Pudanlangai Thayir Pachadi | Potlakaya Perugu pachadi | Snake Gourd raita

Snake gourd /padwal(Marathi)/Potlakaaya (Telugu) /Padavalanga (Malayalam) / Padavalkkai (Kannada) .

Call it by any name it has a lot of nutritional value and is a powerhouse of nutrients. Snake gourd belongs to the summer squash family, mostly a summer produce ,it is available all round the year in India.

Rich in dietary fiber , vitamins A and C ,snake gourds help in digestion ,prevent bloating and constipation . Helps in detoxification of the body because of its diuretic properties. Due to water content present in the snake gourd it helps maintain body's hydration.

 Podalangai Thayir pachadi is a new addition to my kitchen and hence it is making it to the blog . 

Amma would make it frequently during summer, but over the years I had totally forgotten about this recipe . As a flash,this recipe occurred to me this morning when I was contemplating what to make with fresh and tender snake gourd that I had just bought. The snake gourds have to be tender. Overly ripe ones taste bitter and become hard and chewy . So while buying, make sure the snake gourd vine is easy to twist and tender to feel. If you find it hard or it easily cracks ,then don't buy that .

Podalangai thayir pachadi is very easy to make and gets done in no time . A tasty paste is made using fresh coconut, ginger,green chillies and curry leaves which is added to thick whipped yogurt and boiled snake gourd is mixed along with this followed by a tempering of mustard, dry red chillies and asafoetida. 

Podalangai thayir pachadi is also made during Amavasya, pithrupaksha and Shraadh cooking in a typical Tamil Brahmin household . Vishu and Onam Sadhyas also feature padavalanga kichadi as one of the Sadhya menu items.

Officially, though it is still winter/spring in India , we are already feeling the warmth in my part of the city. There is hardly any chillness felt and the afternoon sun is at its peak .

As always, with summer setting in; buttermilk,lassi,raita and yogurt based curries make a lot of appearance in my kitchen . Yogurt based curries are light on stomach and easy to digest as well .Most importantly it keeps the body cool during harsh summer and it maintains hydration. 

Some lipsmacking raitas in South Indian flavor 

• Sakkaravalli kizhangu pachadi (sweet potato raita)
• Inji Pachadi (Ginger raita)
• Vendakkai Thayir Kichadi (Lady's finger raita)
• Vellarikaai kichadi (Cucumber raita)
• Vellarikaai Inji pachadi (Cucumber Ginger raita)
• Daangar Pachadi (black gram flour raita)
• Thakali thayir pachadi (Tomato raita)

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Preparation Time - 5 mins

Cooking Time - 8 mins

Serves - 2 to 3 

Complexity - easy 

Ingredients 

1 medium vine snake gourd 

1.5 cups thick yogurt

2 tbsp coconut grated

1 green chilli (optional)

2 to 3 dried red chilli

Few curry leaves  

Small piece ginger 

Salt as needed 

1/2 tsp oil 

1/4 tsp mustard seeds 

1/4 tsp udad dhal /black gram 

Pinch of asafoetida 

Note - if you family tradition doesn't use green chilli for shraadh/Amavasya then replace with dry red chillies.

Method 

• Wash the snake gourd and slit it vertically . Deseed /remove the seeds and chop it into small cubes. 
• Boil half cup water with salt and cook the snake gourd until soft and tender . Drain the water .
• Grind the coconut, green or red chilli ,curry leaves,ginger to a fine paste .
• Beat the curd/yogurt to make it lump free and smooth.
• Mix the ground coconut paste ,whipped curd and boiled snake gourd . Adjust salt if needed.
• Prepare a tempering of mustard seeds , curry leaves ,udad dhall, red chilli,asafoetida and pour it over the raita and mix well. 

Payathangaai Poriyal / Karamani Thoran / Longyard beans stir fry (Vegan & Saatvik)

 Payathangaai , karamani , chowli or Long beans is a nutrient rich and powerhouse of natural fibre coupled with antioxidants and immune boosting properties. 

A green vegetable widely used in India in various forms makes it the most sought after vegetable . As the beans reach almost 2 to 3 feet in length they are known as long yard beans . These belong to the cow pea family popularly known as lobia ,chowli or karamani . 

