 cups of water for 1-2 hours and extract the pulp.
• Grate the jaggery or you can powder it in a mixer.
• Separate the neem flowers from the springs. Then gently rub the neem flowers between your two palms to separate the petals and put them in a plate. Use only petals for this process.
• Keep finely chopped coconut, finely chopped bananas, finely chopped sugarcane and finely chopped peeled mangoes to a side.
• Take a wide bowl. Add tamarind extract and 2 1/2 cups of grated jaggery. Mix well using your hand till the jaggery melts.
• Then add the finely chopped ingredients mentioned in step four and mix well.
• Lastly add neem petals, salt, red chilli powder, black pepper powder. Mix well.
• Offer ugadi pachadi as naivedyam (offerings to god during the festival of ugadi).

SUGGESTIONS:

Ugadi pachadi should be like a sauce. Do not taste it if you intend to offer it to god. The recipe for ugadi pachadi may vary according to family beliefs and customs. All the ingredients in this pachadi recipe can be adjusted to suite your taste. Ugadhi pachadi goes well with curd rice.

PULAGAM (ATTESARU)

INGREDIENTS

Rice – 1/2 cup

Moong dal – 1/4 cup

Water – 2 1/2 cups

Turmeric powder – generous pinch

Salt to taste

Small jaggery pieces – 2

Cow ghee -1 tsp

Pulagam is an Indian traditional dish made with rice and dal. It is also prepared as naivedyam during every festival.

METHOD

• Wash rice and moong dal together. Put rice and moong dal together in a small pan with 2 1/2 cups of water.
• Bring it to boil, add salt and turmeric powder. Cook on low flame till the water is completely absorbed and rice is cooked.
• Switch off the flame and add 1 tsp of ghee. Put jaggery pieces on top of the rice.
• Serve as naivedyam to god.

 

PARAMANNAM ( RICE PAYASAM )

INGREDIENTS

Rice – 1/2 cup

Milk – 6 to 7 cups (cows milk if making naivedyam)

Grated jaggery – 1 cup

Cow ghee – 1tsp (cows ghee if making naivedyam)

Cashewnuts and raisins – optional

Ghee for frying nuts

METHOD

• Wash rice several times and soak it in enough water for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Drain and keep it aside. Pour milk to a rinsed heavy bottom pot.
• Bring it to a boil on a medium flame. To the boiling milk, add drained rice and stir.
• Stir once every few minutes. Cook the rice till it turns mushy and soft.
• Adjust the consistency of the payasam by adding more milk. Let the rice and milk bubble up after adding milk.
• Turn off the stove. Add grated Jaggery and 1 tsp of ghee mix well. Stir well until dissolved.
• Heat ghee in another pan. Fry cashew nuts till they turn light golden in colour. Add raisins. Stir till they swell and pour this into the rice payasam.
• Serve rice payasam warm or cold.

PALALLO UNDRALLU (PALATALIKALU )

INGREDIENTS

FOR RICE FLOUR DOUGH

Rice flour – 1/2 cup

Water – 1 1/2 cup

Grated jaggery – 1/4 cup

TO MAKE PALALLO UNDRALLU

Milk – 2 1/2 cups

Water – 1/2 cup for diluting dough

Grated jaggery – 3/4 cup to 1 cup

METHOD

• In a pan, put 1 1/2 cups of water bring it to a boil. Add grated jaggery and 1/3 tsp of ghee.
• Let the jaggery melt into water. Add rice flour and keep stirring until it forms a smooth dough.
• Swicth off the flame. Keep it covered for 5 minutes. Let it cool. Open the lid and knead the dough until it forms a smooth dough.
• Take half a portion of dough. Make very small balls with the dough by greasing your hands with some ghee.
• Keep them aside. Dilute remaning dough with 1/2 cup of water and keep it aside.
• Take 2 1/2 cups of milk in another pan and bring it to boil.  When the milk starts to boil, add the prepared rice balls slowly.
• Give it a stir carefully with out crushing the undrallu. Let them cook with milk on low flame for about 10 minutes.
• After 10 minutes you will notice that the balls are soft and floating on top. Add the diluted flour mix. Mix well.
• Cook for 1 to 2 minutes and switch off the flame. Wait for a minute and add grated jaggery.
• Gently mix it well until the jaggery is well combined. Transfer this into a bowl, offer this as naivedyam or prasadam to Lord Ganesha on Ganesh Chaturthi .

