Poha Bisi Bele Bath, Vellai Karamani Sundal ~ Navaratri Special dishes

Wishing all my readers a blessed Navaratri!

As with previous couple of years, I wanted to celebrate Navaratri virtual this year as well. As per calender, Navratri started from 16th Oct and ends on 23rd Oct. This time again we have two tithis coming on the same day. However we started the pooja on the 15th as per Tirumala Devasthanam started the Navarathri Brahmotsavam schedule. 

The first three days are dedicated to Devi Durga, and the prasadam offered has to be spicy, tangy and sour. During these three days, we make Lemon Rice, Tamarind Rice and Sambar Rice along with some Sundal. Last year I was able to make a sweet dish as well on each day. We made Lemon Rice for the first day, Pulihora for the second day. So today's prasadam I made Bisibelebath with Poha.

We have made all varieties of sundals with different lenthils, so deciding to make something new, I took Athamma for shopping and she was so excited as a kid, planning different payasam and kesaris with all the ingredients we got.

Planning on making the sambar rice, I thought I should make the sambar rice differently. Thinking what the change should be, I remembered Poha, and decided to make the Bisibelebath with Poha. Everytime I make Bisibelebath or Sambar Rice I keep changing the spice powder. This time, changing the main ingredient made all the difference.

Though the process is almost the same as your regular Bisibelebath, you got to be cautious in making sure the poha is not mashed up.

Poha Bisibelebath

Ingredients Needed:

For the Bath

Poha/ Aval - 1 & 1/2 cup

Toor Dal - 3/4 cup

Vegetables (Beans, Carrot, Potato, Drum Stick) - 1 & 1/2 cup

Tomatoes - 2 medium

Tamarind extract - 2 tsp

Salt to taste

For the Masala / Spice Powder:

Dry Red chili - 2 long

Coriander Seeds - 1 tbsp

Channa Dal - 1 tbsp

Urad Dal -  1 tbsp

Whole Peppercorn - 1 tsp

Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Mogga - 2

Clove - 2 

Cinnamon stick - 1"

For Seasoning

Oil - 2 tsp

Pearl Onions/ Sambar Onions - 1/2 cup

Curry leaves

Cashew nuts handful

Ghee - 1 tsp

How to make the Poha Bisibelebath

Wash and pressure cook the toor dal till done along with turmeric powder. 

Wash and chop all the vegetables. 

Meanwhile dry roast the ingredients for the spice powder, allow to cool and grind to a smooth powder. Keep it aside.

Once the pressure falls, churn the dal well, add the chopped vegetables along with tomatoes except drumstick. Cook for couple of whistles, let the pressure fall, add the drumstick pieces. Cook for a whistle. Allow for the pressure to fall down.

Make sure the water is not too much. I ended up adding little more than required, so cooked till the excess water evaporated. Add the ground spice powder along with tamarind extract and continue cooking.

Wash and soak the poha for 5 -7 mins. Make sure you don't soak for long. Drain and keep it ready.

With the dal thickens, add the drained poha and simmer for 5 mins. Remember when this turns cold, it will absorb all liquid.

In a pan, heat oil and saute the onions, curry leaves and cashews. Pour this on the simmering bath and add the ghee.

Serve hot.

Vellai Karamani Sundal

This sundal is made with spicy masala and makes a great snack.

Ingredients Needed:

Vellai Karamani - 1 cup
Salt to taste
Curry leaves few
Mustard Seeds, Urad dal for seasoning.
Oil - 1 tsp

Spice powder

Dry Red chilis - 1 long
Whole Coriander -1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

How to make the sundal

Wash and soak the karamani overnight. Pressure cook for couple of whistles till done. Drain and keep it aside.

Dry roast the ingredients for the spice powder. Allow to cool and grind to a fine powder.

Heat a pan with oil, add mustard seeds, Urad dal, curry leaves. Then add in the boiled karamani, saute for couple of mins, then sprinkle the spice powder along with salt.

Simmer for a min and remove from flame.

Navaratri Special Dishes prepared during 2009 and 2011

Bisi Bele Huli Anna as Amma makes
Kadambam Sadam



Indian Festival Foods

Navaratri 2012 Recipes | Easy Recipes for Navratri | Recipe for each day

With Navaratri starting this 15th, here are some easy recipes for each day of the Nine days of Navratri. As with every year we consult the experts and make sure I follow the taste and colour of the Neivedhyam for each day. 

Navratri is a festival dedicated to the worship of a Hindu deity Shakti. The word Navaratri literally means nine nights in Sanskrit, nava meaning nine and ratri meaning nights.During these nine nights and ten days, nine forms of Shakti/Devi are worshiped. The 10th day is commonly referred to as Vijayadashami or "Dussehra." - source Wiki

Picture Source: Courtesy

Navratri is divided into sets of three days to adore three different aspects of the supreme goddess or goddesses.