The beans are thin ,long ,slender and very tender . They look very appealing to the eye when we see it and are stocked up as bundles since they are long .  Very easy to cook and it can blend in very easily with all sorts of seasonings and flavorings . Normally prepared as stir fries,  steamed and used in salads or mild vegetable stews .

It is good to incorporate the payathangaai in your day to day meals as it is rich in fibre and also potassium, magnesium, vitamins C and A .

A vegetable which is heart friendly due to potassium content and gut friendly due to fibre content.  The fibre content prevents constipation and the potassium present in the chowli helps to maintain the BP and in turn helps and protects the heart.

The magnesium, zinc ,vitamins C and A help in maintaining the over all cell growth in the body and helps in having a good metabolism due to the antioxidants present . 

The recipe that I am sharing today is a very simple yet flavorful curry/stir fry made using karamani and very popular in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.  This version is a no Onion No Garlic recipe but you may use finely chopped shallots for added flavor.  

In Kerala,  Onam Sadhya has payathangai thoran as one of the menu items and in Tamil homes ,this is made as a part of regular meals . Since it is a native bean like cluster beans and flat beans , karamani is widely used during Pithru Paksham (mahalaya Paksham) where we tend to consume only native vegetables. 

The recipe uses very little oil and just 2 tbsp of fresh coconut for seasoning, making it a very healthy and diet friendly preparation. 

Preparation Time  - 10 mins
Cooking Time - 10 mins
Complexity- easy 
Serves - 2 to 3 

Ingredients 

250 gms karamani/chowli/ long yard beans
2 tsp oil (coconut oil or any non flavored oil) 
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp udad dhall
Few curry leaves 
Pinch of asafoetida
Salt to taste 
To grind 
2 tbsp fresh coconut 
2 green chillies 
1/2 tsp jeera /cumin

Method

• Trim the top and end of the long beans and chop them finely.  Wash well and keep aside .
• Coarsely grind the coconut, green chillies and jeera in a blender . We will use this for flavoring the poriyal/thoran.
• In a thick bottomed pan,heat oil and splutter the mustard seeds, udad dhall until golden brown followed by curry leaves and asafoetida.  
• Add the chopped karamani, give a quick stir . Add the required amount of salt and add 1/4 cup water and cook covered for 7 to 8 min until the beans are cooked well and tender .There should be no water left in the pan .
• If at all you see some water is left,  cook uncovered for a few more minutes until the water evaporates .
• Now add the coconut mixture,  give a quick stir, cover the poriyal and turn off the stove.  Let the stir fry rest for a few minutes until all the flavors are absorbed well into the beans .
• Transfer to a serving bowl and serve it with a choice of sambar rice,  rasam rice etc . 

Some more healthy and tasty stir fries /poriyal that you may like 

• Cabbage peas poriyal 
• Beans carrot poriyal 
• Chou chou poriyal (chayote poriyal) 

Vendakka Kichadi (Pachadi) | Fried ladies finger (okra) in coconut yogurt sauce - Sadhya special

 Kichadi (Pachadi) is an integral part of a festive meal (Sadhya) in Kerala. Kerala style kichadi must not be confused with the North Indian Khichdi which is a rice based main course recipe. 

 Onam and Vishu Sadhya is incomplete without serving a kichadi . Kichadi also known as Pachadi in few regions of Kerala,is a yogurt based side dish often made from various vegetables like Okra/ladies finger ,ginger ,tomato, Cucumbers, ash gourd etc .

Kichadi pairs well with Sambar Rice and a coconut based vegetable stir fry . One can even make it as a part of day to day meal as well. Why wait for a special occasion to savor such a healthy delicacy ? 

Vendakkai Thayir Kichadi/Pachadi   is made from okra/ladies finger . Ladies finger is known as Vendakka or Vendakkai in Malayalam/ Tamil.

Chopped ladies finger is shallow fried in coconut oil and then added to the coconut chilli paste mixed in yogurt. The yogurt must not be spur, else it will ruin the taste of the kichadi /pachadi.

