Anada Viratham /அனந்த விரதம்

Ananda Viratham or Ananda Padmanaba Viratham so called "Nonbu" in our family is a pooja which is observed every year in my in-laws family . We do this pooja every year on the date as told by my Mother-in-law and I didn't even know about the exact name of this Viratam except for how it is called "Nonbu". This year when she told about this Pooja day I just wanted to search on the web to know more details. And luckily I came across some interesting facts which I was not aware.

This pooja occurs on the Full-Moon day(Pournami) that comes after "Vinyagar Chathurthi". The Pooja is dedicated to Lord Vishnu (to my surprise it was not Lord Shiva..) who is in Anada sayanam - sleeping posture on the Anatha Nagam (snake). The purpose of this pooja is to pray the Almighty to relieve from sorrow and give happiness (aanandam).

The main ritual on the day is to wear the sacred thread (nonbu kayir) kept on pooja after finishing the pooja rituals. This sacred thread is actually a band of 14 threads but we do get readymade red threads called as "Rettai Nonbu Kayir" which is different for men and women. We'll make a Kalasam by keeping a coconut on top of a silver pot which is tied with thread all around. Also we have to offer the god with Manjal(whole turmeric), Kumkum, Flowers, Banana, green leaves (vetrilai) everyhitng to be on a count of 14 (I make it on a count of 5 a custom changed by my great husband).




Offerings other than flowers and fruits, include Puttu, Kesari and Medhu vadai. After doing the aarti, we have to pray the god with akshata (made of rice and flower mixed with turmeric) 14 times and then tie the Nonbu kayir.

For more details on this Viratham click here.

விநாயகர் சதுர்த்தி / Ganesh Pooja

Sep 11, 2010



Vinayakar Chathurthi is a great festival in India celebrated throughtout the country. The day is a festival not only for the family but for the entire city as we can see BIG Ganesh Idols everywhere and lots of pujas going on even blocking the roads. At home we'll get ready early in the morning to get the Ganesh Idol from shops. We'll go to get the most graceful looking "Vinayagar" and get all his accessories (eyes, umbrella, garland made of erukampoo) from nearby shops. Then comes the decoration part where we'll put sandal all over Ganesh, dress him up and beautify him with flowers and ornaments..though we've to put him back in water after 3 days...Then making of kozhukattais (modhakam) and then waiting for prayer time to taste them... Miss them a lot here...Though we try to make the pooja part atleast without failure..

About the pooja, it is Lord Ganesha's Birthday. Generally before starting any work, we'll pray Ganesha as he'll bless success on all our endeavors by removing all obstacles. And on this day its very auspicious to pray the elaphant faced Gananatha. To know more about this day click here. Its also very good if you can chant the Vinayagar Agaval on this day. (Click here for tamil version).

And about my pooja, I'll offer the God with Fruits, Flowers, Modhakam, Sundal and Medhu Vadai. These are the main offerings here comes the actual (big) list done at my in-laws house.
1. Tamarind Rice
2. Lemon Rice
3. Coconut Rice
4. Ven Pongal
5. Sambhar
6. Moor Kuzhambu
7. Some Vegetable Poriyal



I really wonder how they are able to do so many things in just few hours. Have to admit..My MIL is great!!! We tried to make some of these for the puja and prayed the almighty for all Health and Happiness.

Baby Corn Manchurian

Whenever I think of preparing gobi manchurian I used to stop it as cauliflower pakoda. Today I wanted to try Babycorn manchurian and was afraid for the same reason. But I successfully prepared it and it came out very well.

Ingredients:

• Baby corn -12-14 pieces
• corn flour - 1/4 cup
• plain flour - 1 tbsp
• chilli powder - 1 tsp
• onion - 1
• capsicum -1
• green chilli -1
• ginger - 1/2 inch
• garlic 2 no
• Tomato sauce - 1 tbsp
• Soy sauce - 2 tsp
• spring onion (optional)
• Oil

Method:

1. Mix Corn flour, plain flour, chilli powder and salt.
2. Add water to make a smooth batter( consistency should be like what we make for bhajji)
3. Cut the baby corn to half if you feel its bit long.
4. Dip the baby corn in the above batter and deep fry in oil till golden brown.
5. Cut the onions,capsicum and green chilli into thin long slices.
6. Chop ginger and garlic finely.
7. Pour oil in a wide pan and saute onions till they become soft.
8. Add ginger, garlic and green chill. Fry while till the raw smell goes away.
9. Mix the capsicum and fry for a while.
10. Its now time to add the sauce. Add enough tomato and soya sauce according to taste.
11. Now add the fried baby corn and mix well.
12. Garnish with spring onions and serve hot.

