Those of you who follow my blog posts regularly, by know very well know what is Sundal and how much me and my family love eating sundals with our meals .
Also,with Navratri going on ,this time I made sundal using rajma which definitely was my first attempt as rajma usually takes the form of Rajma Masala or Rajma Pulao in my house .
I was skeptical about how South Indian flavors would blend with rajma in the form of sundal, but I was totally wrong. It was just my mindset and pre conceived notion ,I must say .The fresh coconut, tempering of fresh green chili and ginger along with the delicious Sundal Podi (special spice mix) went so well that we all enjoyed eating this delicious rajma sundal .
I have used the Chitra variety of rajma ,but you can use any variety of rajma which you use regularly. Make sure the rajma is soaked well for minimum of 10 hrs so that it gets cooked well .Rajma sundal certainly needs a good amount of pre preparation time,so ensure that you give it the required soaking time to get best results .
Difference between Chitra Rajma and Jammu Rajma (red /laal rajma)
Chitra rajma is slightly bigger in size than laal rajma and also light pinkish in color . This variety of rajma is softer and has a slightly sweetish taste . One biggest advantage of using Chitra rajma is that they get cooked faster and minimum of 8hrs soaking time is enough. Apart from this ,there is no much difference and we can use both these variety of rajma interchangeably in our recipes.
Wash and soak the rajma in fresh water for minimum 8hrs
In the morning, drain the soaked water and pressure cook with little salt for 4 to 5 whistles .Let the pressure release naturally, open carefully and press one rajma bean between your fingers . If you are able to easily press it ,then the rajma is cooked well,incase you feel it is hard, pressure cook for another 2 whistles extra .
Drain the rajma in a strainer/colander and let it rest for a few minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a thick bottomed pan and crackle the mustard seeds followed by green chillies, curry leaves and ginger . Add asafoetida in low flame to avoid burning.
Add the cooked rajma and mix well,adjust salt if needed .
Tip in the sundal podi,fresh coconut, corriander and give a quick stir .Turn off the stove .Don't cook too much after adding sundal podi as there is a chance of it getting burnt .
The day after Mahanavami/ Saraswati Pooja is Dassera/VijayaDasami - an auspicious day to commence any new venture , business , studies etc
Dassara/Dussehara is also the day when Lord Rama won the battle against Ravana in Lanka and freed Sita Mayya from his clutches .
In North India ,on Dassara ,effigies of Ravana ,Kumbakarna and Indrajith are burnt down indicating victory over evil . Also , stage shows depicting the Ramayana ,known as Ramlila are staged in many places .
Vijay In Hindi / Sanskrit means Victory and since Lord Rama emerged victorious by destroying the evil forces on the Dasami Day it is known as VijayaDasami .
The below image, depicts Lord Hanuman giving assurance to Seetha Mayya that Lord Shri Ram is on his way to free her . Seetha Maa trusts Lord Hanuman when she sees Lord Rama's Ring with Hanumanji and he then flys back with the happy news of Maa Seetha's location in Ravana's Empire after which Lord Rama comes to Sri Lanka and defeats Ravana after a long battle .
Traditionally ,during the olden days new academic year would start on the eve of Dassera.
This practice is called Vidyarambham . "Vidya" meaning Knowledge and "Aarambham" meaning Start .
Lord Hayagreeva and Devi Saraswati are the Hindu God and Goddess of education ,art forms and intellect.
On Saraswati Pooja ,we offer our salutations to Maa Saraswati by placing our books , musical instruments , tools etc. To know more about Ayudha Pooja / Saraswati Pooja click here ..
On Dassara ,we do a Punara Poojai also known as Pooja Yeduppu ,meaning we again thank the lord for having bestowed their blessings on all these tools and then as a customary practice children are asked to study a few chapters, those playing the musical instruments, play them for a while ,so on and so forth .
In South India even to this day ,fresh admissions to dance schools , music schools or any new art form commence on Dassera/Vijaya Dasami .We offer our salutations to the Guru by offering them Thamboolam (Betel leaf , betel nuts, fruits and flowers) along with Guru Dakshina (token fees) and then start learning the new art form .
Those who keep Golu/Kolu , perform an Aarthi on the night of Dassera and symbolically just make one doll on the step to lie down, which denotes bidding farewell to the Gods and Goddesses for this year.
