TamilNadu festivals Menu

 Festivals of South India :

I am  giving below the different festivals we celebrate for Gods and  Goddesses and the dishes we usually prepare as  naivedyam . The detailed recipe for the dishes will be posted in due course.

Tamil New year: (chithirai Varuda pirappu) April

Payasam (jaggery)

Veppampoo Pachadi (neem flower)

Curd pachadi

Vegetable (curry/porial)

Vegetable Koottu

Buttermilk kuzhambu/Pitlai

Vadai (Ama vadai/dhal vadai)

Milk Boli

Adi Pirappu: (mid july to mid august)

Payasam

Curd pachadi

Vegetable (curry/porial)

Vegetable Koottu

Buttermilk kuzhambu/Pitlai

Vadai (Ama vadai/dhal vadai)

Cauveri

Adi 18

Coconut rice

Tamarind rice

Curd rice

Sakkarai rice

Buttermilk kuzhambu

Vadams

Vadai (Thaval vadai)

Varalakshmi Viratham

Kozhukattai (Jaggery and dhal)Payasam(jaggery)

Appam

Sundal

Urad Vada

Fruits

Avaniavittam(Adi/Avani-mid august to mid September)

Other than usual menu Special  dishes are

Milk Boli and urid vadai

Krishna Jayanthi(Gokulashtami)

Seedai(jaggery/uppu)
Murukku
Beaten rice
Butter

Ganesh Churthi:
With the usual dishes, the special dishes are

Kozhukattai (Jaggery and dhal)Payasam(jaggery)

Sesame urundai (Ellu)

Sundal

Appam

Fruits

 Navarathri : (Purattasi – mid September to mid October)

1^st day :

Special dishes are

Vadai

Payasams

Sooyan

All the days from day 1 to day 9 in the evening make sundals of different dhals/beans and offer to Goddess and distribute to relatives and friends.

Sarswathi pooja :

Garbanzo (kothukadalai) sundal

Urad vadai

Deepavali(Diwali – Aippasi- mid October to mid november) :

 Sweets as you like (laddu,Burfi,Beda,carrot halwa,wheat halwa etc.,)

Savoury as you like (Mixture,ribbon nada,thenguzhaletc.,)

                             Main item is The Marundhu

Karthigai : (karthigai – mid November to mid December)

 

In the evening offer the following as nivedhyams

Pori urundai (beaten rice,nellu/paddy)

Payasam

Vadai

Thiruvathirai: (margazhi – mid December to mid January)

Kali
Kuzhambu

Bohi  (Thai  mid January)

Boli

Urad vadai

Payasam

Sambar

Vegetable

Pongal

Plantain curry

Avaraikkai curry

Sambar with all vegetables

Sweet Pongal

Urad vadai

Venpongal

Kanu

Mixed rice ( variety )

Brinjal thugayal
Buttermilk kuzhambu

Thavala vadai

Karadian Nonbu: (masi – mid feb. to mid march)

Jaggery adai

Uppu adai

Butter

Srirama navami: (Panguni)

Panagam

Buttermilk

vadparuppu(kosumalli)

Vadai
Payasam

 

Milk Kozhakattai&Uppu kozhakattai



fig.1








fig.2













Milk Kozhakattai :

Rice flour – 1 cup

Sugar – 2 tsp.

Jaggery – ½ cup

Coconut milk – 1 cup

Water – 2 cups

Cardamom – 1 tsp

Ghee – 1 tbsp.

Milk – 1 cup

Saffron - 1/4 tsp.

Method :

Take 1-1/2 cup of water in a vessel and add the rice flour and mix. Keep a pan in the fire  and  Sauté. Add  sugar and sauté till the flour  turns in to a ball (dough)without sticking to the sides of the pan. Add ghee and take the pan out . Transfer it to a vessel and close it with a tight fitting lid or keep it in a damp cloth and keep aside the dough.

After half an hour , make small balls as shown in fig.1 and steam it for 15 minutes in a pressure cooker.

