Rama Navami is a celebration of the birth of Rama, an avatar of Vishnu and a popular king who ruled Ayodhya. The seventh avatar of Vishnu taught human race about respect, value, love, responsibility, peace, valour, friendship, truth and honesty. In spite of all the challenges he faced being born a man, Rama was a model human being.

In the Indian tradition prasadham (food offerings), for each celebration is very distinct. On Rama Navami,
panakam, neer mor and cucumber kosmalli is offered as prasadham. It got me thinking as to why we offered panakam, need mor and cucumber kosmalli as offerings. Is it because Rama liked them according to myth or is there more to it.

Here are a few reasons that  was gathered from learned people:

Firstly, Rama was born in the month of Chitrai ( Summer) on Navami thithi (the 9th day from new moon) and Punarvasu Nakshatra (star). The weather in India is expected to be very hot during that period. Hence the best type of food offering in that climate is something liquidy, cooling and hydrating. Why panakam and neer mor in particular? Because panakam and neer mor have sugars and salts that act as electrolytes.

Secondly, Panakam is a sweet drink made with jaggery. Jaggery dissolving in water is symbolic of problems melting away from our lives.

An alternative explanation is that Panakam reduces body heat and balances pitta (a dosha in ayurveda) of the body. When pitta is imbalanced, it cause irritation and anger in people. Neer mor and cucumber kosmalli cool the body and aid digestion, provide protein and fiber for the people who fast all day long during Ramanavami. Since Rama was the personification of calmness, the food offering was intended on establishing calmness and hence help in developing Rama-like qualities.

Panakam: 

Makes 2 cups

Gadgets:
Measuring cup and Measuring Spoons
Bowl
Kettle

Ingredients:

Water - 2 cup
Jaggery - 1 cube ( achuvellam)
Cardamon - 2 pod powdered
Dry Ginger Powder - a pinch or two
Lemon powder - a few drops
Cloves - a few

Preparation:

1. Place one cube jaggery in a bowl and add cloves, elachi powder and ginger powder. Pour hot water and allow the jaggery to melt. Add 1 cup cold water and a dash of lemon juice. Mix and serve as prasadham.



Neer Mor/ Buttermilk:

Serves Two

Gadgets:

Ladle
Measuring Cup and Spoons
Bowl

Ingredients:

Curds/ Yogurt  - 1/2 cup 
Asafoetida Powder - 1/8 tsp
Salt
Water - 1 1/2 cups
Ginger - 1/4 tsp grated

Green Chili - 1 finely minced ( optional)

Preparation:

1. In a bowl add the ripped curry leaves, salt, asafetida , ginger, chili's and roughly mix it with a ladle. Add yogurt and give it a good mix. Add water and mix well. Serve as prasadham.

Cucumber Kosmalli / Cucumber Salad:
Makes a cup
Gadgets:
Cutting Board
Knife
Bowl
Measuring Cup and Spoon
Seasoning Wok

Ingredients:
Persian Cucumber - 1
Moong Dal - 1/4 cup
Green Chilies - 1
Ginger - 1/4 freshly grated
Coconut - 1 tbsp grated
Oil - 1 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida Powder - a pinch
Cilantro - 1 tbsp minced
Water - 1 cup
Lemon juice - a dash

Preparation:

1. Soak the moong dal in water for 20 minutes. Drain the water and add to the bowl.

2. Heat the seasoning wok with oil. Add asafoetida, mustard seeds and green chilies. Allow the mustard seeds to pop before adding to the bowl over the dal.

3. Cut the cucumber into small cubes. Mix it with dal. Garnish with cilantro and a dash of lemon.

Bread baking has been a great challenge for me. Over the years I have baked many types of bread and I have never been satisfied with the end product. It is kind of frustrating when the bread does not turn out the way one anticipates, soft and fluffy on the inside but holds its form on the outside. I have tried the bread making machine thinking that it would do magic and it had never delivered. Maybe because I had my expectations set very high after tasting the home made bread that our friend Frida and Hakan in San Diego used to bake. 

