Navaratri

Navaratri is celebrated nine days.Each  day we do puja and recite Devi Slokas.We prepare nine types of Sundals on these days.

Konda Kadalai Sundal(Chickpeas Sundal)

Ingredients

• Muzhu Kadalai(chick peas)...... 2cups
• Mustard Seeds..........................1tsp
• Red Chilli..................................1
• Curry Leaves.............................few
• Hing..........................................1/2 tsp
• Grated Coconut....................... 1tbsp
• Oil............................................2tsp
• Salt to taste

Method

• Soak the kondakadalai/chick peas the previous day.
• Cook it in pressure cooker with salt.remove the water.
• Heat a pan with oil add mustard seeds, chilli and curry leaves. 
• When the mustard seeds crackle add the kadalai,hing and coconut. and stir it. 
• If you want spicy add chilli powder or chopped green chilies
• 
  Nilakadalai Sundal
  
  • Nilakadalai................................2 cups
  • Grated Coconut........................1/4cup
  • Mustard seeds..........................1tsp
  • Red chili....................................2
  • Chopped green chili...................1tsp
  • Salt to taste
  
  
  • Method 
  • Pressure cook the Nilakadalai with salt and enough water.
  • Remove the water. Heat a pan with oil add mustard seeds and broken chili.
  • When the mustard crackles, add nilakadalai, coconut and green chili.
  • Mix well.
  •  
• Ammini Kozhakattai
  
  Ingredients
  
  Rice Flour...................2 cups
• Coconut..Flakes..........2tbsp
• Mustard Seeds............1tsp
• Red Chili.......................1
• Oil.............................. 2 tsp
• Curry Leaves...............few
• Salt to taste
  
  Method 
•  Boil two cups of water and add salt and 1tsp oil.
•   When the water boils add the flour slowly with out any lumps
• Remove from the gas and cover it for five minutes.
•  Heat a pan with oil add mustard seeds, red chili, and curry leaves.
• Add to the dough with coconut flakes. 
• Mix well and make very small balls with little dough
• Make small kozhakattais and steam them.
  
  
  Nai Appam /Vella Appam
  
  
  Raw Rice -…........... 1 cup
• Jaggery -…… ..........1 cup
• Coconut(Grated).....1/2 cup
• Ripe Plantain ......... 1
• Cardamom ............ 6
• Salt ........................ a pinch
• Oil for frying
  
  Method
  
  Soak the rice for two hours and grind to the consistency of dosa batter.
• Add the jaggery, coconut, plantain, cardamom and a pinch of salt and grind.
• Heat the appa kaarai with oil/ghee. 
• Pour the batter in each kuzhi (till half).
• Turn the appams after some time and fry the other side of the appams ,till they become golden brown on all sides.
  
  
  Kosumalli Sundal
  
  This dish with split chick peas, coconut, salt and lemon Juice
  Kosumalli Sundal
  
  
  
  • Chana Dhal................... 1cup
  • Grated Coconut.............1/4 cup
  • Green Chili.....................2
  • curry Leaves...................few
  • Asafoetida......................1/2tsp
  • Mustard Seeds...............1tsp
  • Red Chili........................1
  • Coconut Oil...................1tsp
  • lemon Juice.....................2tsp
  • Coriander leaves..............few
  • Turmeric Powder............1/4 tsp
  • Salt to taste
  
  Method
  
  • Wash and Cook the chana dhal with turmeric and salt.
  • Drain the water and keep cooked dhal in a bowl
  • Heat a pan with oil add mustard seeds. red broken chili and curry leaves.
  • When it splutters add the cooked dhal and saute it.
  • Add chopped green chili. asafoetida lemon juice and coconut and mix well
  • Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves.Aval Puttu (Puffed Rice Puttu)
  •  
• 
  
  I made this sweet recipe for Gokulashtami and Navaratri . It is very easy to prepare.Jaggery...........................1 and1/2 cups
  
  Ingredients
  • Aval(Thick Aval).............2cups
  • Cardamom Powder........1/2tsp
  • Coconut Flakes..............3tbsp
  • Grated Coconut..............3tbsp
  • Cashew Nuts..................3tbsp
• 
  
  Method. 
  
