Ulundhu Vadai!!

Wishing you all a very happy and blessed Navaratri!

"Navaratri" literally means nine nights. We invoke Goddess Durga also known as "Shakthi (Power)", on all these nine days to remove the miseries from our life. For the first 3 days we worship Goddess Durga, next 3 days Goddess Lakshmi and the last 3 days Saraswati. Today is Saraswathi Pooja.

I prepared Ulundhu Vadai (Ulundhu - Urad dhal) and Godhumai Rawa Payasam.

Ulundhu Vadai
Urad dhal - 1 cup
Toor dhal - 1tsp
Green chillies - 2
Red chillies - 3
A pinch of asafoetida
Salt to taste
1 sprig of Curry leaves

Method:
1) Soak urad dhal in sufficient amt of water for 2 hrs. Grind this to thick and fine consistency by adding little water. Refrigerate the mixture for 20mins. TIP: If you add more water by mistake, add 4-5 tsps of rawa and leave it to sit for 20 mins, then you can get the shape.
2) Grind green and red chillies seperately and mix this with urad dhal mixture.
3) To the mixture add a pinch of asafoetida, few leaves and salt to taste.
4) On a plastic paper (I use Ziploc) place a lemon sized ball of the mixture, make it flat with your fingers and make a hole in the center. Its better to wet your fingers with little water each time when you do this.

5) Deep fry in oil until golden brown.

Vadai Ready!

Godhumai Rawa Payasam!

Godhumai Rawa Payasam:

Wheat Rawa - 1 cup
Water - 2 cups
Milk - 1cup
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Elaichi powder - a pinch
Sugar to taste
Cashews and raisins

Method:
1) Roast the rawa in a pan for 3 mins without oil.
2) Pressure cook (4-5 whistles) the rawa by adding 2 cups of water.
3) Smash the rawa, add sugar, elaichi and hot milk. Mix well
4) Roast the cashews and raisins in ghee, add to the payasam.

Quick Rasam or Gottu Rasam

Almost one hour left for our lunch time, yet to cook. When I browsed through my fridge, to my surprise I could not find even a single veggie except for one tomato :)  Gottu rasam came to my rescue. Also found few potatoes. Gottu rasam and potato curry is one of the South Indian's favorite combination. My mom used to prepare this rasam and சுட்ட அப்பளம் whenever we are back from a tiresome journey. During those times, this rasam would taste like Heaven! 

Preparation Time: 12 mins

Ingredients:

- 1 medium sized tomato (grind it)                       

- 2 green chillies

- 2tsp Toor dhal

- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder

- 1tsp Rasam powder

- 1tsp Sambar powder

- 1tsp heaped tamarind paste

- a small piece of hing or 1tsp of asafoetida                               

- salt to taste

Seasoning

- 1tsp ghee

-1/2 tsp mustard seeds

- coriander leaves

Method

  I prepared this rasam in our traditional "Eeya Chombhu (ஈய சொம்பு)". Heard from my mom that it adds an extra taste to the rasam and also in a way good for our health.

- Add all the ingredients to this pot and add one cup of water. If cooking in ஈய சொம்பு, ensure that there is enough water and keep it in low flame, else the pot will melt. 

- Let this boil for 10-12 mins until the raw smell goes off

- Now add the reqd qty of water to the rasam and switch off the flame when a layer of froth forms on the top, do not boil. Garnish with coriander leaves.

- In a frying pan add 1tsp of ghee and add mustard seeds. Once the seeds splutter, add to the rasam.

 Rasam ready!!