Kanu festival

KANU FESTIVAL 
The festival of Kanu is celebrated one day after the Pongal festival in Tamilnadu.
Kanu Pongal is widely celebrated in Brahmin households by ladies for the well-being of their Brothers, it’s like the South Indian version of Raksha Bandhan.
Other communities, especially farmers celebrate this day as Mattu Pongal.
Kanu day is not considered an auspicious day. In tamil, we call it as “Kari Naal” or “Kanu Peedai“.
Kanu is celebrated in temples as well by the priests who offer it on behalf of the Goddesses. Every year, on the next day of Pongal, at Sri Aaravamudhan Sannidhi, Sri Komalavalli Thayar "Kanu Utsavam" will be celebrated. On that day, along with Sri Komalavalli Thayar, the consort of Sri Chakkarathazhvar Sri Vijayavalli Thayar, the consort of Sri Ramaswami Sri Seetha pirati and Sri Rukmini Thayar of Thopputheru Sri Rajagopala Swami celebrate the Kanu Utsavam in Potramarai Thirukkulam
Kanu is a celebration of sibling bonds. Every festival in India has a significance and further instils the bonds between families.
On Kanu festival, a lot of varieties of rice are prepared with the freshly harvested rice. 

These dishes are then packed and taken by the women to their parental house/visit their brother’s to be shared with the family. 
During this ritual, women and girls sing and pray for the well-being of their siblings by offering rice balls to the birds, especially crows, who represent the ancestors.

“Kanni” Pongal is celebrated coinciding “Kaanum” Pongal for the wellbeing of unmarried women and for the fertility.

How to Pray on Kanu day?
Women must do the Kanu rituals, first thing in the morning before sunrise and before taking a bath.
All the ladies of the household, including small girls must celebrate this festival.

Yesterday’s left over white rice is used, it is mixed with Kumkum(to make red colour balls), Turmeric(to make yellow colour balls), curd rice balls and sweet pongal(leftover) balls. Sugarcane pieces are kept on top of each balls as done in my house by my mother.

Raw turmeric is sliced at the bottom and is used rub it on the foreheads of the women/girls after which namaskaram is done and the Kanu is offered to the birds.
How to keep the kanu ?
Make a Ma-kolam on the terrace or an open back/front yard where birds can visit
Keep Aarati ready to take Aarati post kanu. Keep Pooja items like camphor, vilaku(lamp), betel leaf, banana, pancha patra udrani etc ready for the poojai.
Turmeric plant leaves should be kept ready, this is usually available as we all would have bought this for pongal the previous day. Make balls of the rice as mentioned above and keep in an orderly manner over the turmeric leaves. Offer the Balls by chanting the prayer below.

Sprinkle water over them as well as around them, ring the religious bell, show camphor and pray as follows:-

Kaaka Pidi vechen, Kanu Pidi vechen,
Kaakai kku yellam Kalyanam,
Kaakkai kootam pirinthalum ,
Namma / Yen kootam piriyatha irukkanam
Kuruvi kki seemandham,
Poondhaam Pongi Vaazhattum,
Pirandhaam Thazhaithu Vaazhattum.
 
The verse loosely translated would mean:
One ball of rice for the crow,
One ball of food for the Kanu festival
It’s the marriage day for all crows,
Even if the group (family) of crows separate,
Our / My family should not get separated,
Sparrow’s baby shower (Seemantham)
Let the in-laws house overflow with goodies,
Let the house that we were born in, be forever prosperous

Then do poojai and finally take Aarati. The eldest lady in the family must rub turmeric on every other ladies forehead (raw manjal kizhangu)