 

First three days

The goddess is separated as a spiritual force called Durga also known as Kali in order to destroy all our impurities. During these three days neivedyam will have to be spicy, sour like Pulihora, Lemon and Sambar Rice

Second three days

The Mother is adored as a giver of spiritual wealth, Lakshmi, who is considered to have the power of bestowing on her devotees inexhaustible wealth, as she is the goddess of wealth. During these three days, neivedyam like Sakkarai Pongal, Kesari and Payasam is offered.

Final three days

The final set of three days is spent in worshiping the goddess of wisdom, Saraswati. During these three days, neivedyam that is in white colour like Ven Pongal, Thiyar Sadam, Sago Payasam is offered.

In order to have all-round success in life, believers seek the blessings of all three aspects of the divine femininity, hence the nine nights of worship. 

Special dishes that were done for Navratri 2009

Navratri Special Day 1 ~ Brown Karamani Sundal, Ven Pongal
Navratri Special Day 2 ~ Konda Kadalai Sundal, Puliyodarai
Navratri Special Day 3 ~ Mochai Sundal, Sakkari Pongal
Navratri Special Day 4 ~ Pattani Sundal, Kadambam Rice
Navratri Special Day 5 ~ Kadambam Sundal, Thayir Sadam!
Navratri Special Day 6 ~ Verkadalai Sundal, Elumichai Sadam!
Navratri Special Day 7 ~ Sunnundalu, Thengai Sadam!
Navratri Special Day 8 ~ Channa Dal Sundal, Pal Sadam (Kheer)!
Navratri Special Day 9 ~ Moong Dal Sundal, Kalkandu Sadam!

Special dishes that were done for Navratri 2011

Navratri Special Day 1 ~ Puli Aval / Aval or Atukula Pulihora, Chana Dal Khus Khus Payasam
Navratri Special Day 2 ~ Nellikai Sadam | Amla Rice | Gooseberry Rice, White Rajma Sundal
Navratri Special Day 3 ~ Sambar Sadam, Bansi Rava Sakkarai Pongal
Navratri Special Day 4 ~ Ellu Sadam / Sesame Rice, Pattani Sundal and Apple Masoor Dal Payasam
Navratri Special Day 5 ~ Samba Godumai Kesari, Navadhanya Sundal
Navratri Special Day 6 ~ Rava Pongal, Broken wheat Payasam
Navratri Special Day 7 ~ Thenga Sadam, Parrupu Podi Sadam, Khus Khus Kheer | Gasagasal Payasam
Navratri Special Day 8 ~ Arisi Paruppu Sadam, Kesari Bath, Masala Vada, Chickpea Sundal
Navratri Special Day 9 ~ Akkaravadisal / Akkaravadesil, Dhal Poori, Mixed Vegetable Korma, Maddur Vada, Lemon Rice


Other Festival Food

Pachi Mirapakaya Karam Dosa | Dosa with Curried Green Chili Spread ~ 101 Dosa Varieties!

Making Dosas with different Karam (Curried Masalas) is what Athamma makes most days for breakfast. She makes with ripe chilies, green chilies and so many other varieties as well. This version was something that's made with green chilies mixed with other spices like cumin, garlic etc. This surely spikes your morning like nothing else can.

We make this karam and store it for a week and use it on different dishes like Dosas, Idlis and sometimes on Bread as well.

As I am writing this, I am checking on the next set of dishes that I should be making for this Navarathri Pooja. I am almost done what I should be making. Hoping to have you all join me to make this a great festival season.

Pachi Mirapakaya Karam Dosa

Ingredients Needed

For the Karam:

Green Chilies, chopped - 1/2 cup
Garlic - 5 -6 cloves
Salt to taste
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Oil - 2 tsp
Curry leaves
Mustard Seeds, Urad Dal for seasoning

Dosa Batter for making Dosas


How to make the Karam:

Wash and chop the chillies. Heat a pan with a tsp of oil. Saute the chilies, garlic and cumin together until the green chilies are lightly browned.

Allow to cool and grind to a coarse paste, add water by a teaspoon if required to get the paste done. The paste would not be very smooth.

Heat a pan with oil, season with mustard seeds, Urad dal, curry leaves, add the ground masala and saute well.

Heat the tawa and make dosas. Cook on both sides. Spread a spoon of the masala on the dosa and sprinkle oil. Fold and serve with chutneys of choice.

Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani | Chicken Biryani Pressure Cooker Method

While planning for the weekend cooking, I thought I would make something new and asked Hubby dear what he wanted. He remembered his Aunt, who is a wonderful cook and wanted me to ask her for ideas. She was the one who shared the Fried Keema Balls, Keema Kofta Curry when we had gone to my SIL's place.  I called her up to know if she knows a newer version of biryanis, she was all praise of her daughter who lives in Hyderabad and asked me to talk to her. Well finally it lead me talking to her daughter who shared this Hyderabadi Style Chicken Biryani.

I specifically asked her if there was a said thing that tomatoes are not added in Hyderabadi Biryani. She said they make it both wise, with tomatoes and without and also in Dum Style and in regular cooking method. The procedure is quite long, the end result though makes it all worth is what she said. I set up making it and ended up making in Pressure cooker.

I was so surprised when Konda and Peddu loved this biryani so much. Konda never prefers Biryanis and it was a real treat that I have finally have something that she likes so much. So this joins yet another array of biryanis that has to be noted down.

I made this in pressure cooker and you got to be really careful about the water as you add water in couple of steps and I ended up using another method which takes care of excess water as well. I was told the specialty in this biryani is the amount of onions added, so much onions are added that it gives a different taste and texture all together. As with the Mutton Biryani that was shared by our Muslim Friend, this biryani uses Methi leaves as well. Maybe someday I will try out a vegetarian version of this and taste it myself!

 

Ingredients Needed:

For the Marinade:

Chicken  1 Kg

Curds - 1/2 cup

Ginger Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder a pinch

Salt - 1/2 tsp

For the Biryani

Rice - 3 cups

Cloves - 4

Cinnamon - 2"

Cardamon - 3 -4

Bayleaf - 2

Biryani Mogga - 2

Onions - 4 -5 big

Tomatoes - 2 -3 big

Green chilies - 5 -6 long

Coriander leaves - 1 tightly packed cup

Mint leaves - 1 tightly packed cup

Fresh Fenugreek / Methi leaves - 1 tightly packed cup *(Refer notes)

Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp

Red chili powder - 1 & 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder - 1 & 1/2 tsp

Roasted Cumin powder - 1 tsp

Dry Coconut powder / Cashew powder - 2 tsp

Cloves powder a pinch

Oil - 1/2 cup

Water - 5 cups

Salt to taste

For the garnish

Roasted onions

Roasted cashews

How to make the Biryani in regular pressure cooker method:

Wash and cut the chicken into bite size pieces.

Wash and soak the rice for 15 - 20 mins

In a bowl, marinate along with the ingredients listed for marination for about 30 - 40 mins.

In a pressure cooker, add oil and saute the whole garam masala. Then add onion julienne and saute till they turn colour.

Next add the ginger garlic paste and continue sauteing. Add slit green chilies.

Now add the chopped coriander leaves, mint leaves and Fenugreek leaves. Continue cooking in simmer.

Now add tomatoes, salt and cook till the tomatoes turn soft. Next add the chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder.

Cook for 10 mins, till the oil comes out on the sides. Make sure you don't let the bottom brown.

Add the chicken marinade along with the liquid. Cook till the all the moisture is evaporated. When all the water is evaporated, add the coconut powder. Mix everything well.

Drain the water from the rice and add to the pan. Combine everything well. Add the clove powder, water and adjust salt. Cover with lid and cook for 2 whistles or simmer for 10 mints.

For the garnish, roast the onions to crisp brown along with cashew for final garnish.

By Dum Method:

If you plan to make this biryani in Dum, Cook the rice to half boil and keep it aside after draining the water.

Cook the chicken gravy as per the above method, make sure the chicken gravy is almost dry.

In a thick bottom pan, layer with rice and chicken gravy alternatively and dum for 30 mins in sim over a tawa.

Finally serve with roasted cashews and onions.

I served with Chicken Gravy Athamma style and a plain Onion raitha.

Notes:

I made this biryani in pressure cooker method and though I added much less than the water I would for 3 cups of rice, the biryani turned soft and mushy. So I cooked it only for 2 whistle, and continued cooking in simmer, while having the pressure cooker over the tawa, covered with 4 layers of newspaper. Over the newspaper place a plate that fits it well and then finally place the cooker lid. This way the rice gets cooked evenly and the excess water is absorbed by the paper. End of 15 mins, the biryani turned out correctly done. It wasn't mushy or overcooked. 

Also since you add salt in two different places, please check after adding water. 

As onions are more, it will tend to become little sweet, so you will have to compensate with enough green chilies and red chili powder. This can be adjusted even after added the water at the end stage.

I couldn't lay my hands on fresh methi leaves and used kasuri Methi instead. Maybe this could have been the reason for the slight bitterness that was felt by Athamma, though as always kids didn't know it.