In Calcutta and Bengal ,the Durga Maa idols are immersed into the water bodies bidding her adieu until next year . The married ladies of Bengal dance and play with Sindhoor known as Sindhoor Khela which is considered very auspicious and they pray for the long life of their husband. Sindur Khela is applying vermillion or sindoor on one other's faces and they dance to the dhol and beats along with Durga Maa's procession.
For Sindur Khela ladies wear the traditional white and red Saree known as Laal Paad or Laal Paar .The white color denotes Purity and red color denotes Fertility .
In Maharashtra, there is a unique and wonderful tradition of exchanging a leaf from a plant with one another and call it "sone ghya" meaning "take this gold" . The leaf is known as SonPatha or Sonpatta or Apta Leaf . "Sona" in Marathi is gold . There is a belief that when one offers these leaves to lord on Dassara and exchanges it with friends and family,there is bountiful blessing of Lord Kubera (the lord of wealth and prosperity) in our homes ..the leaf is given the status of gold which is regarded highly precious and valuable .
Also ,on Dussera is drawn a special rangoli called "Saraswati" in Maharashtrian homes .
This below rangoli is a symbolic representation of the apta leaves . Botanically it is called Bauhinia racemosa , a native tree supposed to have lot of medicinal values and widely used in Ayurveda too.
Saraswati Rangoli
This is a symbolic representation of Saraswati Maa and is generally drawn on a slate along with symbols like Om 🕉 and Swastik . This custom originated in Maharashtra and the design pattern also depicts a peacock . One may include the design of foot steps too which denotes the presence of Lakshmi Devi .
Both these rangolis are drawn by my talented friend Priyadarshini who happily let me share her work on my blog.
Having spoken so much about Pooja , it is obvious that we will prepare and offer Bhog / Prasad even on the last Day . Since Dassara marks the beginning of a new dawn it is mostly celebrated by making some sweet and a small festive meal .
In Gujarat and Bombay on Dassara ,the special breakfast is Jalebi and Fafda . I love to enjoy this combination. It feels so special to indulge into a rich sugar laden sweet occasionally .
In south India we normally make some paysam or sweet and celebrate this day .In my home it would normally be Sakkara pongal or Sheera along with some Bajjiya like Potato Bajjis or Vazhakkai (Raw Banana) Bajjis.
Sharing a small Bhog Thaali that I offered last year (2023) on Dassera / Vijayadasami
Items in Frame .. click the individual recipe names below for a detailed recipe ..
Nei Payasam also known as Aravana Payasam is very popular as prasadam in Kerala Temples especially Bhagavathy (Devi) Temple and Ayyappa Temple . Sharkara Payasam ,Kadu Madhuram or just Aravanai are some other names for Nei Payasam.
Nei means ghee and payasam means kheer. This payasam gets it flavor and taste from just 3 ingredients; rice,ghee and jaggery. The payasam is either garnished with fried coconut bits or ghee fried cashews . A pinch of ginger powder at the end elevates the flavor profile manifold.
Though we call this as Nei Payasam, the consistency of nei payasam isn't like the usual paysam (kheer). Consistency of nei payasam is gooey and thick similar to sakkarai pongal .
Originally, Kerala Matta raw rice or red rice is used in the preparation of Nei Payasam,but if that us not available we can use any short grained rice, but a strict No to Basmati rice as it will alter the taste of Nei Payasam, because of the natural flavor that Basmati rice possesses
In temples, nei payasam is made in huge bronze urulis and slow cooking method is followed. Ghee is poured at intervals until the ghee is completely absorbed into the rice and jaggery mixture. Normally, dark colored jaggery is used for preparing nei payasam, hence the color will be dark and deep brown.
Aravana / Nei Paysam shouldn't be confused with sakkarai pongal though they may sound similar. The quantity of ghee used in Nei payasam in more also there is no use of milk or lentils. Because the quantity of ghee is more ,we cannot eat this nei paysam like any other paysam for dessert . Just a small quantity can be savored and that itself will be very satiating and satisfying.
Even to this day, Bhagavati Seva Pooja always has the offering of nei paysam and the same is distributed to all those partaking in the Pooja .
I have very fond memories of enjoying piping hot Nei Payasam and crispy fried Medhu Vadai served as prasadam in leaf cups after Bhagavathy Seva Pooja. The taste still lingers on my tongue and nothing can beat the taste and flavor of prasadam that is blessed with divine vibrations.