Some recipes call for cooking the coconut chilli paste + yogurt ,but in this recipe I am not cooking the yogurt mixture . I am going to just add the fried Okra to the yogurt mix along with the tempering. 

Some popular kichadi /pachadi served as part of Sadhya 

Inji (Ginger) Thayir  Kichadi 

Thakali (Tomato) Kichadi 

Vellarikai Inji (Cucumber Ginger )Thayir 

Vellarikai (Cucumber) kichadi

This month in our SHHH Secretly Cooking Challenge food group,we are celebrating Sadhya special hosted by me . My fellow bloggers have come up with amazing and authentic Kerala Sadhya recipes . My partner for this month ,Radha Rajagopalan has dished out the traditional Ada Pradhaman ,which is a classic dessert from Kerala. Do check out her recipe for Ada Pradhaman without fail .  

To know more about the dishes served in a typical Sadhya for Onam / Vishu, check out the list soon after the recipe of Vendakkai Kichadi. I am giving you a complete list of authentic recipes.

Preparation Time - 10mins
Cooking Time- 5 mins
Complexity - simple
Serves - 2 to 3 

Ingredients

1/4 cup fresh grated coconut 
2 green chillies
1/2 tsp jeera/cumin
8 to 10 tender ladies finger/okra/vendakkai
200ml  thick yogurt/dahi/thayir
Salt as needed
2 tsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 dry red chilli
Few curry leaves 

Method

• Wash and dry the ladies finger. Cut into medium sized roundels. 
• Whisk the yogurt well and make it lump free and smooth. 
• Grind the green chillies, coconut,jeera with 1tbsp yogurt and some water  into a smooth paste.
• Add this paste to the yogurt and mix it well with adequate salt.
• In a frying pan,heat 1tsp of coconut oil and roast the ladies finger until it crispy  ,add a little salt to the roasted ladies finger in the end .
• Prepare a tempering of mustard seeds,red chilli and curry leaves in the remaining coconut oil .
• Add the roasted ladies finger ,tempering to the yogurt mixture and mix it well .Delicious and tasty vendakkai kichadi is ready to be served .

Sadhya recipes on the blog. Click on the individual items below to get detailed recipe

• Erissery
• Kootu Curry
• Puli inji 
• Avial 
• Kaalan
• Pulissery
• Maanga Curry (cut mango pickle)
• Cabbage thoran (coconut based curry)
• Beans carrot thoran / Beetroot thoran
• Mambazha Pachadi
• Vellarikaai Pachadi
• Inji Thayir
• Sambar 
• Rasam
• Aval payasam
• Paal payasam
• Chakka Pradhaman (Jackfruit kheer)
• Sambaram / Mor (Buttermilk)
• Nendran Chips
• pappadam , pickle,curd etc

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Chakka Pradhaman using Chakkavaratti - Sadhya Special

 Onam is the harvest festival of Kerala and also the day to comomerate and celebrate Vamana and King Mahabali .Whole of Kerala and Malayalees world over celebrate the day with a lot of joy and happiness. Onam is a ten day festival and as per gregorian Calender falls anyday between August - September which coincides with the  Chingam Month as per Malayalam Alamanac on the star of Thiruvonam or Sravanam which is the 22nd star or Nakshatra.

Mahabali was a very generous and powerful king who ruled Kerala and there was abundant prosperity and happiness during his reign. It is believed that on this day King Mahabali or Maaveli visits the land of Kerala and rejoices with the people of the land . To welcome the King ,an elaborate rangoli or kolam using flowers is decorated at every home , a lavish spread known as Sadhya is prepared and the annual boat race is held by the State .

ONAM is the annual state festival of Kerala.

I have already posted almost all recipes prepared for a Sadhya on my blog .I will post the link below which can be used as a ready recokner. 

Today we shall see a very traditional and authentic sweet chakka Pradhaman made using Jackfruit Jam known as Chakka Varatti . I have already posted how to make chakka varatti during jackfruit season .

This paysam is really easy to make if we have the chakka varatti ready on hand . The other  version to make Chakka Pradhaman from scratch can be found here. 

Without further delay,let me get to the recipe quickly .

