Karuveppilai Sevai / Rice Vermicelli Spiced with curry Leaves ~ Navarathri Recipe

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Serves: 4

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Ingredients:
Rice Sevai - 1 Packet or 1/2 packet is using Rice sticks
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Split urad dal - 2 tsp
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
Sesame oil - 2 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Enough water to boil the rice sticks

For the Powder / Podi:
Curry Leaves - 2 cups, packed
Urad dal - 1 cup
Channa dal - 1/4 cup
Dry red chilies - 10
Black pepper - 1 tsp
Tamarind - a small marble sized
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Sesame oil - 2 tsp

Method:

1. Wash curry leaves and squeeze the water out.  Salad spinner works best to remove excess water.
2. Place the leaves on a clean cloth and pat dry.  Spread the leaves to air dry.
3. Once dried completely, place it in a skillet and roast until crisp.  Keep it side.
4. In the same skillet add 2 tsp oil and add urad dal, channa dal, black pepper, red chillies and tamarind.
5. Roast until golden brown on a low flame.  Remove from heat and add asafoetida and mix well.  Let it cool completely.
6. In a blender, add red chillies  roasted curry leaves, tamarind and asafoetida.  Grind to a fine powder.
7. Then add the roasted dals and grind to a coarse powder.

How to make the Sevai / Rice sticks

1. Boil enough water for the sevai. Once boiled, switch off the stove. 
2. Place the sevai / rice sticks in the hot water and cover.  Let it stand for 5 minutes.  Don't keep it for more than 5 minutes, the rice sticks will become mushy.
3. Drain the cooked rice sticks.  
4. Heat 2 tsp of sesame oil in a skillet.  Splutter mustard seeds. Add urad dal and fry until golden brown.  Add asafoetida. Switch off the flame.
5. Add the drained rice sticks and enough salt just for the rice sticks.  Mix well.  Let it cool down for 2 minutes.
6. Now add the desired amount of curry leaves powder and mix well to coat.  It is best to use your hand to mix the rice sticks.  
7. Serve hot.

Coconut Rava Ladoo with Chia Seeds - Navarathri Recipe

Preparation time - 15 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Yield: 12 to 15

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Note: Adding chia seeds is totally optional,  but it is an excellent way to sneak in some extra nutrients. 

Ingredients:

Rava / Semolina - 1 cup

Freshly grated or frozen coconut - 1/2 cup

Sugar - 3/4 cup

Ghee / Clarified butter - 2 tbsp

Chia seeds - 1 tbsp

Cashews - 10

Raisins - 10

Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Saffron - few threads

Water - 1/2 cup

Method:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine rava, coconut and chia seeds..  Mix well and keep it aside for 15 minutes.
2. Add sugar and water in a sauce pan and bring it to a boil.  Simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Heat ghee in a skillet and fry the cashews and raisins on low flame.
4. Add the rava mixture and roast on low flame until aromatic.  
5. Add the saffron and cardamom powder.  Mix well.
6. Add the sugar syrup and mix until everything comes together.
7. Let it sit for 10 minutes.
8. While the mixture is still warm, form a golf sized ladoos / balls out of it.
9. Let it cool completely and store in a air tight container.
10. Consume within 5 days or refrigerate for a week.

Karamani / Black Eyed Peas Sundal - Navarathri Recipe

Preparation time: 10 minutes + 3 hours soaking time

Cook time: 20 minutes

Serves: 3

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Ingredients:
White Karamani / Black Eyed Peas - 1 cup
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad dal -1 tsp
Dry red chilies - 2, broken
Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Grated coconut - 1 tbsp
Curry leaves - few
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2 tsp

For the spice powder: 
Coriander seeds - 2 tbsp
Chana dal - 1 tbsp
Red chilies - 2
Black pepper - 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Method:

1. Wash and soak the black eyed peas in enough water for 3 hours.
2. After soaking,  pressure cook the peas with 2 cups of water (just enough to cover the peas) until soft, but not mushy (about 6 whistles).
3. Meanwhile, dry roast the ingredients for the spice powder until golden brown.  Let it cool and grind to a fine powder.
4. Drain the cooked peas.
5. Heat oil in a skillet.  Splutter mustard seeds.  Add urad dal and red chillies.  Fry until golden brown.
6. Add curry leaves and asafoetida.  Add the cooked peas, salt and turmeric powder.
7. Mix well and saute for 2 minutes.  Add 2 tsp of  ground spice powder and mix well.  
8. Saute for 30 seconds and add the grated coconut and mix well.  Remove from the heat.