Make sure to shower(head bath) Immediately, and wash the clothes that you were wearing.
Then all of them visit older Sumangali women for their blessings (Some references say that this is done after offering Kakai pidi and taking bath).
There’s an auspicious song/blessing that is usually sung,
Thayodum, thanthayodum,
Cheerodum chirappodum,
Perodum pugazhodum,
Perumaiyodum, keerthiyodum,
Chiruvayathil thaali ketti,
Periyavalaaki, pillaikal pethru
Kondavan manam magizha,
Thayyal naagi poala,
Thonga thonga thaali ketti ,
Thottilum pilaayumaage ,
Maamiyaar maamanaar mecha,
Nathiyum mamiyum pothra,
Piranthagathor perumai vilanga ,
Pethra pillaigal aayul onga ,
Uthraar uravinarodu ,
Puthaadai puthu malar choodi
Puthu maapillai marumagalodu ,
Puthu puthu santhosham perugi ,
Aal poal thazhaithu Aruge pal yer odi,
Yendrendrum vaazhanam,
Yeppothum chiritha mugathudan irukkanam
(தாயோடும், தந்தையோடும- ்,
சீரோடும். , சிறப்போடும- ்,
பேரோடும், புகழோடும்,
பெருமையோடு- ம், கீர்த்தியோ- டும
சிறுவயதில்- , தாலிகட்டி
பெரியவளாகி- பிள்ளைகள் பெற்று
கொண்டவன், மனம் , மகிழத்
தையல்நாயகி- போலத்
தொங்கத்தொங- ்க த்தாலிகட்ட- ித்
தொட்டிலும்- , பிள்ளையுமா- க,
மாமியார் மாமனார் மெச்ச,
நாத்தியும்- மாமியும் போற்ற
பிறந்தகத்த- ோர், பெருமை விளங்க,ப்,
பெற்ற பிள்ளைகள் , ஆயுள். ஓங்க,
உற்றார் உறவினரோடு
புத்தாடை. புது மலர். சூடி
புது மாப்பிள்ளை- , மருமகளோடு,
புது. புது சந்தோஷம் பெருகி,
ஆல்- ோல். தழைத்து. அருகே போல். ஏரோடி
என்றென்றும- ், வாழணும்
எப்- போதும் சிரித்த முகத்தோடு, இருக்கணும்- .)
 
Which loosely translated means :
“Along with mother and father,
With wealth and prosperity,
With great name and fame ,
Getting married at a young age,
After maturing giving birth to children,
Making the husband happy,
Like the goddess Thayyal Nayagi,
With mangalsutra hanging always(indicating mangalyam),
Along with cradle and children,
Being appreciated by the father in law and mother in law ,
Taken care of well by the mother-in-law and sister-in-law,
Earning a great name for your parents family,
With your own children living very long,
Along with friends and relatives,
Wearing new clothes and adorning fresh flowers,
Along with son-in-law and daughter-in-law ,
With new joys ebbing out,
Spreading like a banyan tree,
Developing deep roots like Arugam grass,
You should live forever,
And be bestowed with a smile on your face always.”
 

On Kanu day a variety of mixed rice(Kalantha Chaadam).
Coconut rice, Lemon rice, Tamarind rice and curd rice. They are offered to God and later the family have a great picnic lunch in their homes only.

UPPU SEEDAI / SALTED CHEEDAI (SAVOURY CRUNCHY RICE BALLS)

UPPU SEEDAI / SALTED CHEEDAI (SAVOURY CRUNCHY RICE BALLS) 

GOKULASHTAMI / KRISHNASHTAMI /JANMASHTAMI /KRISHNA JAYANTI, the Birthday of Lord Krishna is round the corner and one of his favourites is Seedai/Cheedai, a savoury crispy crunchy rice lentil balls.
Every year during Gokulashtami Amma used to make Seedais and we used to absolutely love them. We as kids used to toss Seedais into our mouth or each other’s mouth to see if we can aim right, we used to enjoy this challenge although, we used to get scolded for it.
Making seedais was a family ritual, with all of us involved in the rolling the dough balls. 

Ah!!! Missing those days of family bonding so much, especially in making seedai, the more the people the merrier it would be. 

Appa (the major general of our little army) would trick us into competing on who would roll out more seedai balls quickly, we would immediately take on the challenge, so we can win. We would await this ritual every year eagerly until one year, Amma had kept everything ready but as she popped the seedais into the oil, the seedais burst and the oil splattered and she got burnt badly, she had very bad burn marks on her stomach and hand.
My Appa got so angry that he threw all the dough into the bin and told Amma that henceforth she should not make any Bakshanam(Savouries) that would have the potential to burst and that was that. Appa used to buy all the Bakshanams from our dear Madras Stores(Readymade). 

Amma used to prepare Appam, Vadai etc for neivedyam but no more savouries.
The fear continued and I never attempted making seedai to as the incident had scared me. Anyways, Grand Sweets (Chennai) available in our Abdul Rahim stores, Upper dickson road, Singapore was always there for my rescue, Jai Ho!!!
But looking at so many people attempting this savoury, I got tempted to try too.
Just to be honest with you, I’m a "quick gun Murugan" chef and like quick recipes I don’t like to do too many laborious preparations. So in my recipe I have used the store-bought Rice flour and Udad flour (readymade flours), I have used dessicated coconut as well. 
Here’s my recipe of the Seedai, My recipe can make about ½ a kilo (500 gms) of Seedais

Ingredients (Makes about ½ kg of Seedai)
Rice Flour – ¾ cup
Split white lentil (Udad Dal /Urad dal/ Ulutham parippu) Flour – 1 tbsp
Split Bengal Gram lentil (Chana Dal/Kadalaparuppu) - 1 tbsp
Grated Coconut – 2 tbsp
Asafoetida (Hing / Perungayam) - ½ tsp
Butter – 1 tbsp
Salt as per Taste
Oil for Deep Frying
A muslin cloth or towel