Preparation Time - 10 mins
Cooking Time - 15 mins
Complexity - simple
Serves - 2 to 3

Ingredients 

1/2 cup chakka varatti / jackfruit jam
3/4 cup grated coconut 
3 tbsp jaggery 
1/2 cup thick coconut milk 
2 tbsp finely chopped coconut bits 
2 tsp ghee 

Method

• Blend the chakka varatti, grated coconut and jaggery with 1/4 cup water to a very fine paste .
• In a heavy pan ,heat the ghee and fry the coconut bits until they turn crisp and brown.
• Pour the blended paste to this fried coconut and bring it to a quick boil .
• Add the thick coconut milk in the end ,mix well and turn off the stove .Donot try to over cook or boil the Pradhaman after adding the coconut milk ..the Pradhaman will curdle .the heat is enough to cook the coconut milk and take away the raw smell.
• Delicious chakka Pradhaman is ready. 

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Sadhya recipes on the blog. Click on the individual items below to get detailed recipe

• Erissery
• Kootu Curry
• Puli inji 
• Avial 
• Kaalan
• Pulissery
• Cabbage thoran (coconut based curry)
• Beans carrot thoran
• Mambazha Pachadi
• Vellarikaai Pachadi
• Inji Thayir
• Sambar 
• Rasam
• Aval payasam
• Paal payasam
• Sambaram / Mor 
• Nendran Chips
• pappadam , pickle,curd etc

Chakkavaratti | Chakkavaratiyadhu - Jackfruit Preserve

 Jackfruits are still available in plenty in most places in India and will surely be available for a few weeks more . If you are done with your quota of eating fresh , ripe and juicy jackfruits then I suggest you must make this delicious jackfruit jam /preserve a delicacy from Kerala known as Chakka Varatti or Chakka Varatiyadhu. 

Chakkai in Malayalam means Jackfruit and Varatiyadhu means reduction /simmering process .So basically we make a tasty relish or jam like preserve from jackfruit pulp and jaggery to relish all year long when fresh jackfruits aren't available. 

You can also use fresh ripe jackfruit to make delicious Chakka Pradhaman (Jackfruit Payasam) and Chakka Unniappams . (Fritters) 

I learnt this recipe from Chandra Muthukrishnan aunty, who is an expert in making traditional and complex dishes in a breeze .She guided me  over whatasapp while I was making this and gave a final approval when I shared the video of the finished product . 

Traditionally in olden times, making chakka varatti was a long drawn process and the ladies of the house had to toil a lot to prepare since modern day gadgets like gas stoves, food processors or pressure cookers were not available. 

The jackfruit pods had to be boiled over wooden or charcoal stoves and then using grinding stone the pulp had to me made and then further cooked in huge bronze vessel called Uruli with jaggery and  ghee for hours together to get the perfect taste and texture . Now making chakka varatti is a lot easier and we can prepare it effortlessly at the comfort of our homes .

Preparation Time -20 mins
Cooking Time - 35 to 45 mins
Complexity - complex 

Ingredients 

14 to 16 ripe jackfruit pods 
jaggery powder  (same measure as jackfruit pulp) 
2tsp of cardamom powder 
ghee as needed 

Method 

• Deseed the jackfruit pods and pressure cook it with 1/4 cup water for 2 whistles on medium flame .
• Let the pressure release naturally, strain the excess water and let the jackfruit cool down .
• Blend the cooked jackfruit into a smooth pulpy puree in your blender.
• Measure the pureed jackfruit and take the same quantity of  jaggery powder ..eg if you get 1 cup of puree, using the same cup measure 1 cup of powdered jaggery and 1/2 cup ghee .