Holy month of Aashada or Aadi or Karikatam(July 15 to Aug 15 as per English calender) is known for Bhagavathy Seva ,many Brahmin families hailing from Kerala / Palakkad have the tradition of performing thus pooja at home on either Tuesdays or Fridays in this holy month .
So,whether or not you perform Bhagavthy Seva at home,you can always prepare Nei Payasam and offer as prasadam during auspicious pooja days or even on Tuesdays and Fridays during Aadi Maasam .
Preparation Time - 15 to 20 mins Cooking Time - 45 mins Complexity- medium Serves - 2 to 3
Ingredients
3/4 cup raw rice (I have used Sona Masuri ) 3/4 cup powdered organic jaggery 1/2 cup ghee Few cashews Pinch of dry ginger powder Pinch of cardamom powder
Method
Wash the rice well and pressure cook it with 3 cups of water and let the pressure release naturally.
The rice must be cooked well and soft but not mushy . With the back of ladle ,lightly mash the rice but don't make it mushy .
In a thick bottomed vessel , melt the jaggery with 1/2 cup water . We don't need any string consistency just the jaggery needs to melt . Incase ,you see any impurities in the jaggery syrup,then filter it out and bring the syrup to a quick rolling boil.
Slowly add the mashed and cooked rice and mix it well without any lumps .Gradually add the ghee in parts and keep stirring until all the ghee is well absorbed into the nei payasam and the paysam looks glossy and well done .
If you are using coconut bits ,fry them in ghee until it turns golden brown and crisp ,likewise the same with cashewnuts as well.
Add this to the nei payasam along with cardamom powder and ginger powder and mix it well .
Offer it to the lord and distribute it among family and friends.
Badam Kheer / Payasam is an exotic festive dish which is loaded with lots of richness and flavor .
It is very easy to make and has no fancy ingredients except almonds ,cardamom, milk and saffron strands. Sugar is used as a sweetener. Soaked almonds are ground to a fine paste with saffron and cardamom and simmered in boiling milk .
Mom used to stock up home made badam powder and I used to drink Badam milk during my school days as I was not a fan of malt based drinks . Badam payasam is an extension of Badam Doodh or Badam milk and a perfect dessert for all festive occasions or even get togethers .
Even beginners can easily make badam Kheer due to the ease involved in the making of this payasam. I prepared this yummy and aromatic badam Kheer for our Tamil New Year's festival today .
To know more about ,how we celebrate Tamil New Year (Puthaandu) and the delicious spread we prepare ,check this post here .
Preparation Time - 1 hr Cooking Time - 30 mins Complexity- easy Serves - 3 to 4
Ingredients
1/2 cup badams /almonds soaked in hot boiling water 1/2 litre milk (preferably use 2% fat or full fat milk) 1/4 cup sugar 3 to 4 cardamoms Few strands of saffron
Method
Soak the almonds in hot boiling water for mini1 hr . You can soak for 2 to 3 hours also. Deskin the badams and discard the skin.
In a blender add the badams, cardamoms, saffron ,1/2 cup milk and grind to a fine paste .
Boil the 1/2 litre milk in a thick bottomed vessel . As the milk reaches its boiling point ,slowly add this badam paste and keep stirring on low flame and continue cooking until the raw flavor of almonds is lost .
Lastly, add the sugar and continue to simmer till the kheer thickens . You can add some saffron strands while the kheer is simmering. Turn off the stove and let it come to room temperature.
Millets are a very good alternative to rice due to their low glycemic index (GI) value which helps in control of insulin and absorption of carbohydrates into the blood stream making it ideal for people with Diabetes.
Millets also help in weight loss as they are rich in proteins and fibre.
There are lot of millets available like Jowar, Bajra, Ragi ,Little millet, Kodo millet , Barnyard Millet etc . You can very conveniently replace the usage of rice with millet and work towards a healthy lifestyle.
I am slowly trying to transition into using millets in my daily diet and I am certainly seeing a lot of difference. Sudden hunger pangs, mid morning cravings have reduced a lot and millets keep me full for a long time.
Little Millet is known as Samo Chawal/Kutki (Hindi), Samai Arisi (Tamil), Saame (Kannada) , Samaalu (Telugu) .
Little millet is very rich in Magnesium, Vit B components and also in phosphorous and zinc which help in building energy in the body.
Making little millet poha is very easy, almost same as making the Poha using Flattened rice. You can flavor and season it with the spices of your choice.