Hayagreeva ~ Chana Dal Sweetend with Jaggery ~ Navarathri Recipies

Hayagreeva is a horse headed avatar of Vishnu and the God of knowledge and wisdom.  This popular Karnataka dish is offered as a Nivedhyam to lord Hayagreeva.
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Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4

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Ingredients:
Chana dal / Kadalai Paruppu - 1 cup
Powdered Jaggery - 1 cup
Dry or Fresh coconut (shredded or pieces) - 1/8 cup
Poppy seeds / Khus Khus - 1 tsp
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Cashew nuts - 5
Raisins - 2 tbsp
Ghee / Clarified butter - 2 to 3 tbsp
Water - 2 cups

Method:

1. Wash chana dal and pressure cook with 2 cups water until soft (about 5 whistles).
2. In the meanwhile.  dry roast poppy seeds in a skillet until it starts popping.
3. In the same skillet fry the cashews and raisins in 1 tbsp of ghee.  Keep it aside and wipe the skillet.
4. Once the dal is cooked, drain out the water.  Mash the dal slightly.
5. Place jaggery in the skillet and add 2 tbsp of the drained dal water.  Melt the jaggery and strain to remove impurities.
6. Place the jaggery syrup back in the skillet and add the coconut pieces.  Bring it to a boil.
7. Add the chana dal and 2 tbsp ghee cook for 5 minutes, stirring continuously.  
8. Add the remaining ghee and the fried cashews and raisins.  Mix well and switch off the flame.
9. Finally mix in the cardamom powder.

Sweet Rice Puttu with Jaggery - Navarathri Recipe

Happy Navarathri

Ingredients:
Rice flour / Puttu flour - 1 cup ( I used puttu flour,  Nirapara brand)
Jaggery - 1 cup
Fresh grated coconut - 2 TBSP
Cashew nuts - 5
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Ghee - 2 tsp
Water - 1/2 cup

Method:

1. Boil 1/2 cup water with salt and turmeric powder.  Let it cool.
2. Dry roast the rice flour until hot and slightly brown.
3. Sprinkle the turmeric water little by little to the rice flour and mix.  The right consistency is, you should be able to form balls with the flour and break to powder again.
4. Tie the flour mixture in a clean white cloth / towel and stem cook for 15 - 20 minutes.
5. Transfer the steamed flour mixture into a large plate and crumble the big pieces. You can sift the mixture, if it has lumps.
6. Place jaggery in a pan with little water and melt.  Strain to remove impurities.
7. Boil the jaggery water and make syrup.  Test the syrup for right consistency.  That is when you drop some jaggery syrup in cold water, you should be able to form a ball.
8. Remove from the heat.
9. Add the jaggery syrup little by little to the steamed flour with one hand and mix the flour with another hand using a spoon or spatula.  The syrup will be very hot, so be careful while mixing.
10. The puttu should be grainy and not like halwa.  
11. Heat ghee in a small skillet and roast the cashew pieces and grated coconut until brown.  
12. Add it to the puttu and mix well.

Verkadalai / Peanut Sundal ~ Navarathri Recipe

Ingredients:
Verkadalai / Dry Peanuts - 1 cup
Grated Coconut - 2 TBSP
Lemon Juice - 1 TBSP (optional)
Salt - to taste
For tempering:
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Red chillies - 2
Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 2 tsp
Few curry leaves
Spice powder: Dry roast until fragrant and grind to a fine powder
Coriander seeds - 2 tsp
Whole black pepper - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
White sesame seeds - 1 tsp

Method:

1. Soak the peanuts in enough water for 2 hours.
2. Drain and pressure cook with 1 cup of water and salt for 3 to 4 whistles.  Drain and keep it aside.
3. Heat oil in a skillet and add the mustard seeds. Let it splutter.
4. Add urad dal, red chillies, asafoetida and curry leaves.  Fry till golden brown.
5. Add the drained peanuts and mix well.  Add the ground spice powder and mix thoroughly.
6. Cook for a minute.  Adjust salt.
7. Add the grated coconut and mix well.
8. Mix in the lemon juice and serve.

Maladu - Roasted Moong Dal & Split Gram Flour Laddu for Navarathri

Ingredients:
Moong Dal Flour (store bought) - 1 cup
Roasted Split Gram dal / Pottukadalai / Dalia - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 to 1 1/4 cup
Ghee - 3 to 4 TBSP or little less than 1/4 cup
Cardamom Powder - 1 tsp

Method:

1. Take the roasted gram, and dry roast in a skillet on low-med heat.  For about 2 minutes.  Let it cool.
2. In a blender, grind the roasted gram / Pottukadalai / dalia to a fine powder.  Keep it aside.
3. In the same blender, place the sugar and make a fine powder.
4. In a skillet, on a low heat, roast moong dal flour until it gives a nice aroma.  Let it cool completely.
5. Sift both flours in a bowl.  
6. Add the powdered sugar and mix well.   Add 1 cup sugar first and if you think you need more sugar add the rest.  Mix in the cardamom powder.
7. Melt the ghee.
8. Slowly add the hot melted ghee to the flour mixture.  Mix well.
9. Once you are able to form a ball, stop pouring the ghee.  
10. Mix thoroughly and start making round balls.
11. If you find hard to form balls, sprinkle little bit milk (about 1 tsp) to the mixture.  
12. Store it in a airtight container.