• Melt the jaggery in 1/4 cup water and strain it for impurities. 
• In a heavy bottomed pan ,heat the strained jaggery syrup and let it come to a nice bubbling boil .
• At this stage add the jackfruit pulp and mix it nicely till the jaggery and pulp blend in well.
• Keep stirring on low flame and you can see the mixture begins to cook and starts giving out a good aroma . 
• The key is in stirring without a break as there is a chance of the mixture getting burnt easily . 
• The mixture begins to thicken and reduces in quantity after 10 mins,at this stage add some 3 to 4 tbsp of ghee and mix well . The entire ghee gets absorbed by the mixture and you can see a nice glossy look.
• After some time you can see that the entire jam looks glossy and begins to leave the sides of the pan easily and resembles the texture of a jam .
• Now add the balance ghee ,cardamom powder and continue to cook for sometime. When you drop a blob of the chakka varatti using the ladle, it should slide off and fall down easily . This is the correct texture .turn off the stove at this stage and let it cool . The  jam will slightly thicken more after cooling. Donot worry about that. Once cooled, transfer the chakka varatti to a dry container using a dry spoon and refrigerate it. (Check the video below for the consistency)

Note

To have a prolonged shelf life ,never thaw the entire preserve for a long time.  Take out the desired quantity and put it back into the refrigerator.  This way the chakka varatti stays for almost 1 year .

Chakkapazha Nei appam using rice flour (Unni appam) - Jackfruit Rice Fritters

 As much as mango is crowned as the King of Fruits and relished in summer ,ripe jackfruit is also enjoyed by many in India and world over during summer . Jackfruit is a delicious tropical fruit which can be enjoyed when ripe as well as raw .

Raw Jackfruit (kathal / कटहल) is used widely in North India as a meat substitute in Biryanis,Pulaos and curries while in south India especially in Kerala, raw jackfruit is used in the making of Jackfruit chips , stir fries and papads. Ripe jackfruit is used in various recipes in the Konkani /Manglorean cuisine as well. 

 

Chakka Pradhaman is a very delicious and tasty kheer or paysam prepared in Kerala from ripe jackfruit  and coconut milk.

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Today ,I will be sharing another tasty and traditional recipe from Kerala called as Unniappam or Neiappam with the flavor of ripe jackfruit. 

Unniappam or nei appam is prepared from rice flour and jaggery batter and fried using either ghee , oil or a mix of ghee + oil . To make a vegan version we can skip the ghee and the rest of the recipe remains the same .

The batter is fried in a special cooking apparatus called as Paniyaram pan or Appa kaaral . Aebelskeiwer pan can be used too for this recipe .

For this recipe, we can either soak the rice for few hours in water and grind into a fine paste and use or ready made rice flour also works fine .In today's recipe, I have used ready made rice flour and I was very very happy with the result 

The appams were soft and spongy . Shelf life of these appams in normal room temperature is 2 days while it can stay long under refrigeration. 

Preparation Time - 10 mins
Resting Time - 1 hr
Cooking Time - 5 to 6 mins
Complexity - easy 

Ingredients 
1/2 cup rice flour
1/2 cup grated jaggery
4 to 5 pods of ripe jackfruit 
1/2 tsp cardamom powder 
Ghee and oil for frying  (use only oil for Vegan )

Method 

Preparing the Unniyappam / Nei appam batter 

• Deseed the pods of the ripe jackfruit and remove the seeds . Chop it roughly into small pieces. Makes it easier to grind .
• Dissolve the jaggery in 1/4 cup water and filter it to remove if there are any impurities..I use organic jaggery which is very clean hence I skipped this step .
• Blend the jackfruit and jaggery in a blender to form a nice smooth puree.No need to add water while grinding. 
• Remove this pulp in a wide mixing bowl,add the rice flour and whisk it to form a lump free batter . If you feel the batter is too thick to whisk add a few tsp of water and whisk . 
• Add the cardamom powder and mix it well..rest the batter for an hour in a warm place.  Donot  rest the batter for more than 2 or 3 hrs. In case you are unable to make it within 2 or 3 hours refrigerate the batter immediately. 

How to make the unniyappam / nei appam?

• Heat the paniyaram pan on the stove and fill in each cavity with 1/2 tsp ghee and 1/2 tsp cooking oil or use 1 tsp ghee or 1 tsp cooking oil as per your preference. 
• Once the oil is heated, fill in 3/4th of the cavity with the appam batter and let it cook on slow flame .
• Once the top portion is cooked ,it will appear dry and the appams can be flipped over easily. Carefully flip it over and cook until the other side also turns crispy and golden brown. 
• Remove the appams from the paniyaram pan one by one . Refill the cavity with the oil or ghee and repeat the same steps until all the batter is used up .
• Store it a dry container.  Donot close the lid when the appams are hot ,they will become soggy . Let it cool down completely before closing the lid. 

