Planning for Navaratri | Prasadham | Neivedyam Post!

Once festival season begins in July, biggest festival is Navaratri which we celebrate for 9 days between september and October. To celebrate the festival as easier way, planning ahead and executing plays a major role here.

We love to clean and decorate the house, take out all the dolls and set up neatly. Arranging can be from simple to grand depends upon once convenience. If kids are small its difficult to do everything, so can keep it simple. Many don't have house help here, some ladies do everything alone and takes lots of interest involved in it and months of preparations goes in. Themes are thought and each year some do different theme. We need to prepare almost a month before for doing art work if we are doing at home. They need time to dry, repaint, etc.

When I was in India, the affair was very grand, my in laws and sister in laws house they keep a lot of dolls, the set up will be almost 3/4th the big hall. But unlike here,  I keep it simple.

In India only sundal will be served with vethalai paaku as we will be visiting the whole neighbourhood around 50-60 houses, but in singapore we visit around 8-10 houses and they serve food to all ladies who come, some will come from quiet far. Here each day they visit one friends home all are called together. So everyone visits friends place and spend time. 

Here life is mechanical for some, in the festival season one can visit friends and have a divine darshan, chat and enjoy food.

Now coming to food part, planning.

1. List number of people you will be inviting.

2. Plan a menu, I will be giving down my menu suggestions below.

3. Buy groceries. 

4. Buy gifts, checkout options for ladies and kids. If you are going or while coming from India pickup few items also some extra.

5. Shop online 
6. Taking out dolls and wipe it.

Recipes
click on the names

Sundal

👉Pasi paruppu/ Moong Dal Sundal

👉Karamani Sweet Sundal

👉Patani /Dry peas Sundal

👉Soya Bean Sundal

👉Verkadalai/peanut sundal

👉Kondakalai Sundal

👉Mixed Sundal

👉Karamani Payir Sundal

👉Sweet Corn Sundal

Tiffin/Dinner Ideas

👉Vadai

👉Idli

👉Chutney
👉Sambar
👉Dhokla

👉Lemon Rice
👉Puliyodarai
👉Kesari bath
👉Veg Palav
👉Bisibelebath/Sambar Sadam

Sweets

👉Payasam recipes and Sweet recipes 

Menu for festivals you can check here.

All menu please prepare without onion and garlic.

Wish you all Happy Navaratri!

Saraswathi Iyer

PS - Your feedback is appreciated. Do try recipe from (http://www.sarascorner.net/) take a picture and send it to me through Facebook message or mail me at simplysara07@gmail.com. Will be glad to add in my page Tried & Tasted album on FB or post on my page. Do follow me on Instagram id - saraswathiyer for more food stories and recipe ideas.Thank you.

Navaratri Menu planning 9 days 9 treats!

 

Navaratri 2020 is already here, its good to plan and buy groceries ahead, so it makes easy to do the festival and Golu hopping. check my detailed planning post here.

Due to Pandemic, many are doing E-vethalaipakku or split the schedule due to restrictions imposed.

Hope these help you to plan and you can add in many more dishes of your choice and time.

Click on the names for the recipes, you can use millets/brown sugar/karupatti for the sweets.

Morning Neivedyam	Sundal Varities	Tiffin Varities
Paal Payasam	Kadalai Sundal	Ven Pongal Gotsu
Thenga Arisi Payasam	Pasiparippu Sundal	Idli Thenga chutney
Rose Payasam	Kondakadlai Sundal	Dosai Thakkali thokku
Carrot /Rice Payasam	Patani Sundal	Aval Upma
Pongal	Mixed Sundal	Upma Kozhakattai
Javarsi Payasam	Karamani sweet Sundal	Rava Kichidi
Paruppu Payasam	Payaru Karamani Sundal	Sevvai /Semiya Upma sambar
Oats Semiya Payasam	Soya/Rajma Bean podi Sundal	Adai Aviyal or thokku
Kesari/Kesribath	Verkadalai Sundal	Poori Kurma

Multipurpose podi - Curry podi recipe is here 

For all recipes you can search in here .You can add in variety rice like Puliyodarai, lemon rice, coconut rice, dhokla, badam milk as per your taste. Can add and make your favourite choices of fruits, vegetables and millets. All recipes are no onion and no garlic. You can also plan and schedule timings for your friends and do a simple take away packing can make the visit short and satisfying.

PS - Your feedback is appreciated. Do try recipe from (http://www.sarascorner.net/) take a picture and send it to me through Facebook message or mail me at simplysara07@gmail.com. Will be glad to add in my page Tried & Tasted album on FB or post on my page. Do follow me on Instagram id - saraswathiyer for more food stories and recipe ideas.Thank you. 

Happy and Safe Navaratri.

Love,

Saraswathi

Pasi Paruppu | Moong Dal Sundal!

Today I have prepared Pasi Paruppu/Moong Dal Sundal for Navaratri Prasadam.