In a deep pan add water and jaggery. Let it boil for 10 minutes. Add the coconut milk. Now add the milk. Let the whole thing boils for 10minutes. Keep the stove in simmer and slowly put the steamed balls in to the jaggery milk solution. The balls should not dissolve in the solution.  Check it by adding few balls and then add the remaining balls. Let the pan be in slow fire for 10 more minutes and then turn the fire off. Add the cardamom powder.    Add saffron.(fig.2)

Delicious milk kozhakattai is ready.

Uppu kozhakattai:

Rice flour – 1 cup
Bengalgram dhal – ½ cup

Toor dhal – ½ cup

Urad dhal – ¼ cup

Hing powder – ½ tsp

Red chilly - 6 to 7

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.

mustard - 1tsp.

oil - 4 tbsp.

curry leaves - few

salt to taste

Method :

 Soak the dhals in water for an hour . Grind it in a mixie with redchilly ,salt and hing powder in to a course paste. Apply a coat of oil in the idli plater and keep the mix in it and steam it in the pressure cooker for 15 minutes.

Take the cooked(baked) Dhal idli and let it cool for 10 minutes. cut it in to pieces and put the pieces in the mixie and turn it for a second or two till  it turns in to course powder. Add turmeric powder. Mix it and keep it aside.

Take 1-1/2 cup of water in a vessel and add the rice flour and mix. Keep a pan in the fire  and  Sauté,till the flour  turns in to a ball (dough)without sticking to the sides of the pan. Add one tsp. of oil and take the pan out . Transfer it to a vessel and close it with a tight fitting lid  or keep it in a damp cloth and keep aside.

After half an hour , make small balls as shown in fig.1 and steam it for 15 minutes in a pressure cooker. Keep it aside.

Pour the remaining oil in a deep pan . Add mustard and after it splutters , add the ground dhal and saute. Add the rice balls and curry leaves. Saute for 5 minutes.

Uppu Kozhakattai is ready to be served.  

Athirasam

Athirasam:

Raw rice - 1cup
jaggery -  1/2 of the qty. of rice flour
Cardamom - 1 tsp.
Oil - 2 cups ( vegetable oil)

Method :

Soak the rice for 1 hour. Drain it and grind it in a mixie and sieve it to get the fine flour.  Keep 1/4 cup of water in a pan and add jaggery to it. let it boil. check the consistency of the jaggery syrup by pouring a drop in water kept in a vessel. The jaggery syrup should be floating in water. Take the pan out from fire. Mix cardamom with the flour. Add the jaggery syrup slowly simulatneously kneading the flour. The whole flour with the jaggery should come like soft dough. Heat  oil in a tava and let it be on a low flame. Make small balls (lime size) and press it with fingers (not thin) on a thick plastic sheet and make circles of 1-1/2" diameter. After the oil becomes hot, slip it on the oil. Turn the athirasam and let both sides is of uniform red colour. Press it lightly along the sides of the tava and take it out.

Yummy athirasam is ready.   

Spinach Porichakuzhambu

Spinach(Keerai) Porichakuzhambu

Water – 2 to 3 cups

Fresh Spinach – 1 bunch or  cut spinach frozen – 1 box

Urad dal – 2 tbsp.

Red chillies – 4

Grated Coconut - ½ cup

Toor dal (boiled)  -1.5 cup

Hing powder – ¼ tsp.

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp.

Rice flour – 1tsp.

Oil – 3 tsp.(gingelly oil or vegetable oil)

Mustard – 1 tsp.

Cumin seeds = 1 tsp.

Salt to taste

Kuzhambu vadam (nuggets) – 10 to 15 (optional)

Method:

Heat water in a pan .When the water boils add spinach and turmeric powder.After the spinach is fully cooked, add salt. Fry the kuzhambu vadam and if they are a bit hard, add it to the spinach while it is being cooked , else add it at the end during tempeing.