Method
Soak the Chana dal in water for about 15 minutes.
Dry roast the flours in a non-stick pan for about 2-3 minutes in a low flame, ensuring to stand and monitor the roasting and not letting it change colour or catch the bottom. Let it cool down.
Now, Sieve the Flours, this is very important. Do not use the flour which has not passed through the sieve. This ensures that you get a smooth flour with no lumps.
Now, in a deep Mixing ball, Add the flours as per the measure above, add in the grated coconut, asafoetida, butter, the soaked and drained Chana dal and salt as per taste. Mix well, the butter should get one with the flour, so that when you hold it in your hand, it forms the shape of your hand. Then add water little by little and knead well to make a smooth dough. The best part about rice flour is it’s easily manageable with people who are not much experienced as well.
The dough should be stiff and not sticky to your hands. Add water slowly, sprinkle little by little if not confident.
Now, grease your fingers with some oil, take a small quantity of dough and roll it into a tiny ball.
While rolling, we need to roll it gently into a pliable ball, if too hard the seedai may burst.
Do not make big balls, the smaller the balls, the crunchier they turn out. Continue making the balls.
If you do not have people helping you making the balls while you are frying then you need to wet a muslin cloth, squeeze the excess water, the cloth must be moist and throw the balls onto the moist cloth, this is to ensure that the flour doesn’t get dry. Rice flour gets dry very fast.
As you keep making the balls then just cover it with the cloth gently.
Once finished rolling all the balls check, if you feel the balls are moist, allow them to dry out a bit before you start frying
Now comes the frying part, this by far is the most crucial part of making the Seedai.
Before you start, frying we need to ensure that the oil is nice and hot, but not fuming hot. Put a tiny pinch of dough to check first, if you see that the dough comes rising to the top, means your oil is ready.
I usually out one as a test run to see how it reacts (Because of my fear factor), once done, and all ok I add batches of about 15-20 balls at a time. Once you put in a batch of seedais in oil, keep the strainer ladle on top just in case and do not turn them immediately. Increase the flame a bit as when you drop a batch the temperature goes down, after about a minute, lower the flame and slowly turn the seedais to the other side. Let them fry on one side. If we keep the flame high to speed up the process, the seedai will turn brown and instead of being crunchy will be cooked on the outside and chewy on the inside.
The right temperature and being alert during the frying process is a must to ensure perfect seedais. Deep fry the balls until golden in color and you can feel them sound like little marbles on your ladle. Remove and drain excess oil on a paper towel. Allow it to cool down, then store the seedais in an airtight box.
I made this is as a neivedhyam Bakshanam for Gokulashtami. It gave me immense pleasure to serve my Lord, the Home made seedais made with love.
Enjoy these little crunchy balls on the go or as a snack with your tea/coffee. 

Statutory Warning !!!
Do not pop into your mouth, the hot seedai balls once out of the oil you may burn your tongue. Let it cool down first.  The crunch comes only once cool down.

Tips

· Follow the ratio exactly as given in my website. We need to use the right ratio otherwise the seedai will not turn out good. Adding more udad dal flour, makes the seedai burst open as well and you will see that the color would become dark, similarly adding less udad dal flour makes the color very light.

· You can sieve the flours twice to ensure that the flour is butter smooth, this ensures that the seedais won’t burst when frying. Better to be safe than sorry since we are using the store-bought readymade flours. Anil Rice flour/Kuzhakattai flour/Idiyappam flour are all good to make this recipe.

In my recipe I have used dessicated coconut. Incase, you are using fresh coconut roast them to a pink colour. After roasting, let it cool before adding to your flour mix.

· Adding more butter will make the seedai too brittle.

· To make more just double the measurements given 

Variations

· Vegans can replace butter with 1 tablespoon of Coconut oil, if adding oil, slightly warm up the oil     before adding.

· For those who want to make it the traditional way using the home made rice flour, which is considered by the elders and experienced as the best due to its smooth texture and also because you know what rice goes into the making.

Navarathri Festival then & now...changing times and patterns

Navarathri in the 70's- 2000 & Now....

I had the privilege of living & being brought up in Mumbai. A place where people from all over the country (India) live. Where each festival is celebrated with gaeity. A place where there's a frenzy to catch a train/bus/rickshaw/taxi. Where a day passes only to go to work & be back. Where even 24 hours in a day is less.