Little millet flakes are available in most leading super markets and shops .Also there are many exclusive outlets selling millet based products from where we can procure them easily .
Preparation Time - 10 mins Cooking Time - 10 mins Complexity - easy Serves - 2 to 3
Ingredients
1.5 cups little millet poha /flakes 2 tbsp oil Handful of peanuts Handful of frozen peas (thawed ) 1tsp cumin /jeera 2 green chillies chopped Few curry leaves Salt as needed 2 tsp lemon juice Pinch of turmeric
Method
Wash the little millet flakes under running water and let it rest in a colander for 10 15 mins . The millet flakes absorb the water and turn soft.
Heat the oil in a kadai, fry the peanuts followed by cumin ,green chillies, curry leaves.
Throw in some salt and turmeric followed by the soaked little millet flakes and also the green peas .
Toss it well ,cover and cook for 3 to 4 mins . Lastly mix the lemon juice and garnish with fresh corriander and serve hot.
Navaratri is just round the corner and it is a very special festival for Hindus. The whole of India celebrates Navratri in different ways and it is the most awaited festival for the ladies.
Navaratri is a festival that celebrates the victory of good over evil by Goddess Durga . The festival is spread across 9 nights and 10 days hence the name Nav Ratri (Nav is 9 and Ratri is night) .
The last day is celebrated as Dussehra or Dassera, a day that is considered very auspicious to start anything new .
As I already said each region in India celebrates Navaratri in different ways and the ladies thoroughly enjoy this festival .
Read the full blog to know how various regions celebrate Navratri across our country.
In Northern India , each day is dedicated to 9 forms of Maa Durga ; Shailaputri ,Brahmacharini ,Chandraghanta ,Kushmanda ,Skandamaata , Katyayani ,Kaalaratri, Mahagauri,Siddhadhatri.
Devi is worshipped by chanting Chandi Paath/ Havan ,devi Mahatmyam etc. Most ladies fast for the 9 days and break their fast on Navami .
The Ashtami Day is celebrated as Kanya Puja where young girls who haven't attained Puberty are called home and worshipped as an Incarnation of lord Durga ma and offered with Prasadam and small gifts like Bindi , chunri , mehendi etc. Prasad on Ashtami is Poori ,Halwa and Kala Channa .
In Gujarat , a decorated earthen pot called Garba is placed with a lamp lit inside which is kept as Akhand Diya for all 9 days ..this Garba is symbolic of the womb and the word is derived from the Sanskrit word "Garbh". There is a belief that just as the mother protects the baby in the womb, Ambe Maa is the protector of the world and she protects us from the wordly wrath.
Bengal and Eastern India is known for its Durga Puja Utsav during Navratri and the massive pandals that are set up all over the city which have huge and beautiful idols of Durga Maa sculpted to perfection and on the day of Dassera after the Pooja ,the idols are immersed in water bodies
In Tamil Nadu and Karnataka ladies set up Golu ,which is a display of dolls of various Gods and Goddesses and also other mythological characters. Social themes are also displayed and lot of contests are conducted to applaud and recognize the hard work . The 9 nights of Navratri are dedicated for Durga ,Lakshmi and Saraswati . The 9th Day is celebrated as Saraswati Pooja / Ayudha Pooja in Tamil Nadu ..to know more about how it is celebrated, read my post on Saraswati Pooja Special.
What is Golu / Bomma Kolu / Bombe Habba ?
GOLU is a display of Dolls arranged on steps like structure which are odd in number like 1 , 3, 5 , 7 , 9 steps etc .
Traditionally beautifully colored clay dolls of various Gods and Goddess & Mythological story related dolls would be on the display and these dolls are handed down from generations. Carefully packed and stored for use year on year.
Slowly, with social awareness and creativity, dolls with social themes also got added to the collection and people who display golu started presenting various themes to bring related to current affairs and social responsibilities.
Each day a special prasadam is offered to Devi after pooja in the morning and evening.
Normally in the morning, we offer some kind of sweet as prasadam and in the evening we offer sundal prasadam. Navaratri and Sundal go hand in hand .
Sundal is a simple stir fry using various beans and legumes . A very good source of protein and energy.
This sundal prasadam is distributed along with the Haldi Kumkum Thamboolam which is given to all the ladies who visit the house for Golu .
Refer to the collection of recipes below which I am linking for your easy reference
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