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Vellarikaai (cucumber ) Pachadi | Vellarikaai Kichadi (Kerala Sadhya Menu)

 Vellarikaai means cucumber in Tamil and Malayalam.  Any Tamil or Kerala festive spread is incomplete without this delicious and lipsmacking Vellarikaai Pachadi . Vellarikai pachadi is also known as Kichadi in many households .

This Kichadi shouldn't be confused with the North Indian Kichdi which is a rice + dal based preparation.  

In Tamil / Malayalam pachadi or kichadi is the term used to refer to raita and is totally different from the North Indian style raita . Coconut chilli paste is mixed with thick whisked yogurt /dahi and added to the chopped cucumbers .

Bring summer ,cucumbers if included in our regular menu is very beneficial as it cools down the body apt to the idiom "as cool as cucumber". 

This pachadi is really very easy to make and can be paired with the regular menu . Vellarikai pachadi was part of our Sunday lunch which had Aloo Capsicum Sambar , Tomato Rasam , Brinjal Curry and some papads .

On a hot summer night ,I love to have this pachadi with hot fulkas .It is indeed filling and also light on the stomach and Sasmita's cucumber mint lassi will be an icing on the cake to end the day's meal.

Preparation Time - 10 mins
Cooking Time - 3 mins
Complexity - simple
Serves - 2 to 3 

Ingredients 
1 medium size cucumber 
2 cups thick yogurt /dahi
1/4 cup grated coconut 
1 green chilli 
1/2 tsp jeera 
Small piece ginger (skip for jain variant)
Salt to taste 
1/2 tsp oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds 
Pinch of asafoetida 

Method 

• Grind the coconut, green chilli,jeera,ginger to a fine paste using little water .
• Chop the cucumber into medium sized cubes and cook it with salt and little water until the cucumbers turn soft and the water is all absorbed. Let it cool down.
• Whisk the curd until it is thick and creamy. 
• Add the ground coconut paste to the yogurt  along with the cooked cucumber and mix it . Add salt if required. 
• Prepare a tempering using mustard seeds and asafoetida.  Pour it over the raita and enjoy with your meal. 

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Inji Thayir Pachadi | Ginger yogurt dip | Adraki Raita

 Inji Thayir Pachadi also known as Inji thayir is frequently made in a Tambrahm home and also a part of Sadhya menu in Kerala .  Whenever there is an elaborate festive  spread ,then inji thayir will definitely be a part of the menu.

Thick yogurt /curd is whipped well and to this is added a finely ground paste of ginger,coconut, green chillies and curry leaves  along with salt and tempered with mustard .

Puli Inji is a lipsmacking dip from Kerala cuisine and Inji Karvepillai Thogayal (ginger curry leaves chutney)from Tamil Nadu  compliment the quint essential thayir saadham ( curd rice )  especially during hot summers

Ginger - the Magic Spice

Ginger is widely used in India and world over across cuisines.  We can see that ginger will be a mandatory ingredient as part of cooking be it vegetarian or meat based recipes.  The reason for the wide spread use of ginger /adrak/inji is the refreshing strong flavor and the immense medicinal value it exhibits.

 Ginger is a wonder herb which aids in digestion,  relieves mild colic pain ,immunity booster and aids in improving metabolism. Ginger is also anti inflammatory ,eases cough and cold .Ginger also plays a very major role in Ayurveda .

In North Indian cuisine ginger is used in various types of gravies ,dhalls, sabjis , biryanis and pulao in combination with garlic while in south indian cooking, we use it in chutneys,  thogayals, pachadi a.k.a raita variety.

Ginger Tea flavored with cardamom is a very popular and refreshing drink in India and we all love to sip on it regularly.  