  • Aval Puttu is with puffed rice and jaggery
  • Roast the aval for 5minute and powder it.
  • Mix coconut and little warm water with the powdered aval till it becomes moist and soft.
  • Heat pan with little water and jaggery.
  • The syrup should be thick.( you drop a little in water and able to make solid)
  • Put off the flame and add the aval.
  • Fry the coconut and cashew nuts in ghee and add to the aval.
  • Sprinkle the cardamom powder. You can keep this dish for a week.
  • Same way you can prepare arisi puttu. Use wet rice powder instead of aval.
  
  
   Kara Kara Vadai / Parippu Vadai
  
  It is a famous snack in south Indian homes. We make this vadai with out onion for naivedyam with payasam
  
  Ingredients
  
  
  
  • Chana. Dhal.......... 2cups
  • Urad Dhal.............1/4 cup
  • Tur Dhal..................1/4 cup
  • Raw Rice................2tsp
  • Red Chili................4
  • Asafetida Powder.....1/4 tsp
  • Chopped Onion........1/4 cup
  • Coriander Leaves/ curry leaves....few
  • Salt to Taste
  • Oil to fry
  
  
  Method
  
• Soak the dhal and rice for 2 hours. 
• Drain them and grind coarsely in food processor with chilli salt and asafoetida
• Add chopped onion and coriander leaves/ curry leaves 
• Mix well. for making vada use paper towel/ plastic sheet or with palm. of your hand.
• Wet your hand,take lemon size of dough flatten it 
• Heat a pan with oil. When the oil is hot slip the vadas.and deep fry them. 
• When it is golden brown remove them. 
• Serve them hot with coconut chutney,
• Soak the left over vadai in hot rasam. Rasam vadai is very tasty 
• 
  
  Sarkarai Pongal
• 
  
  
  Ingredients
  
  
  • Rice.............................1 cup 
  • Cashew Nuts.................6
  • Green gram................. 1/3 cup
  • Jaggery........................2cups
  • Ghee.......................... 3tbsp
  • Cardamom Powder....  1 tsp
  • Coconut Flakes.............3tbsp
• 
  
  Method
• Roast the gram till it becomes brown without oil.
• Cook the rice and dhal  with double the water in pressure cooker
• Heat a pan with 1/2 cup of water and jaggery, cook till it becomes thick(like syrup)
• Add the cooked rice and dhal.Mix it  well.
• Cook in a medium heat for few more minutes
• Fry the coconut flakes and the cashew nuts with ghee add to the Pongal.
• Sprinkle the cardamom powder.
  
  Mor Appam

• This recipe is not deep frying. Just like dosa making ,pour oil on the sides. Make this appam in non stick appakarai.
  
  Mor appam is my favorite snack.Rainy days my mother prepared with left over
   dosa batter. Very easy to prepare. Mor appam and coffee is good
  combination. We never make fried items these days . Rarely I make this
  appams
  
  Mor Appam is with idli batter and spices
  
  
  
  Ingredients
  • Rice...................................3 cups
  • Urad Dhal..........................1cup
  • Coconut Flakes..................2 tbsp
  • Green Chilies Chopped.......2 tsp
  • Ginger Chopped................2 tsp
  • CurryLleaves ....................few
  • Asafoetida....................... 1/4 tsp
  
  

Method

• Soak the rice and urad dhal together for 3 hours and grind , add salt and keep for overnight. 
• Next day add green chilli, ginger, asafoetida and curry leaves and coconut pieces.  
• Heat oil in appakarai ( appam vessel) and pour the batter in each pit( kuzhi).  
• When it becomes red turn the other side. Remove when they are fully fried. 
• Eat hot and drink hot tea or coffee. 
• You can make these appams in non stick vessel and with left over idly/dosa batter.