The power it takes to board the train, squeezing through the robust melee of people in a mad frenzy to catch the train & the same frenzy to get off the train, literally jumping onto the platform, squeezing back through the crowd and daring all odds to reach home and yet come back with energy for the family & household chores waiting for them. 

Yet, when festivals come, the ladies undauntingly celebrate it with ardour & warmth.

Our Tambrahm community has always been known to be a practical & intelligent lot. Our pragmatic approach to changing times has helped retain our age-old traditions & rich culture & heritage.


Then.....(In the yesteryears)

Working ladies would invite for Vettala Paaku(Thamboolam) over the weekends & housewives over the week. Inspite of living in a fast paced city with such a flinty pace. People still managed to make the time to celebrate festivals with zest. And all the practical difficulties of living in the buzzing metro city made us pragmatic in our approach towards everything.

Back then, I used to enjoy dressing up in my pattu pavadais(silk petticoats), adorning jasmines in my hair and wearing Amma's gold necklace and jhimki(long gold earring with precious stones). I used to feel so dolled up as I used to accompany my Amma(mother) for vettala paaku.

The girl kids were an integral part of the celebrations and were "invited". I used to feel so privileged to be "invited"😀

Nowadays the kids do not want to accompany nor do they like to dress up in our beautiful traditional gear.

In our community, being born as a girl itself was a celebration.

My brother wasn't officially "invited"😜 for the vettala paaku.

Once we reached in our silks & fineries, mind you it's the onset of winters and just comfortable to be attired in our ensemble.

When we visited the people, we used to admire the golus(arrangement of dolls), ask questions about the theme of arrangement, new Additions (It's a tradition to have a new addition of a doll every year). We used to chant shlokas, sing bhajans, appreciate any new things in the hostess's house.

We usually used to be offered sundal & some sweet and beverages(coffee, tea, juice)

Sometimes we used to visit a few houses in a row, so the sundals & sweets used to be packed in little small packets of banana leaves covered with a newspaper made into little take away packs. These packets were made & readily kept if we refused to have anything offered at the hostess's home. These items were not mandatorily given. It depended upon the convenience of the person. 

But, now....

Calling for Vettala paaku has become an elaborate affair.

Every person is competing with another. The humble sundal & sweet are replaced with a huge array of food items. It's like a buffet arrangement with a varieties of snacks & sweets. People are slogging in the kitchen to outdo each other in the quest of making an impression on the invitees. Some even ordering food from restaurants. Eventually a lot of ladies who cannot manage all this will jump off this bandwagon and succumb to the temptation of "not" celebrating this beautiful festival.

There's also competition in dressing up, presenting the house, displaying your riches, Offering expensive gifts and comparing who's gift is better than the other.

There's even pressure in dressing up in certain colors as well. 

There are yet, a group of people who pack the thamboolam in gift pouches and send it over to their friends through their maids😂.Totally hassle-free but completely kills the idea of offering thamboolam.

The manjal(Haldi) kumkumam (Kumkum)which was offered from little brass/silver boxes have transformed into plastic pouches or boxes holding colored powders.

The paaku(betel nuts) is packed in plastic pouches.

We are using so many non biodegradable things now in the name of convenience which is harming the environment.

I'm glad I kept re-inventing myself over the period of years. This year I purchased cloth bags to give my vettala paaku, i do not give blouse pieces which are going to be further passed on😜.

I love the idea of gifts, Gifts are an integral part of the thamboolam, so i take a lot of effort, go to many shops, buy gifts which can be used in the pooja room or house. Gifts that will be useful.

I keep the cost economical as I give a lot of people (80-100 ladies). 

My mom used to say, "The more ladies you give, the more punyam (Blessings) you get".

The idea is not the cost but the thought behind it.

Haldi-kumkum packets i still give....maybe eventually it should (will) change. Betel nut(Paaku) packets too....although some of my friends love them (Roja Paaku with little melon seeds).

No bangles, combs, pottu packets, mirrors😂🤣....they definitely get recycled.

Traditional gifts were an integral part of the Haldi kumkum, so these items got replaced with a small cursory gift given out of love to replace the various things that had "significance" in the past (items worn/used by women to groom themselves meant for married women only or single girls (barring widows as they were not a part of these festivities...which was sad)) 

As the society evolved, a woman is no longer identified by the presence of her husband but an embodiment of Shakti (So happy about the status change though)

Gifts!!! Phew!!! 

The cursory gift given in replacement of the traditional items (meant for married women only) has become the focal point.

The focus shouldn't be in the joy of recieving the gifts and judging the person's status based on what's given. 

People these days don't even remove the price tag, so the guests know the value of the gift given (As if it matters the most!!!🙍)

I remember a few years ago, a friend made a comment upon the cost of gifts given during the Navarathri festival. 