When I was asked my new years resolution this year, I quickly said "learn to bake a good loaf of bread". It was not my intention to think of bread on new years eve. My brother-in-law Shaker and I tried to bake the 5 minutes bread for new years and ended up baking a dense and rock like bread which totally disappointed me. To stand up to my resolution after almost 3 months I ventured into baking bread.

The house had the heavenly aroma of an Indian bakery and it was a torture to wait forever to taste a slice of the bread. Verdict time came after a long 2 hours but it was worth all the wait. With one bite I was told that it was the best bread that I had baked and that it was so delicious and moist. I am so delighted with the end result for myself. Here is the recipe for the awesome bread which was adapted from Swami Dhayananda Saraswathi's Arsha Vidya Gurulam's recipe book.

Gadgets:

Bowl
Saucepan
Spatula
Measuring Cups and Spoons
Oven
Loaf Pan ( I used the disposable kind)

Ingredients:

All Purpose Flour - 1 1/2 cups
Milk 2 % - 1/2 cup
Water - 1/2 cup
Yeast - 2 1/4 tsp
Sugar - 1 1/2 Tbsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Butter - 1 tbsp
Red Onion - 1/2 finely chopped
Cilantro - a handful finely chopped

For Bread Topping:

Sea Salt - 1/2 tsp
Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Freshly Cracked Pepper - 1/2 tsp

Preparation:

1. In a saucepan scald ( boil) the milk while constantly stirring. Remove from heat and add sugar, salt and butter, mix well and allow for the sugar and salt to dissolve and butter to melt.

2. Transfer to a bowl.Add 1/2 cup of water and get the temperature to luke warm and then add the yeast. Allow for the yeast to froth. Add the onions and cilantro and give it a good mix.

3. Add the flour and mix well with the liquid.

4.You will get a very sticky dough. Allow for the dough to rest for 45 minutes covered in a warm place. Allow for the dough to double.After 45 minutes mix the dough well and transfer it into a buttered loaf pan.

5. Sprinkle sugar, salt and cracked pepper and bake in a 350 degree F for 1 hour.

6.Once baked allow to rest for a few minutes if you can and enjoy this bread with butter.

For years we have been preparing food and consuming just based on taste, nutrition or tradition. Sambar Sadham is very common in the south of India. They prepare this lentil soup with veggies and serve it with rice, idli, dosai or something rice based. It is also the first course in any traditional meal or celebration. Everyday it is prepared and consumed in most households in the south. There are many varieties of sambar, but what I mostly enjoy is the sambar sadham.

The recipe posted here comes highly recommended by my sister. Not only has it won the best dish at potluck, but we all know if you have your name attached to any kind of food that is prepared, it must be something special. Here is a recipe of the sambar sadham that we had for dinner which is popularly known in Troy, MI as Mala's Sambar Sadham. I have followed the recipe to the tee and it is absolutely delicious. We had such an enjoyable dinner relishing pipping hot sambar sadham with appalam on a very cold rainy night. Mala thanks for sharing this awesome recipe with us and making me one happy soul.

Gadgets:

Pressure Cooker
Stainless Steel Bowl
Seasoning Wok
Heavy Bottom Wok
Measuring Cups and Spoons
Spatula
Blender
Cutting Board
Knife

Ingredients: Serves 8

                                             For  Cooking Rice: 20 Minutes

Long Grain Rice - 1 cup
Thoor Dhal - 1 cup
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Water - 6 Cups

For Additional Powder: 5 Minutes

Oil - 1 tsp
Coriander Seeds - 3 tbsp
Channa Dhal - 3 tbsp
Dry Red Chillies - 4 to 6
Cloves - 4 to 6
Fresh Coconut - 1 cup ( I used 3 tbsp)
Asafoetida pieces - a pinch
Methi Seeds - 1/2 tsp