ATUKULA PRASADAM FOR KRISHNASHTAMI

INGREDIENTS

Atukulu (poha) – 1 cup

Grated jaggery – 1/2 cup

Luke warm milk – 1 1/2 tbsp

METHOD

• Wash the atukulu well and drain for 5 minutes.
• Powder the jaggery with out lumps.
• Take a bowl and mix the drained atukulu and jaggery.
• Sprinkle 1 1/2 tsp of milk and mix well .
• Remove to a serving bowl. Offer as neivedhyam for krishnashtami.

CHALIMIDI

INGREDIENTS

Rice flour – 1 cup

Grated Jaggery – 1/2 cup

Freshly grated coconut – 1/4 cup

Ghee – 1 tsp

METHOD

• Grind jaggery in a mixer to a fine paste or powder.
• Take a bowl, add all the ingredients. Mix well and roll it into a small round shaped ball. Repeat the same with the rest of the mixture.
• Chalimidi is ready to be offered as naivedhyam to the diety.

SUGGESTIONS

To make home made rice flour, soak 1 cup of rice grains in water over night. Next day, drain water and dry the rice on a cloth for 20 to 30 minutes. Grind the rice to a fine powder. Use whenever required.

DADDOJANAM

INGREDIENTS

Rice – 1/2 cup

Water – 2 1/2 cups

Curd – 2 cups

Green chillies – 3 cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Finely chopped ginger – 1 tsp crushed

Salt to taste

Oil – 1 1/2 tbsp

Mustard seeds – 1/4 tsp

Cumin seeds – 1/4 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

Broken red chillies – 6 pieces

Curry leaves few

Finely chopped coriander leaves – 1tbsp

METHOD

• Wash rice and cook with 2 1/2 cups of water . Lightly mash it with a potato masher. Bring rice to room temperature.
• Mix cooked rice with curd and salt. Add finely chopped coriander leaves. Mix throughly and keep it aside.
• Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds. Let them crackle for a few seconds and then add cumin seeds. Let it fry for 5 seconds.
• Add crushed ginger and green chillies. Fry for 10 seconds. Add turmeric powder, broken red chillies and curry leaves.
• Fry till curry leaves turns crisp. Turn off the flame. Add the talimpu ingredients to the prepared curd rice mixture and mix well.

PANAKAM ,VADAPAPPU

INGRIDENTS

For panakam

Jaggery – 1/2 cup

Water –  2 cup

Black pepper corn –  3 to 4 crushed (optional)

For vadapappu

Split yellow moong dal – 1/2 cup

METHOD

• For panakam : Add grated jaggery to 2 cups of water and let it dissolve. Strain the liquid to a serving bowl.
• Add the crushed black pepper powder and mix. If the panakam is too sweet, add more water.
• For vadapappu : Wash moong dal and soak for one hour and drain completely.
• Offer to god as naivedyam or prasadam on any festival.

SUGGESTIONS

For savory vadapappu, add 1 finely chopped green chilli, 1 tbsp freshly grated coconut and salt to taste.

KUDUMULU (VINAYAKA CHAVITHI PRASADAM )

INGREDIENTS

Rice rava – 1 cup

Chana dal – 2 tbsp (senaga pappu)

Grated fresh coconut – 3 tbsp

Water – 2 cups

Salt to taste

METHOD

• Wash and soak chana dal in water for 30 minutes. Take a pan and add water. Add chana dal and bring it to a boil.
• Boil for 2-3 minutes. Add freshly grated coconut and salt. Mix well. 
• Reduce the heat, add rava slowly into the boiling water, mixing well with another hand to prevent lumps.
• Cover the pan with a lid until the water evaporates completely. Make sure it doesn’t burn. Swicth off the flame.
• Leave it covered for about 15 minutes. Transfer this to a wide plate and cool.
• After 15 minutes, wet ur hands and make small balls. Sprinkle some water if rava is too hard.
• Use an idli steaming stand or any perforted plate to steam these rice balls. Place rice balls on the plate.
• Place the stand in a pressure cooker with little water to steam. Cover the pressure cooker and steam for 6-8 minutes. (Whistle not required)

SUGGESTIONS

Adjust water according to the rice rava you are using. If you have any doubt, add an extra  half cup of water.