Heat 2tsp oil in another pan, add hing powder, urad dal(1.5tsp), and red chillies. After the dal turns little brown add grated coconut. Grind the ingredients in to a coarse paste,lastly add the cumin seeds and turn the mixie for 2 seconds and add the paste to the spinach. After the mixture boils for 10 minutes, add the boiled toor dhal. Let it boil for 5 more minutes and then add the curry leaves. If the kuzhambu seems to be watery add rice flour (flour mixed in water). Put 1 tsp. of oil, add mustard . After the mustard splutters add urad dal for tempering..  

In the above recipe you can substitute spinach with any vegetable

Coconut Rice

Coconut Rice

Grated coconut – 1 cup

Hing powder – ¼ tsp.

Urad dal – 3 tbsp.

Red chilli’s – 3 to 4

Mustard – 1 tsp.

Curry leaves – 2 stalks

Oil – 3 tbsp. (vegetable oil)

Coconut oil – 1 tsp. (optional)

cooked rice - 2 cups

Method:

Soak the urad  dal in water for 20 minutes. Heat vegetable oil in a pan, add hing powder, mustard (allow it to splutter), red chillies and grated coconut and sauté for 5 minutes( coconut should not turn brown). Then add the soaked  urad dal (drain the water), curry leaves and saute for 5 more minutes.

Keep the cooked rice in plate and add the above coconut mixture, add coconut oil and mix thoroughly. The coconut oil adds flavor to the rice. Coconut rice is ready to be served.

Plantain Podi

Plantain Podi (vazhakai podi)

Plantain – 1 no.

Toor dal – 2 tbsp.

Urad dal – 2 tbsp.

Red chili – 1

Hing powder – ¼ tsp.

Oil – 1 tbsp

Method :

Keep the plantain in the flame of the stove and  turn it periodically till  the skin turns uniformly black. Allow it to cool for 15 to 20 minutes. Peel the skin and grate it using the grater.

Heat the oil in the pan and  add the dhals one by one until  they turn into golden colour. Then add red chilli and sauté. Grind these in a mixie. Add the grated  plantain, salt and grind in mixie for a second.

The Plantain Podi is ready. Serve it with hot rice and gingelly oil.

Karadian Nonbu Adai

Jaggery Adai

Ingredients:

Rice  flour – 1 cup

Jaggery – ¾ cup

Water – 2 -1/2 cup

Boiled Karamani(black eyed peas) – 3 tbsp.

Coconut – Cut into very small pieces or grated – 2 tbsp.

Cardamom (ground/powdered)– ½ tsp.

Ghee – ½ tsp. ( optional)

Method :

Wash the rice ,strain and spread it in a dry cloth or paper. After 10 mts. grind it in a mixie.

Another option is to grind the raw rice directly. The texture of the flour should be in between course and fine. Heat a pan and put the flour and sauté it till it becomes light red in color. And transfer it in to a bowl.  In the same pan put the water and jaggery.   Add the boiled karamani and coconut to the boiling jaggery solution. Then add the flour and stir it till it becomes a big ball without sticking to the pan. Then add ghee and cardamom powder. Transfer it to a bowl. Make balls (lime size) and shape it like a vadai and make a hole at the center and steam it for 10 to 15 minutes in slow flame.

Very yummy jaggery adai is ready to be served.

Uppu adai:

Ingredients:

Rice flour – 1 cup (slightly course in texture)

Boiled Karamani(black eyed peas) – 3 tbsp

Green chilli – 1 (big)

Curry leaves  few

Coconut -  3 tbsp. (grated)

Mustard – 1 tsp.

Urad Dal  - 1 tsp.

Hing powder –  1 pinch

Water – 2 cups

Oil – 3tbsp.

Salt – as per taste

Method :

Heat a pan, add oil , add the hing powder and mustard . After the mustard splutters add the urad dhal. Once the urad dal turns golden brown add water .When this starts to boil add the boiled karamani, coconut and the curry leaves. Add salt and then the flour and stir it until it becomes a ball without sticking to the pan. Transfer it to a bowl. Make balls (lime size) and shape it like a vadai and make a hole at the center and steam it for 10 to 15 minutes in slow flame.

Tasty uppu adai is ready to be served.