Varalakshmi Vratham -Kalakandu Pongal

I hope every one celebrated varalakshmi vratham very well, me too BUT this year I  have celebrated Varalakshmi Vratham at Hyderabad only, I have not been to my mom's place for this pooja as I have to travel to my home town next week for my cousins wedding.  I really enjoyed this pooja at hyd. also, as many of my friends and neighbours came to my place to have Pasupu &;Bottu and have seen all of them in the latest collection of Saree's. It was fun and tradition filled evening. These are some of pics taken at my mom's place.............................. 

We make Prasadam on all Fridays of Sravana masam. Last week I have made kalakandu pongal as prasadam.......Here comes the recipe for this tasty pongal.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1cup Rice
• 3cups Milk 
• 2cups Water
• 21/2 cups of Sugar crystals/Kalakandu
• 2tbs. Ghee
• 1/2tsp. Cardamom powder
• A pinch of Edible camphor(optional)
• 10nos.Cashew nuts
• 2tsp.Raisins

Method:
Wash the rice, roast it in a tsp of ghee in a pressure cooker.
 Add milk and water and cook the rice for 4 to 5whistles( if cooking in a thick bottom pan cook till the rice is  very soft).
Once the pressure is released add powdered kalkandu/sugar crystal and cook on a very low flame until it becomes thick.
Add cardamom powder,edible camphor and fried cashew nuts and raisins, mix well.  yummy sweet rice is ready!!!!

Beetroot Sambar !!!

On one fine day My daughter asked me Mommy... can you  make beetroot sambar...........BEETROOT SAMBAR!!!! a big !mark on my face...................she said "yep.....I have tasted it at Aunt S:-) house and it really tasted yummy and the color is so radiant and I really want to have it". I have no other choice except to accept her demand,  so I called up my friend, first blasted her, if did not have any other veggie than beets to prepare sambar,  later after giving her my piece of advice not to experiment with rare combinations when my D:-) is at her place, finally took the recipe and whet to my kitchen........BUT, still I'm in a fix....Beetroot.....that too in a sambar, Oh my why cant my D ask for Beetroot halwa or  stir fry:-(   Finally ended up with Beetroot sambar...................



Look what!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! to my surprise My whole family fell in love with it...................it's just amazing, pls. don't think like me and leave this recipe.....give it a try and I'm sure it will be a frequent visitor in your menu.

Method:

• Take one cup toor dal/kandhi pappu,  add two cups water  and cook in the pressure cooker. Cook the dal til it's very soft. Mash the dal smooth with a ladle or muddhakum/wooden masher.

• Peel, cut the beets to thin and lengthy pieces.  1onion(sliced), 1tomato(diced).

• Soak berry size tamarind in the water and squeeze the extract and keep it aside.

• In a pot add cut beets, onion, tomato, salt, red chilli powder, 1/4tsp.turmeric powder and 1cup of water and cook till the beets are 3/4 done, then add 1tsp. sambapowder and tamarind extract and allow it to boil, reduce the flame to medium and boil it for another 5min., or til the beets are totally cooked.

• Now take a pan, add 2tsp. oil, once its hot add 1/4tsp. fenugreek seeds, 1/2tsp. of cumin and mustard each.  once the seeds start to pop, reduce the flame to medium, add curry leaves toss them and remove them for heat,  add this seasoning to the boiling sambar and boil it for a min., and remove it from flame. 

•  Garnish with few sprigs of finely chopped coriander leaves if you wish and serve with steamed rice. Add ghee while serving, it enhances it's taste. 

Baby Mangoes in Buttermilk brine

These brined baby mangoes/oora mamidikayalu are always treat to watch and fun to eat. These crunchy, salty sour mangoes served as side with curd rice in hot summer days is really a cool thing to have.  2 simple steps and the mangoes are ready to enjoy.................................

10 raw mangoes(not too baby mangoes, but can be the size of an egg), wash, pat them dry and slit the mango to 4parts and remove the tender seed. 

Take 4cups of sour buttermilk and add  3/4cup of salt in a glass or ceramic bowl, mix well. Once the salt is well mixed drop the cut mangoes and let them sit in the butter milk for a day or two.

Later remove them from the buttermilk and refrigerate them, can be used for a week.

 Instead of pickles serve these as side for curd rice....... kids love  eating these oora magidikayau/majjiga mamidikalyalu.