Suddenly the whole spirit of Navaratri has changed and now people are taking so much efforts to outdo each other, impress the guests by showing off that their gift is superior, this unfortunately is not the spirit of Navarathri at all. 

I usually buy my gifts from small vendors, which helps uplift them. I give many ladies which includes our building security guards, cleaners etc., hence i buy in lots. I give everyone the same gift immaterial of their class or staus.

The spirit of Navarathri is not in the gifts or the "giving".

The joy is in meeting, and praying/singing bhajans in the glory of the Goddess together and, I ensure that whoever comes to my home blesses me for the warmth and love I give them when they come home and the great time that we spend together that build memories; like the memories I have now, of my past as a child. I don't even remember who gave what in those days.  

As a child even if it was a piece of a coconut barfi (Since many coconuts were given as an item in the Thamboolam / Vettala Paaku, It was commonly prepared in many houses during the time and offered as well. Everything was put to good use and nothing was wasted ever)

Let's turn back the clock to times that were uncomplicated and simple and just rejoice in the glory of the Goddess. 

Let's celebrate and invoke the Goddess within each one of us.

Invoking the inner Goddess according to me is awakening oneself at various levels and then working towards elevating oneself . 

Connecting with my inner Goddess, is also a reminder that we are a part of the Source(The Supreme), knowing our potential and the powers within that can be unleashed for the Emancipation of Women and the betterment of the society is Imperative.

It's a chance to tap into the deepest source of Empowerment, creativity and happiness and that exactly is why these festivals were designed and not for the petty things that it has come to. 

We must adapt to the changing times and not rigidly keep doing rituals in the name of tradition. We must take into account the present day situation and act accordingly when it comes to caring for the environment but at the same time keep in mind the spirit of such beautiful festivals for the women, of the women and by the women. 

Let's find out ways to improve our lives and in the process help Mother Nature conserve her beauty and radiance. 

So let's spread joy and keep up the festive cheer. 

What we do now is what will influence the future generations and if we don't do it right, it probably is going to be redundant soon.

"Happy Navarathri to All"




© Sukanya's Musings

 

Disclaimer - This article is based purely on the author's personal knowledge, experiences, views and opinions. 

KARADAYAN NOMBU ADAI QUICK & EASY RECIPE ( SWEET & SAVORY ADAI)

KARADAYAN NOMBU
The Karadayan Nombu festival is primarily observed and celebrated by the Tamil Brahmins. It is celebrated during the transition of Tamil Month of Maasi to Panguni. Due to this legend Karadaiyan Nombu is also known as Savithri Vratham.

There are a few festivals in India which are very male oriented and centered around men. Primarily because in the past the men were the bread winners and the woman’s role was taking care of the hearth and homes. Their lives were intertwined with their husbands and they usually used to pray for the long lives of their husband, so that he is always there for them till the day they die. This was also a way to profess their undying love for their husbands. As per one of my cousins this could be known as the “Karwa Chauth” of the South Indians (Tambhrams). To give it a filmy twist, Women can even ask their husbands to tie the Yellow thread for them😉and then touch his feet and seek his blessings😇. (I'm not sure how many women of today will be ready to do that😜😜😜😜)

HOW DOES THE FESTIVAL GET IT'S NAME ?

Karadayan Adai is the name of a unique dish prepared on this day and Nombu means Vratham or upavasam (fast).Wives keep a fast to pray for the long lives of their husband's. They break the fast at the timings specified (muhurtham timings) by eating the Adai.

STORY BEHIND THE FESTIVAL

The Story of the Tamil Karadayan Nombu festival is based on the legend of Satyavan Savitri which is one of the stories that we read in the epic story Mahabharata.

You can read the story of Satyavan and Savitri here.
It is believed that Savitri got her husband’s life back from the clutches of death.
Each region in India observes a fast (upvas/vrat) in a different time of the year, like the Maharashtrians observe this as Vata Savitri and the North Indians as “Karva Chauth” etc.

WHEN DO WE CELEBRATE


It is celebrated during the transition of Tamil Month of Maasi to Panguni but please note the time of the end of the month of Maasi and the beginning of  Panguni varies.

If you are looking for accurate timings, please use the link below.👇 It gives you the date and Muhurtham timings of the Pooja as per the place you live in,

http://www.drikpanchang.com/festivals/karadaiyan-nombu/karadaiyan-nombu-date-time.html

 If you wish, you can consult your temple priest or check with elders or refer to the Panchangam.