                                               For Making the Sambar: 15-20 Minutes

Any of these Vegetables ( shallots, carrots, bell pepper, drumstick, potato, brinjal, peas, beans, pearl onions, onions) - 5 cups
Tamarind - smaller than golf ball
Water - 5 cups
Sambar Powder - 1 tsp
Salt
Curry Leaves - a few
Cilantro - 3 tbsp for garnishing
Sugar - 1 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp

Asafoetida Pieces - 2 pinches

Oil - 2 tbsp

Ghee- 2 tbsp for garnishing

Preparation:

1. Pressure cook rice, thoor dal and turmeric powder with 6 cups of water to 3 whistles on medium high.

2. Soak tamarind in 5 cups of water. Cut the vegetables, heat the heavy bottom pan with oil. Season with asafetida, mustard seeds, curry leaves. Add shallots or pearl onions and cook for sometime. Then add the rest of the veggies, salt, sambar powder and mix well for a few minutes before adding the tamarind water.Allow it to cook for 12 minutes.



3. Heat the seasoning wok with 1 tsp oil. Add all the ingredients for making the additional powder. Roast and powder the mix. Add this mixture to the vegetable sambar mix after it cooks for 12 minutes. Let it cook for 3 minutes.







4. Add the cooked rice and dal to the sambar and mix well. The sambar rice should not be thick, it should be almost porridge like. Add sugar, mix and cook on low for a few minutes. Check to see if the salt is right, garnish with cilantro, curry leaves and ghee and serve them hot with appalam and vadam.

The organic strawberries that the farmer's market sells is very sweet photogenic and delicious. I can spend a lot of time looking at the beauty of strawberries in the baskets. We make full use of the strawberries by enjoying them after every meal. A week ago, I was making the gobi partha with purple cauliflower. My daughter was enjoying the delicious strawberries while I was having a conversation with her. I was telling her that I need to make some raita to go with the paratha. Almost instantly both of us had a similar thought, "why not strawberry raita?". I looked up at her and said maybe I can use up the remaining strawberries and she said make a raita. So there we had strawberry raita for lunch with paratha. 

Gadgets:

Cutting Board

Knife

Bowl

Whisk

Measuring spoon and Cup

Ingredients:

Strawberry - 10 cut into small pieces

Yogurt - 1 1/2 cups

Salt 

Honey - 2 tsp

Preparation:

1. Whisk together yogurt, honey and salt. Check to see if the salt and honey taste is good for your taste buds.

2. Mix in the strawberries and serve with hot parata's.

Spring cleaning has kept me busy and occupied that I took a break from every day blogging. Nothing like a clean surrounding and a sense of knowing where your stuff is. Spring makes us do a lot of things. Cleaning, cooking, eating healthy, picnics, exercising, enjoying the weather and blossoms everywhere. I had not gone out this weekend because of the rains. On the front of making something healthy I made sundal. It is my intention to add some form of beans to the diet for my family and me at least once a week if not more. With that thought I made the black garbanzo bean salad. This salad/sundal is mostly served as prasadam's in temples. 

Gadgets:

Pressure Cooker

Bowl

Seasoning Wok

Spatula

Measuring Cups and Spoons

Ingredients:

Black Garbanzo Beans - 1 cup

Dry Red Chillies - 2

Green Chillies - 1

Curry Leaves - a few

Coconut - 1/4 cup 

Oil - 2 tsp

Asafoetida Powder - a few shakes

Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp

Salt

Preparation:

1. Soak the black garbanzo beans in water over night or over 8 hours. Pressure cook them with some salt and water to 3 whistles. Allow for the pressure to release and then drain the water.

2. Heat the seasoning wok with some oil. Add asafetida, mustard seeds, curry leaves and chillies. When the mustard starts to pop. Add this seasoning to the beans and give it a good mix.

3. Take some fresh coconut with its shell. Using the knife cut them into think strips and make smaller buts out of them. Add it to the coconut and give it a toss and serve. 