Preparation Time - 5 mins

Cooking Time - nil

Complexity  - easy 

Serves - 2 to 3 

Ingredients 

1/2 cup fresh grated coconut 

2 medium green chillies 

1/4 inch of fresh ginger 

Few curry leaves 

Salt to taste

2 cups thick yogurt/dahi/curd 

1 tsp oil 

Few mustard seeds 

Few udad dhall 

1 dry red chilli 

Method 

• Whip the curd in a mixing bowl and keep ready.
• In a blender grind the coconut ,green chillies, ginger and curry leaves to a fine paste with little water.
• Add this paste to the whipped curd and mix well by adding required amount of salt. 
• Prepare a tempering of mustard seeds , udad dhall,  red chillies and curry leaves in hot oil . Once this seasoning cools down ,pour it over the curd .  If you pour hot tempering over the curd,there is a tendency for the curd to get sour if you are not going to eat immediately. 
• Serve this flavorful and delicious inji thayir with your regular meal or even with a spicy biryani or pulao too.

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Payatham Paruppu Payasam (Parippu Pradhaman) | Moong dhall kheer - Mahalaya / Amavasaya Special

Payatham paruppu payasam is a very simple but tasty kheer or paysam made using moong dhall specially during Amavasya .In my home,this payasam is made only during the days when we offer obeisance to Pithrus.   

This payasam is also known as Parippu Pradhaman made in Kerala for Onam or Vishu Sadhyas . In Kerala style a pinch of cumin powder and dry ginger powder is added to this Pradhaman.

In Hindu Tradition,  Amavasya(New Moon Day) / Amavasai / Amavaas(अमावस्या) is considered very important day to pay obeisance to all the departed souls in the family.  The forefathers are called  as "Pithrus" and the oblation ritual is called "Shraadh/ Tharpanam" . There is a mild difference in the way the shraadh is offered in North and South  India . When I say difference, the difference is in terms of the Prasad offered and also the way the ritual is performed.  In my post ,I will quickly describe the way Tharpanam is done in a typical South Indian Brahmin household .

Black sesame seeds (karuppu ellu ) and water are offered as oblation to the forefathers.  The oblation is offered to Father ,grandfather, great grandfather likewise ,mother,grandmother and great grandmother.  The oblation dates back to 3 generations .  Devout and traditional Brahmins perform this Amavasya Tharapanam every month all round the year .

If one is unable to do it every month ,there is a rule that he must perform the shraadh atleast  on Mahalaya Amavasya, during the Mahalaya Paksha / Pithru Paksha which is a period of 15 days starting from Full Moon to New Moon . This special fortnight falls in the month of September- October and generally corresponds to the Tamil Month of Purataasi.  This year in 2021 Mahalaya Paksham has started on 21 /9/2021. 

Mahalaya Amavasya also known as Sarva Pithru Amavasya will be observed on 06/10/2021.

An elaborate meal which is very satvik in nature (sans Onion and Garlic)  using basic native  vegetables will be prepared and offered to the fore fathers .

Moong Dhall / Split yellow lentils are used while cooking a Shraadh meal and native vegetables like cucumber ,arbi(taro root) , snake gourd (podalangai /padwal) , raw banana (vazhakkai),cluster beans(kothavarangai/gawar) , broad beans (avarekkai/paapdi) , bitter gourd (karela/pavakkai) , ginger ,curry leaves ,coconut are used . Jaggery is used for making sweets and not sugar.  The Amavasya meal is more or less  standard in every household with some minute changes here and there . Jeera/cumin,Pepper and dry red chillies are the only spices which are used .Turmeric is avoided in most homes but some families use fresh root turmeric and not turmeric powder. Mustard seeds and Udad dhall are used for seasoning along with asafoetida.

On other special occasions we prepare different  payasams or kheer . It is customary to prepare Medhu Vada and Moong dhall paysam along with Vazhakkai (Raw Banana) Curry  on every Amavasya even if one is unable to prepare an elaborate spread.

Preparation Time - 20 mins
Cooking Time - 10 mins
Complexity - simple 
Serves - 2 to 3 

Ingredients 

1/2 cup moong dhall/payatham paruppu 

1/2 cup powdered jaggery .