HOW DO WE CELEBRATE

On Karadayan Nombu day women worship the Goddess and offer her a Neivedhyam (offering) of Sweet & Savoury mini steamed Adais.
Unmarried girls pray for a good husband and married women pray for their husband’s long life.
There is a muhurtham time for tying the sacred yellow thread which indicates that we have offered our prayers.
During this time, Women pray to the Goddess and tie the sacred yellow cotton thread known as Manjal cheradu or Nombu Cheradu for the well-being of their husband. This thread is not as thick as the Thali Kayaru(cheradu), this is a thinner version as shown in the picture.

*Women who are unable to perform the pooja on Nombu day due to monthly periods or any other reason, can do it on the following Tuesday or Friday during the Panguni month.*


HOW TO DO THE POOJA

Wear a Pattu(Silk) saree and for girls the pattu pavadai (if possible)

Keep in the pooja room near God on a plate, manjal, kumkumam, betel leaves, paaku, broken coconut, banana, flowers and all the yellow threads. Light the lamp and the Incense/Dhoopam for the Goddess. (refer to the picture above ☝)

Prepare The sweet and savory Adai's (Refer to Recipe below 👇)
In plates or banana leaves place the Adais(Sweet and savory) and do neivedhyam for the Goddess.
Put small maa - kolams in front of the God for the total number of Girls/Ladies and One for the Goddess Amman
(This can be done in the morning itself, it should be totally dry when you do the pooja)
Place a banana leaf on top of each Kolam, Keep the Nombu adai(Sweet & Savory) with umelted butter on each banana leaf.
Do Namaskaram to the Goddess, tie a yellow thread (Nombu cheradu) for the Goddess and then sit cross legged in front of each Banana leaf placed before the Goddess.
Now tie the nombu cheradu around your neck by yourself and tie it for the children too.

*The following shloka is chanted while tying the yellow thread*

In Sanskrit,
“Throram Krishnami subhake saharitham
Dharami aham bharthu Ayushya Sidhartham supreethabhava sarvadha”
Which means,
By tying the sacred yellow thread, I hereby pray for a long life for my husband and also pray that we always live happily together.

In Tamil ladies chant,

Urugaadha Venneyum, Oru adaiyum, Oru Noolum naan noorthaen
Orukkalumum en kanavan ennai vittu piriyaada irukka vendum.
Which means,
I offer unmelted butter alongwith the adai, Tying a thread doing nombu,
Bless me O Goddess that me and my husband never get separated and always live happily together.

After tying the rope, take one adai along with unmelted butter and eat it.😋😋😋😋😋.
Ladies should eat this adai and break the fast.
Then it should be distributed to the members of family.

This is how Karadaiyan Nombu is performed in our house. This procedure may differ as per places.

Consult the elders about your family practice and do the pooja accordingly.

MAKING THE ADAI

I will share with you an easy method to make the adai without compromising much on the taste.
Before you make the adai (for sweet adai and the savory adai), roast the rice flour in a wok so it loses its raw smell. The color of the flour should still be white. Transfer it onto a plate to cool.

SWEET ADAI / VELLA ADAI (EASY & INSTANT METHOD)

Ingredients

Rice Flour - 2 cups
Jaggery (powdered) - 1.5 cups
Water - 1 cup
Black eyed beans - 1/2 cup
Coconut (cut into small cubes) - 2 tbsp
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Cardamom (Elaichi) - 2-3

Method
Soak the beans overnight or for around 3 hours, pressure cook and set aside.
Pound the cardamom, separate the skin and further pound the seeds inside into a powder.
In a wok, add Ghee, the cardamom seeds and coconut pieces, Allow the coconut pieces to fry until golden. Then add the water and let it boil, once it starts boiling, add the jaggery.
When the jaggery starts to froth and the raw smell of jaggery disappears, add the roasted rice flour, cooked black eyed beans, and mix the ingredients well. Mix until it rolls up like the chappati dough. Remove from the gas. Allow it to cool.
Once it is cool enough to touch, make balls of the mixture and flatten it to round shapes. Put a hole in the middle with your finger just like a doughnut, place on the idli moulds.
Steam them in an idli cooker for 7 - 10 minutes. Serve with a generous dollop of white butter (usually made at home).

SAVORY ADAI / UPPU ADAI

Ingredients
Rice flour - 2 cups
Water - 2 cups
Cooked black eyed beans - 3 tbsp
Green chillies / Dried red chillies - 2
Coconut, diced - 2 tbsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - a Sprig
Asafetida - a pinch
Salt - to taste
Method
Heat some oil in a wok, add some mustard seeds, asafetida, green chillies or dried red chillies and curry leaves and sauté for a minute, till the seeds stop spluttering. Add the water to it next and let it come to a boil. Add in the salt, coconut pieces, cooked black eyed beans and the roasted rice flour and stir well so that lumps don't form. Mix until it rolls up like the chappati dough. Remove from the gas. Allow it to cool.
Make balls out of it, flatten the balls and cook in an idli steamer for about 10 minutes.
Serve with a generous dollop of butter.