Gothsu a close cousin of sambar is very popular in the south of India. They serve it with idli, dosai and ven pongal. It resembles a sambar but is different from it in ways. Then, what makes something gothsu? To me gothsu is sambar with more vegetables. There are many types of gothsu out there, but the most favorite of them all is kathrikai gothsu. Most recipes use tamarind water in the recipe, but I personally like using tomatoes for the tang. 

Gadgets:

Saucepan
Spatula
Seasoning Wok
Measuring Cups and Spoons
Cutting Board
Knife

Ingredients:

Eggplant - 6 -8 chunky pieces
Tomatoes - 2 chunky pieces
Water - 2 cups
Salt
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Sambar Powder - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida Powder - 1/8 tsp
Dal - 1/2 cup cooked

Powder: Lightly roasted and powder
Coriander Seeds - 1 tsp
Channa Dal - 1 tsp
Dry Red Chillies - 1

Seasoning:
Oil - 2 tsp
Asafoetida Powder - 1/8 th tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Channa Dal - 1 tsp
Udad Dal - 1 tsp
Dry Red Chillies - 1 tsp
Curry Leaves - a few
Cilantro - 1 tsp minced

Preparation:

1. Place the eggplant, tomatoes, water, salt, asafetida, sambar and turmeric powder in a pan. Cook until the veggies  are well done. Add the powder and dal and allow it to come to a boil.

2. Place the seasoning wok and add oil. Add all the seasoning to it allow them to get roasted and add to the gothsu. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with dosai, idli or ven pongal.

I enjoy cooking with Israeli couscous because it is super easy to cook with and everyone in my family enjoys it. The pearl like beads add texture and taste in salads that I keep making them often. Apart from the couscous puloa recipe that I have posted here, I do make salads with couscous. This one that I have posted here is the one I tend to prepare more often and one of my families favorite. With the arrival of spring and fresh produce everywhere it is such a simple but delicious salad to have. I have to confess that I ate half of the salad in this dish that I prepared for dinner.

Gadgets:

Heavy bottom pan

Spatula

Bowl

Measuring Cups and Spoons

Cutting Board

Knife

Ingredients:

Israeli Couscous - 1 1/2 cups
Shallots - 1/2 cup thinly slices
Garlic - 3 pods sliced
Black Olives - 1 can sliced
Cherry Tomatoes - 12 cut into halves
Nuts ( Roasted Sliced Almonds, Pine nuts ) - 1/2 cup
Craisins  or Raisins - 1/2 cup
Cilantro - 2 tbsp minced
Dry Dill - 1/2 tsp
Fresh Cracked Pepper - 1/4 tsp
Green Chilies - 1 ( seeds removed)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt
Butter - 2 tbsp
Oil - 1 tsp
Water - 1 3/4 cup

Preparation:

1. Heat a heavy bottom pan to medium heat. Add butter and oil. Allow butter to melt  before adding garlic and shallots. Cook them well.

2. Add couscous to it and roast them until they turn light brown.

3. Add salt and water bring it to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook until the couscous is well cooked.

4. Remove from heat and transfer into a bowl.

5. Add spices, herbs, chilies, olive, tomatoes, dry fruit and nut. Drizzle in the olive oil and give it a toss.

For a year or so Costco has been selling organic sprouted beans in dry form. This is a great food find because, it makes cooking with it very easy. In less than 15 minutes you can enjoy a bowl of cooked sprouted beans. Over the months I have made use of this ingredient to prepare many kinds of salads, dal, soup or rice dishes. Here is a simple and fresh salad recipe that I would like to share. It can be a great meal or  addition to your meal at anytime.

Gadgets:

Saucepan
Spatula
Colander
Cutting Board
Knife
Measuring Cups and Spoons
Grater

Ingredients:

Dry Sprouted Beans - 1 cup
Carrots, Cucumber, Tomato ( seeds removed) Diced - 3 cups
Serrano Chillies - 1 seeds removed
Cilantro/ Mint/ Parsley - 1 tbsp minced
Ginger - 1 inch
Salt
Fresh Pepper Powder - 1/8th tsp
Lemon Juice -  a tsp or 2
Water 3 cups

Preparation:

1. In a saucepan add 3 cups of water and 1 cup of the dry sprouted beans. Bring to a boil, add salt and reduce the heat to medium, cover and cook the beans for about 10-12 minutes.

