GANESH CHATURTI-2011

This is a festival celebrated by many of us in all the states.Before marriage i was in Mumbai where this festival is celebrated in a grand manner for 10 days.In Chennai,each house must be celebrating but not grand like mumbai.My husband usually does this pooja and i make all the neivediyamsand distribute to my neighbour.We always buy small coloured pillayar,wear dhoti decorate it with some ornaments and flowers.On the next day I drop it in the well.

The neivedyams which I made this year were,Sweet modakam,Ellu modakam,salt modakam,Appam,Vadai,Sundal,Idly,Payasam,

INGREDIENTS FOR MODAKAM.

Outer covering:

Rice -2cups

Oil-1tbsp

Pinch of salt

Water-2cups.

METHOD:

soak the rice for 3-4 hrs.Drain the water and grind it to smooth flour(dry).Microwave the flour for 2 minutes.This hint was given on t.v.and the dough turned out to be very well.Heat the water and add oil and salt,make it into asmooth dough.

Stuffing:

COconut scrapings -1cup

Jaggery-1/2 cup

Cardamom-2

Take the coconut and jaggery in a kadai and heat it on a medium fire till it becomes dry add the cardamom.Shape the dough in to modak shape and steam it.

Ellu stuffing:

Fry 1/2 cup of sesame seeds till it splutters.Add 1/4 cup jaggery and blend it into a powder.Add cardamom powder.Shape it to along shape and stuff this ,steam it.

Salt stuffing:

Urad dal-1/2 cup

Mustard-1tsp

Green chillies-2

Curry leaves few

Salt to taste

Oil-1tsp

Coconut-1/4 cup

Soak the urad dal for one hour and grind it  coarsely.Take a kadai add the oil,mustard.After it sputters,Add this mixture make it like usli.Add coconut.Make a round shape of the covering ,add the stuffing then close it like a triangel.steam it.

Payasam;

This is a recipe from my daughter.Archana.here is the link.http://archguru.blogspot.com/2011/08/dates-and-almond-payasam5-ingredients.html

Vadai

Urad dal-1cup

Green chillies -2

Curry leavesfew

Salt to taste

Oilfor frying

Soak the dal for 2 hrs and grind it to smooth batter,adding the chillies,hing,salt and curry leaves with out adding water.Make  round shape and fry it in oil.

Sundal:

Soak the black chana overnight and pressure cook it for 4 whistles.Drain the water and Take a kadai add one tsp of oil,add mustard,curry leaves,When it splutters,add the chana,salt coriander powder,chilly powder.hing.Add ition of coconut can also be done.

We make Idly with raw rice.Soak raw rice-2cups with one cup of urad dal and grind it to a smooth batter.Allow it to ferment and make soft idlies.