Enjoy the Adais 😋😋😋😋😋 as a reward of breaking the vratham👍 kept for your dear husbands or would-be husbands.

AFTER THE FESTIVAL
The thread you tied around the Godess's Idol can be removed once its worn out, it can be tied to a plant or branch of a tree or dispersed in water. Do not disperse in reserviors/lakes
The threads tied around the women can be tied to the Thali Cheradu (Kodi)/Mangalsutra if you wish to or tie it to a plant or the branch of a tree.
For unmarried girls the thread can be tied to the branch of a tree too.


"HAPPY KARADAYAN NOMBU TO ALL" 

KOZHAKATTAI / UKDICHE MODAK / COCONUT & JAGGERY FILLED RICE DUMPLINGS

KOZHAKATTAI / UKDICHE MODAK / COCONUT & JAGGERY FILLED RICE DUMPLINGS

GANPATI BAPPA MORYA!!!!!

Yesterday marked the beginning of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi, this festival marks the celebration of the birthday of Lord Ganesha, the son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, who is believed to bestow his presence on earth for all his devotees in the duration of this festival. It is the day Shiva declared his son Ganesha as superior to all the gods, barring Vishnu, Lakshmi, Shiva and Parvati. Ganesha is widely worshipped as the god of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune and traditionally invoked at the beginning of any new venture or at the start of travel.

The festival, also known as Ganeshotsav ("festival of Ganesha") is observed in the Hindu calendar month of Bhaadrapada, starting on the shukla chaturthi (fourth day of the waxing moon period). The date usually falls between 19 August and 20 September. The festival lasts for 10 days, ending on Anant Chaturdashi (fourteenth day of the waxing moon period). The total number of days change according to the waqxing moon and the Hindu calendar. This festival is celebrated  with great pomp all over India, it is most elaborate in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Goa and Chhattisgarh. Outside India, it is celebrated widely in Nepal and by Hindus in the United States, Canada, Mauritius,[3] Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Burma and Fiji. (Info courtesy-Wikipedia)

One thing that is always made in my kitchen for my darling elephant God Ganesha is the Tenga Poornam Kozhakattai / modakams.

Modak has a special importance in the worship of the Hindu god Ganesh; modak is believed to be his favorite food, which begets him the moniker “modakapriya” (the one who likes modak) in Sanskrit.

During the Ganesh worship ceremony, known in India as Ganesh Chaturthi the puja always concludes with an offering of modakas to the deity and as prasad.

I make this in the South Indian style as well as the Maharashtrian style as I was born in Maharashtra where the same dish is known as Ukdiche Modak.

In Maharashtra

The sweet filling inside a modak is made up of fresh grated coconut and jaggery, while the outer cover is made from rice flour, or wheat flour mixed with khava(khoya) or maida flour. The dumpling can be fried or steamed. The steamed version is called ukdiche modak.

In South -India

The sweet filling inside a modak is made up of fresh grated coconut and jaggery, while the outer cover is made from rice flour and steam cooked.

I never found the steam cooked kozhakattais in any restaurant in Mumbai, India but was surprised to find this at the Ananda bhavan restaurant here in Singapore. But nothing can beat the home cooked ones especially when they are just out of the steamer/cooker. It’s best to eat this when it’s steaming hot. 

Ingredients

White rice – ¾ cup
Grated Coconut - 1 cup

Jaggery - 3/4 cup

Elaichi (Cardamom) – 2-3

Ghee – ½ tbsp

Coconut Oil - 3 tbsp

Method

To make the coconut jaggery filling (Tengai Poornam)
In a wok, add the ghee and the crushed cardamom minus the skin of the cardamom. Allow this to fry, then add in the jaggery and let it melt on a low flame. Once the jiggery starts to froth, add in the coconut, mix well and keep stirring over a low flame until the mix becomes one, there’s no water and the mix starts to leave the sides of the pan. This is fast to cook in a non-stick wok. Once done, keep aside and let it cool. Make small balls and keep aside.

Make the cover

Soak the rice in water for about 2-3 hours. Rinse well. Drain the water from the rice and grind it in a mixie (blender) by adding some water until it becomes a smooth batter. Add about 1 ½ tbsp of oil and a pinch of salt. Now, in a nonstick pan, Add in the batter and on a low flame cook it until the water starts to evaporate and the batter starts to thicken a bit like chappati dough but slightly more pliable than  that. Immediately put off the flame and allow it to cool. Knead the dough well. Add some oil and knead well.