2. In the meanwhile, dice the carrots, cucumbers and tomatoes ( seeds removed) evenly.

3. De seed the chilli and dice it into small pieces, grate ginger. Add it to the veggies along with the lemon juice. Toss in the cilantro or mint or parsley mix.

4. Drain the excess liquid from the beans and run it under cold water. This step is important because it removes a funny smell from the cooked bean.Add the beans to the bowl of chopped veggies. Mix and serve them on the side with any kind of food.

Vegetable Pulao/ Pulav is a very popular rice dish that is now available in the freezer section at grocery stores like Trader Joe's, Sprouts or Indian Stores. A constant on the menu at any Indian restaurant and a common recipe that you can find on the internet. Some weeks ago, a few of my regulars to my blog requested that I post a recipe for pulav. So as promised here is the simple pulao that I prepared for dinner since I had very little time. It goes perfectly paired with cucumber raita.

Gadgets:
Heavy Bottom Wok/Pan with a lid
Spatula
Cutting Board
Measuring Cups and Spoons
Bowls

Ingredients:

Basmathi Rice - 1 1/2 cups
Onion (Red) - 1 medium
Cauliflower, Carrot and Peas - 3 cups
Garlic - 5 cloves
Ginger - 2 inches
Shah Jeera - 1 tsp
Cloves - 6
Cinnamon - 1 1/2 inch stick
Black Cardamon - 2 pods
Green Cardamon - 2 pods
Bay Leaves - 2
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp
Cilantro - 3 tbsp minced.
Salt
Oil - 2 tbsp
Ghee - 2 tsp
Water - 2 cups for cooking rice
Water - 2 cups to soak rice
Sliced Toasted Almonds or cashew nuts/ Cranberries or raisins - 1/4 cup (optional)

Preparation:

1. Wash the rice 3 times and soak in 2 cups of water for 1 hour.

2. Heat the heavy bottom wok or pan with oil and ghee. Add the spices: cloves, cinnamon, black and green cardamon, bay leaves and shah jeera and allow them to mix in the oil for a few seconds.

3. Add onions ( cut into julienne), ginger and garlic with some salt. Allow for them to cook for a few minutes until the onions look cooked.

4. Add the veggies and mix well for a few minutes. Add turmeric and chili powder and mix well.

5. Drain all the water from the rice and add it to the veggie mix. Mix well to get the rice well coated with the veggie mixture. Taste to see if there is enough salt and spice. It is better if is a little salty and spicy, then it would work well when the rice gets cooked.

6. Add water mix and allow it to come to a boil. Reduce the heat to low cover and cook until the rice is well down.

7. Garnish with cilantro, nuts and dry fruits and serve with raita.

Food can be a medicine and taste delicious too. Pepper is a great spice that was used a lot in Indian cooking before chillies entered the picture. It has a lot of medicinal value and takes care of your health. Molagu kozhambu is a very traditional Tamil kozhambu or sauce that is prepared when one is getting over a fever, cold, or trying to create warmth to the body. After heavy meals during weddings or celebrations, having this kozhambu helps in cleansing the body. I love this served with pruppu thogayal    (lentil chutney). In the traditional recipe, it does not have any vegetables in the kozhambu. However, in Chettinadu cuisine they add onions and garlic to the recipe. Today, I am posting a recipe that  is traditional but has a special addition with drumstick that my sister-in-law Renu used to add. I find that its makes  molagu kozhambu very flavorful and delicious. An absolute favorite of mine.