Sauteed Green Beans

This is a very different variety of beans with a little chinese flavour on it. Got this recipe from my neighbor who tries lots of new stuffs. She does the whole beans (cut only the corners) but I made into 1-inch size to fit into my hubby's lunchbox.
I found a little different version of this recipe in Youtube.

Ingredients:

Beans - 200 gms
Garlic - 3 big pods finely chopped
Ginger - 1 inch finely chopped
Spring Onions - 1/4 cup finely chopped
Hot sauce - 1 tsp
Soy Sauce - 3 tsp
corn starch - 1 tbsp (mix corn powder to water and make a watery paste)
Vinegar - 1 tsp
Sesame seeds - 1 tbsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt

Procedure:

1. Cook the beans on microwave for 2 mins (Actual recipe calls to cook the beans on stovetop with little oil on low flame)

2. Take a wide pan add the oil. To this add the chopped ginger, garlic and spring onions and fry them on medium flame.

3. Add the hot and soy sauce and let it cook for 1 min.

4. Add the corn starch, Vinegar and salt to this.

5. Add the cooked beans to the prepared sauce and mix well and keep on low flame. U can turn off after the beans get mixed well with the ingredients and turns crisp and glazed.

6. Dry roast the sesame seeds and add on top of the beans (I skipped this part as my husband don't like sesame seeds).

7. Delicious sauteed beans is ready.

Iru Puli Kuzhambu

A recipe made of both tamarind and buttermilk - a combination of Kaara kuzhambu and Moor kuzhambu. I got this different recipe from Subbu's Kitchen. Quite easy to make with a different flavour. You can add any sambhar vegetable to this. I've added Ladys finger and Cucumber to this.

Ingredients:

Okra - 6
Cucumber - 6 pieces
Tamarind extract - 1 cup
Butter milk - 1 cup
Oil
Salt
Mustard seeds
Curry leaves

To Grind:
Red chilies - 3-4
Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
Orid dhal - 1 tsp
Coconut powder - 1/2 cup


Procedure:

1. Dry roast the ingrediets for grinding and make a fine paste of it

2. Add oil and saute the vegetables (okra & cucumber) and add water and close the lid to cook.

3. When the veggies are half done add the tamarind extract and add salt

4. After the raw smell of tamarind is gone, add the grinded paste and let it boil for 2 mins.

5. To this add the buttermilk and let it come to a boil. Stop the flame immediately and add the mustard and curry leave seasoning to this.

6. Iru-Puli kuzhambu is ready to serve.

Kuzhi Paniyaram / குழி பணியாரம்

Kuzhi Paniyaram is a South Indian delicacy famous in Southern parts of Tamilnadu. It comes in both spiced and sweet flavors and I've made the spiced version. I got this perfect recipe from one of my friend. Having rice as its main ingredient, this can be used as a replacement to Idly/Dosa or can be served as a evening snack. This would even go well for parties and potlucks.

A special pan is needed for making this which has a little more deeper holes than idly plates and the vessel has to be directly placed on stovetop. I used a non-stick pan which uses less oil compared to the normal pan. My mom used to make this even with Appam or Dosa batter also with some sauted onions added to that. If you want to try for the first time on your new pan, you can go with some Dosa batter with little more oil on the holes so that the paniyarams will come out easily.

Ingredients:

Raw rice -1 cup
Idly rice - 1 cup
Orid Dal - 1/4 cup
Coconut - 2 tbsp
chopped onions - 1 cup
Salt
Oil

Procedure:

1. Soak the rice and orid dal overnight and grind them all finely.

2. Add salt to the batter and you can use after it ferments.

3. Add the coconut and chopped onions to the batter

4. Heat the "Kuzhipaniyaram" pan and add oil (or butter) on all the holes

5. Once the pan is heated, keep on medium flame and pour the batter

6. After it turns light brown turn all the paniyaram the other side and wait till it gets cooked on both sides

7. Paniyarams are ready to be served with Coconut chutney.

Semiya Carrot Payasam

I'm back after a long break. So thought of sharing something sweet. This is a colourful and mouth watering dessert. I've tried with carrots to this traditional recipe..

Ingredients:
Vermicelli (Semiya)- 1 cup
Grated Carrot - 1 cup
Milk - 1 cup
Water - 1 cup
Sugar - 3/4 cup
Cardomom - 2 pinch
Ghee- 1 tsp
Raisins & Cashews

Procedure:

1. Roast the vermicelli on ghee until it leaves nice aroma (make sure not to burn them). Keep them aside

2. Roast the carrots the same way as vermicelli and keep them aside

3. Boil water and add the roasted vermicelli and carrots to it.

4. Once it gets cooked add the milk and keep on low flame.

5. When the milk starts to thicken add the sugar, cardomom and roasted raisins and cashews.

6. Serve hot or cold. Add some hot water or milk if the payasam gets thickened.