How to make the kozhakattai

Grease your hands with some coconut oil. Take a small piece of the dough, roll it like a ball and then flatten it on your palm and shape it like a bowl. Gently press and shape the dough to make it bigger and ensure that it doesn’t have cracks. My grandmother always used to say that the best kozhakattai is when the cover is thin and not too thick and also there shouldn’t be cracks. Now place the Tengai Poornam or coconut jaggery filling that you rolled into balls and place it in the centre of your bowl shaped dough and close it, pulling some of the dough up into the shape of a monumental tower on the tip. Make a few and keep aside.

Steaming the kozhakattais

You can use an idli stand, a dhokla stand, a stainless steel or bamboo steamer or any plate, just grease the plate, line up the kozhakattais and cover with a lid and let it cook on steam for abour 5-10 minutes. Check the kozhakattais, when you find that they are a bit shiny and translucent, and not sticky when you touch them, they are ready. Sprinkle one tablespoon of water on them. And serve them on a plate for the lord, this is called as “Neivedyam”. Once that’s done, you can dunk into this steam cooked sweet delight. Always eat these hot. There are some things in life which can be got only at home and not in a restaurant or shop. This is one of them.

Tips

-Use coconut oil for best results.

-Use fresh grated coconut instead of the frozen or dessicated ones

-Grind the rice flour in a stone grinder instead of a mixie.

-You can use readymade rice flour instead of soaking and grinding the rice. But ensure that you use fine rice flour.

- If, at any time, the dough begins to be difficult to work with, add some water to the dough and knead the dough again. If the batter begins to stick to your fingers, dip your fingers into the oil.

PORULVALANGAI URUNDAI / KETTI URUNDAI

PORULVALANGAI URUNDAI / KETTI URUNDAI
Warning!!!! These are for people with strong teeth only.

At home we call this Poruvalangai urundai but its actually Porulvilangai urundai. In Singapore they call it Ketti urundai. My brother absolutely loves this and this post is for my brother.

I read a lot about why this laddoo shaped sweet is called Porulvalangai urundai and came up with many answers. I won’t repeat them though as they are all over the internet. This urundai is very good for health as it has got all healthy ingredients. In olden day’s people who used to travel from one place to another used to carry this with them as it has a longer shelf life and a lot of nutritional value to give them extra energy or boost while traveling.

There are various recipes to make this sweet as they say, anything nutritious can be added. This is my recipe. I tried to make it a bit softer by adding ghee as we have 2 people at home with cavities and fillings and I couldn’t afford to take risks…LOL!!!!!

My mother used to tell me how her grand mother (my great grandmother) would be able to eat these urundais at a very old age. I guess they were using their teeth aptly unlike us.

Here is a delicious recipe which you can make for Diwali. It is less sweet, healthy and nutritious and very very tasty.

Porulvalangai Urundai

Ingredients

Green Beans or Yellow split moong dal – ½ cup

Rice – ¼ cup

Chana ka daali / chutney daal/ pottu kadalai – ½ cup

Cardamom powder – 1tsp

Sesame Seeds – ¼ tbsp

Salt - a pinch

Jaggery – 1 cup

Ghee – 1 tablespoon (optional)

Dry ginger powder -1/2 tbsp

Cashew nuts – 1-2 tbsp
Raisins - 1-2 tbsp

Method

Dry roast Green Bean(Moong dal) or you can also use yellow split moong dal, the rice and pottu kadalai, till a good aroma comes. Be careful when roating, don’t burn it else your laddoo will taste awful. Be around and monitor it and roast it on a low flame. Then grind these finely in a blender (mixer)

Dry roast sesame seeds separately and add in to your mixture. Also add in a pinch of salt, the cardamom powder and the dry ginger powder. Blend well with a dry wooden spatula.

In a wok, add 1 cup of jaggery with ¼ cup water. The jaggery starts to melt and dissolve in the water. Wait for it to froth and cook the syrup till you achieve one-string consistency (when you add some drops of syrup in a glass of water, it can be rolled like a flexible ball, another way of checking the paagu or syrup is take a teaspoon dip in paagu and dip it in a glass of cold water. If it becomes candy-like then it is ready). At this point switch off the gas. Pour this syrup into the grinded flour and roll it quickly to small lemon size balls. Fry the cashew and raisins in ghee and keep one each for decoration as seen in the picture. I added a tablespoon of hot melted ghee as well along with this. Be careful don’t take too much time to roll the flour into balls else it will become tough to roll. Incase that happens just keep the entire mix on a low flame until the jaggery melts and roll the balls. Once cool the laddoo becomes hard, its ready for attack. Now taste this nutritious poruvalangai urundai. For those with weaker teeth, break the urundai, pop it into your mouth and relish it.