Ingredients
Pasi Paruppu/Moong Dal - 2 cups
Fresh Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup
Oil - 1 tblspn
Mustard - 1/4 tspn
Asafotida - 1/4 tspn
Urad Dal - 1/2 tspn
Green Chilli - 2nos

Salt
Curry leaves

Preparation Method
Wash, rinse and soak dal for 10 mins and pressure cook for 1 whistle.
Heat a kadai, add oil, mustard, urad dal, chilli and curry leaves. Saute till dal is brown. 
Add the cooked dal, salt and mix.
Finally add coconut and mix well. Off the Stove.

Serve as Prasadam and Enjoy with Hot Filter Coffee.

Notes - Do not soak for more time and do not pressure cook as the dal will be mashy like paste.

This recipe is going to Priya's Navaratri Event and Giveaway.

Navaratri Begins.....

Wishing you and your family a very Happy Navarathri.

Navarathri is going to begin from tomorrow after this Mahalaya Amavasya day. Navarathri means a 9 day festival of Goddess Lakshmi, Goddess Saraswathi and Goddess Durga.

This is celebrated by Hindu religion in different states of India.

You can see Golu i.e decorating the house with dolls. They keep 3,5 or 11 padi/steps. Each day various prasadam is prepared and exchanged with ladies. Gifts are also bought and given with Kumkum. Many people keep fast on these days. Sundal is a usual prasadam prepared with the dals and its very healthy. These 10days food is prepared without onion and garlic.

Mysore, Karnataka, India is famous for Mysore Dasara and 10days its celebrated very grand.

Navarathri starts from 8th Oct and ends on 17th October. 16th October is Saraswathi Pooja, on this day books and music instruments are kept for pooja. 17th October is Vijayadashami. Aksharabyasam is also done for children before going to school on this day. Children enroll into music, dance and other classes on these days. During these 10days of the festival cleaning or dusting are to be avoided until the Ayudha Pooja day. In many places classical music navaratri concerts are conducted.

Lots of sweets are distributed in factories and many enjoy the holidays with family and friends.

In North India, they have garba and dhandiya cultural dance for this festival.

On Mahalaya Amavasya payasam or sweet is prepared and offered to God.

Since am abroad we dont keep Golu but still do all the pooja and prasadams.

Here is the prayer when lighting the lamp sent by my cousin.

Subham Karoti Kalyanam

Arogyam Dhana Sampadah

Shatru Buddhi Vinashaya

Dipa Jyotir Namostute

Some more information on Goddess Durga

Who is Goddess Durga and the meaning of Durga?



Durga, in Sanskrit means "She who is incomprehensible or difficult to reach." Goddess Durga is a form of Shakti worshiped for her gracious as well as terrifying aspect. Mother of the Universe, she represents the infinite power of the universe. The manifestation of Goddess Durga is said to emerge from Her formless essence.

She is also called by many other names, such as Parvati, Ambika, and Kali. In the form of Parvati, She is known as the divine spouse of Lord Shiva and is the mother of Her two sons, Ganesha and Karttikeya, and daughter Jyoti. Destroyer of demons, she is worshiped during an annual festival called Durg


Her Appearance


There are endless aspects of Durga described in the Puranas and Agamas and the iconography is consequently very varied. She is usually pictured as having ten arms holding Sword, Conch, Discus, Rosary, Bell, Winecup, Shielf, Bow, Arrow, and Spear. She is most often shown riding a lion from which comes Simhavahini. She is gorgeously dressed in royal red cloth and has several ornaments decorating her beauty. Her hair is dressed up in a crown (karandamukuta) which then flows out in long luxuriant tresses that are darkly luminous and soothing to the eye. The various tools reflect the eminent supremacy that helps in controlling the universe.


* Will upload photos of Golu soon.

For Sundal Recipes click here
Pacha Payir Karamani Sundal
Verkadalai Sundal
Kondakadalai Sundal

Macaroni Payasam | Pasta Kheer!

Macaroni Payasam | Pasta Kheer is an easy dessert and loved by kids. After all the festivals I have started to post recipe, planning to blog regularly from now on. I prepared this for navaratri. It was different and tasted delicious.

Ingredients

Macaroni - 1 cup(can use baby pasta or any pasta of your choice)

Full cream Milk - 1 ltr

Vanilla Custard powder - 2 tblspn

Sugar - 3/4cup

Method

~In a vessel/bowl boil water, add a pinch a salt and 1 tspn ghee enough to cook pasta. 

~Once pasta is cooked wash in cold water.

~Boil milk in heavy bottom vessel/pan. Keep in low flame to thicken.

~Mix custard powder in a bowl make a paste with milk and add to the milk. 

~Add sugar n keep stirring.

~Add cooked macaroni to the milk. 

~Mix well. 

~Let it boil for 10 mins in low flame.

~Off the stove. Allow to cool.

Serve chilled.

Macaroni Payasam/Kheer ready to serve.

Notes:

- Condensed milk can also be added.

- It can be done without custard powder.

- Can add cardamom/elaichi powder too.

PS - Your feedback is appreciated. Do try recipe from (http://www.sarascorner.net/) take picture and send it to me through Facebook message or mail me at simplysara07@gmail.com. Will be glad to add in my page Tried & Tasted album on FB or post on my page. Thank you for your encouragement.