Navarathri/Dusshera

September 23rd - October 2nd 2006

Navarathri is a festival celebrated for 9 days.The story goes as follows To kill the demon Mahishasura Goddess Durga was created. She fought the war for 9 days and nights and attained victory by beheading Mahishasura. So the tenth day is celebrated as Vijayadasami.
In my house this was the most enjoyable festival for us. We keep golu at our house, dress up in silk sarees and pavadai, invite other ladies and girls to our home for Vethalai Pakku.
Those who knew to sing would sing. On the ninthday (Saraswathi Pooja) we keep all our books infront of goddess and the whole day we donot study anything. The next day morning after pooja my dad would take all the books and give to us and bless us to study very well. All the nine days different kind of chundal and payasam are prepared for Neivedhyam.

This year I kept Bomma golu for the first time. The idols are some of my small collections over the years. I hope to improve it each year. Since I have very small kids I had to keep at some place they cannot reach. So it was one of my friend's suggestion to keep it over the dinning table. Everyday morning I read Lalitha Sahasranama thrishathi and stotram, Mahishasuramardini stotram, Saraswathi and Mahalakshmi stotram. For neivedhyam I prepare Chundal or Sweet. We have a nice Indian community, so I could call some friends of mine for vethalai pakkau(Thamboolam) in the evening.
Happy Navarathri/Dussehra!

Bomma Golu

BadamCake, Kesari

Semiya Payasam, Sweet & Salt Pongal


Sweet Chundal, Ulundu Vadai


BlackChannaChundal, White Channa Chundal


BlackeyeBeans Chundal

White Channa /Black Channa Chundal

Soak 2 cups White Channa/Black Channa over night. Pressure cook it adding require water and salt. Drain the water.
In a hot pan add 2 tsp oil.Add mustard seeds,cumin seeds. When the mustard pops add finely cut ginger,green chillies,asafetida and curry leaves. Add grated coconut in the end.

Sweet Chundal

Soak 2 cups Green urad dal(Pesarattu paruppu) over night. Pressure cook it adding enough water. Drain the water and let it cool completely.
In ¼ cup water add 11/2 cup Jaggerry. When the jaggery dissolves completely add the cooled dal and mix it . Add cardamom pdr in the end.

Blackeye Beans Chundal

Soak blackeye beans for 1 hr.Pressure cook it adding enough salt and water.
In a pan add 2 tsp oil. Add musturd seeds. When it pops add 1 tsp bengalgramdal, uraddal, finely cut greenchillis and ginger, crushed roasted peanuts and curry leaves. Add the cooked beans to it and garnish it with grated coconut. You can also add lemon juice to it.

SweetPongal/Salt pongal

1 cup – rice
¾ cup – moong dal

Fry the moong dal till it starts to turn light brown.Mix it with rice .Add enough water and pressure cook it.
You can keep ½ of the cooked ricedal for sweet pongal and other half for salt pongal.

For Sweet Pongal: In little water add ½ cup jaggery.When it dissolves add the ricedal mixture. When the water evapourates, add ½ cup ghee to it and mix well. Add cardamom pdr. Fry some cashew and kismis and mix it in it.

For salt Pongal : Add 2 tsp of ghee in a pan.Add cashews and cumin seeds when they start to brown add 2 tsp pepper pdr and curry leaves.Then add the rice dal mixture to it.Add salt to taste.Mix it well.Add 3-4 tsp of ghee in the end and mix it.
You can eat it with coconut chutney.

Badam cake click

Kesari click

Ulundu vadai click

Semiya Payasam click