Gadgets:

Heavy Bottom Wok/ Pan
Measuring Cups and Spoons
Spatula
Saucepan
Blender
Filter


Ingredients:

Peppercorns - 11/2 tbsp
Thoor Dal - 2 tbsp
Curry Leaves - 1 fist full
Drumstick - 8
Cumin Seeds - 2 tsp
Sesame Oil - 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp for seasoning
Asafoetida - a few shakes
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1/2 tsp
Coconut - 2 tsp
Salt
Red Dry Chilies - 1
Tamarind - 25 cents or 50 paise Indian
Water - 2 cups

Preparation:

1. In a saucepan add tamarind, drumstick, salt and water. Cook for 8-10 minutes. Filter the tamarind residue  from the liquid and discard.

2. In the meantime, heat the wok and add oil, asafoetida, peppercorns, cumin seeds, coriander powder, red chilies, thoor dal and roast them until thoor dal gets golden. Remove from heat and transfer to a blender along with some coconut(optional). Cool and grind into a paste.

3. Once the tamarind is cooked add the paste to it and bring it to a boil. Boil for a few minutes.

4. Heat the wok with 1 tsp oil, add mustard and methi seeds. Let the mustard seed pop, add it to the kozhmbu and serve hot with paruppu thogayal, pan sautéed veggies and tasted pappad.

We could not walk past the purple cauliflower at the farmers market this week. My daughter immediately rushed to the table and picked up one and put them in my hands demanding that I buy it because she wanted the cauliflower which came in her favorite color: Purple. Today, we decided to make gobi paratha for lunch. It was so perfect with the rain and cold weather in this part of the county.What amazed me was the color of gobi when we grated it. Absolutely beautiful and most colorful thing that I have ever cooked with. It tasted delicious and made the paratha's look so photogenic. I served this spicy paratha with strawberry raita and I must say it was perfect.

Gadgets:

Food Processor
Cutting Board
Knife
Box Grater
Measuring Cups and Spoons
Spatula
Wok
Rolling Pin
Rolling Board
Tava

Ingredients:

For Dough: Makes 8 parata's

Atta / Whole Wheat Flour - 4 cups
Salt
Oil - 2 tbsp
Ghee - 1 tsp
Water - Enough to make a soft dough ( totally depends on the brand of flour used)

For The Filling:

Grated Cauliflower - 4 cups ( only the flower and not the stock)
Grated Fresh Ginger - 1 tbsp
Grated Garlic - 2 cloves
Mint - 1 tbsp minced
Cilantro - 1 tbsp minced
Salt
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Chili Powder - 1/2 - 1 tsp ( depending on the spice level)
Ajwan Seeds - 1 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
Lemon Juice - A dash
Oil - 1 tbsp
Ghee - 1tsp

For Making the Parata:

Flour - 2 1/3 cup
Ghee - 2 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp

Preparation:


Preparing The Dough:

1. Add the flour, salt, oil, ghee to the food processor and mix for 30 seconds. Add water 1/2 cup at the time and run the processor until the dough comes together. Wrap them in plastic wrap and put them in the fridge until ready to use.

Preparing The Filling:

1. Heat the wok with ghee and oil to medium high. Add coriander powder, ajwan seeds and allow them to blend in the oil for a few seconds.

2. Add the grated cauliflower to the wok and mix well. Add turmeric, chilli powders and salt. Mix well.

3. Add the dash of lemon juice, mint and cilantro. Remove from heat.





Making the Paratha:


1. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Make balls of the dough and flatten it and dab with some flour.







2. Roll it out a little and then place this dough into a bowl. It creates a natural cup where you can add the filling making sure to leave some space to seal the parata. (NOTE:This method will help you create even sized parata)

3. Seal the parata by bringing the open edges together. Sometimes some air bubbles would be trapped in the ball. Make sure to release it before sealing.

4. Remove the dough from the ball roll in some flour, flatten and then roll out into a thick parata.

5. Place it on the tava that is heated on medium high. Cook on both sides to remove the rawness and then add ghee/ oil mix on both side. Serve them  hot with strawberry raita.