5 to 6 tablespoons grated coconut 

1-2 pods elaichi /cardamom 

1 tsp ghee (skip if vegan) 

**you can increase the quantity of jaggery depending on the level of sweetness you like .

Method 

• Grind the coconut and cardamom with some water to a fine paste and keep aside .
• Wash the moong dhall and pressure cook with sufficient water for 3 to 4 whistles or until mushy.  Release the pressure and mash it well with a ladle .
• In a thick heavy bottomed vessel ,melt the jaggery with 1/2 cup water . If you see any impurities , filter it through the sieve .
• To this melted jaggery add the coconut paste ,1/2 cup water and cook until the raw flavor of coconut is lost . Keep stirring as the coconut has the tendency to stick to the bottom .
• Now add the boiled and mashed moong dhall to the above and mix it well . The dhall should blend well with the jaggery coconut decoction. 
• Continue cooking on medium flame with occasional stirring until it comes to a rolling boil.
• Turn off the stove and add the ghee ,cumin powder and ginger powder if using  . Delicious paasi paruppu /hessaru bele payasam is ready .
• You can fry cashewnuts and coconut slivers in ghee and add it to the payasam .

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Mambazha Pachadi | Sweet Mango Relish - Vegan Sadhya special

 Pon Onam is round the corner and enjoying a lavish spread of Sadhya is just inevitable. Those of you who know me and follow my blog , are definitely aware of my love for Kerala cuisine and how much I love preparing it as a part of my daily cooking.  This  year Onam is on Saturday the 21st August 2021. Being a weekend it is the best time to cook and enjoy the elaborate spread with Family . 

Wishing all my readers a very Happy Onam and a blessed time with family and friends.

Mambazha Pachadi is spicy ,tangy delicacy made using ripe mangoes. You can use any ripe mango that is sweet. Try to avoid mangoes that are still unripe or have a sour taste as it will spoil the taste of the complete recipe.

Mambazha pachadi compliments a simple molagootal or velarikkai kootu very well . You can also mix it with hot rice and savor it with papads or even enjoy with some nice hot chapathis .

This year with Onam falling in August, it is still possible to get hold of some ripe mangoes as the markets are having their last lot of fresh,sweet mangoes. I have preserved one mango from the last batch to make this delicious mambazha Pachadi for Onam .

In case you are unable to have access to fresh ripe mangoes you may replace it with red pumpkin/parangikkai / mathhan . When red pumpkin is used this recipe is called as Mathan Pachadi or Aanai Pachadi. 

 [Sadhya recipes on the blog. Click on the individual items below to get detailed recipe]

• Erissery
• Kootu Curry
• Puli inji 
• Avial 
• Kaalan
• Pulissery
• Cabbage thoran (coconut based curry)
• Beans carrot thoran
• Sambar 
• Rasam
• Aval payasam
• Paal payasam
• Sambaram / Mor 
• Nendran Chips
• pappadam , pickle,curd etc

Preparation Time - 10 mins

Cooking Time - 20 mins

Complexity - simple 

Serves - 2 to 3 

Ingredients 

1-2 medium sized ripe mango 

1/2 cup fresh coconut grated 

1/4 tsp mustard seeds 

2 green chillies 

1/4 tsp jeera 

2 dry red chillies 

1/4 tsp red chilli powder 

1/4 tsp haldi powder

2 tbsp coconut oil

1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds/methi 

Few curry leaves 

Method 

• Grind the fresh coconut, green chilli, mustard seeds and jeera to a fine paste by adding required amount of water .
• Peel the mango and cut them into medium sized chunks and boil it with salt, haldi powder and red chilli powder until it turns soft . Mash it lightly ,it must be pulpy at the same time the chunks must be visible.
• Add in the ground paste , some water and bring it to a rolling boil until the raw flavor of coconut is lost.  Do it on medium flame and stir occasionally to avoid burning .After adding coconut paste there is a tendency for the gravy to stick to the bottom of the vessel and get charred . Adjust salt if needed.
• You may add a spoon of jaggery powder at this stage and get it off the stove.
• Heat the coconut oil ,temper it with mustard seeds,fenugreek ,fresh curry leaves and red chillies . Pour this tempering over the mambazha pachadi and mix well before serving .

Tips 

You may also add a tbsp of thick tamarind paste while simmering the gravy .this gives a nice tangy flavor to the pachadi .

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