Gouri -Ganesha Festival Special Dishes.

Happy Gouri -Ganesha Festival to all. 
Gouri Ganesha Festival is celebrated in all most all parts of India. Ganapati/Ganesha, being the vighna vinashaka means he solves all the problems whatever it comes. He should be prayed first in any function takes place. This year Ganesha festival is on Thursday 17th of September. The previous day will be Gouri festival. Many people do bring Gouri-Ganesha statue which is made of mud. After the pooja and prasadam people do visit Ganesha kept in other places. Ganesha festival day many  dishes are  prepared to offer at pooja as prasadam and distributed to people who comes to see Ganapa/ Ganesha/ Vinayaka /Vignesha. It is said that what ever you prepare must be 21 in number. People do 21 namaksarass, seeing 21 Ganesha statues etc.
 Feast means number of dishes cooked and served and a heavy meal at the end of the pooja is enjoyed with the whole family. People do many dishes like Laddus, Chakli, Kadubu and kajjayas, Holige and Karchikai/ karanji etc etc.
Here are some simple recipes one could enjoy your meal fully in a healthy way. 

Shavige Kheer- Harive soppina Huli - Patrode and Kai kadabu

First day is the Gouri pooja and ladies pray for the health of their husband and the people of the house. Bhagina (Haladi -Kumkum) is given to ladies. Then only the cooking starts. It will be some easy recipes on that day. Our Udupi side people do preparation with leaves and some payasam. There is a story behind this, since the parents of Parvathi were very poor and could not offered much they could only prepare the leaves (which you get in plenty during this time of the year) dishes and payasa.
Gouri Festival day : Special Dishes

1. Harive Soppina Huli (Amaranth leaves curry)

Things needed :

Amaranth leaves/Harive soppu  : 1 bundle
Toor/ Moong dal : 1/2 Cup
Coconut : 3 Tablespoons.
Coriander seeds/daniya seeds : 1 Tablespoon
Jeera/Cumin seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Red byadagi chilli " 5 to 6
Tamarind : a small marble size.
Salt : to taste
Mustard splutter with urid dal, ingh, curry leaves

Method :

1. Wash and pressure cook toor dal. Let it cool.
2. Wash and cut harive soppu and cook till they turn soft.
3. Grind coconut, raw coriander seeds, jeera, red chilly and tamarind with little water till paste consistency.
4. Now keep a big pan on the fire and add cooked dal, leaves, salt and turmeric powder. Mix it well. Let it cook for 2 minutes.
5. Add ground coconut-coriander mixture and mix it well. Let it cook on low flame for 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Shift the ready curry and add mustard splutter with ingh and curry leaves.
7. The curry is ready to serve.

2. Patrode ; Kesu patrode :

Things needed :

Kesu /Colocasia leaves : 8 to 10.
Coconut : 1/2 cup
Toor dal :1/2 cup
Raw rice : 2 cups
Red chilly 6 to 8
Coriander seeds : 2 Tablespoons
Jeera : 1 Teaspoon
Methi seeds : 1 Teaspoon
Urid dal : 1 Tablespoon
Tamarind : a small lemon size
Jaggery : 2 Tablespoons
Salt : to taste

Method :

Wash all the leaves and remove the stem behind the leaves and keep it aside. Soak rice , urid dal, toor dal. methi seeds for 2 hours and grind them with coconut, daniya seeds, jeera, red chilly and tamarind.
Add jeggary, salt and grind at the end and remove from the mixi jar. Add salt and mix it well.
Just spread one leaf and spread the dough on it nicely. Add one more leaf on the top of the first one and spread the dough. Repeat the same on one more leaf.  (not more than 4 leaves ).
Fold the sided to the center and roll them like chapati roll.
Arrange them on a plate and steam cook in Idly cooker or pressure cooker for 25 to 30 minutes.
Prick it a knife edge to know that is cooked well. Patrode is done if the dough does not stick to the knife edge.
Patrode is ready to serve.

3. Shavige Kheer

Things needed : 

Shavige/thin noodles : 1/2 Cup
Milk : 2 Cups
Sugar : 2 To 3 Tablespoons
Ghee : 1 Tablespoon
Dry Fruits : 2 Tablespoons : (Cashew Nuts and Raisins).

Method :

Fry Shavige/thin noodles on a low flame with a teaspoon of ghee.
Add boiled milk and let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add sugar and stir well.
Powder cardamom and keep it aside.
Fry cashew nuts and raisins in a teaspoon of ghee and add it to the kheer.
Shift the kheer to a serving bowl and add powdered cardamom.

Note : Use of more or less sugar is optional. You can use more dry fruits and add almonds to the kheer. Frying should be done on low flame.

Ganesh Festival : Special dishes

1.Kadale Pancha Kajjaya 

Pancha Kajjaya is a sweet dish , pancha means five and kajjaya is some thing sweet. Kadale/Channa dal Pancha kajjaya is prepared using Channa dal or whole channa.

Things Needed :

Channa/Bengal / Kadale bele : 1 Cup
Sugar or Jaggery : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Ghee : 1 Teaspoon
Coconut : 2 Tablespoons
Cardamom : 3 to 4 pods.

Methid :

Dry roast channa/ kadale bele and leave it for cooling.
Powder cardamom and sugar/jaggery in a mixi jar.(dry grinder).
Dry roast coconut on low flame and dry grind it.
Dry grind roasted channa dal coarsely and remove from the jar.
Put powdered channa, dry ground coconut, jaggery/sugar in  a big bowl.
Add a spoon of ghee and mix all the ingredients nicely and put it in a serving dish.

Kai Kadubu (Sweet coconut jaggery stuff).

Things needed : 

Rice flour : 2 Cups
Water : 4 Cups
Jaggery : 1/2 Cup
Coconut : 1 Cup (fresh and grated)
Cardamom : 4 to 5 pods.
Salt : a little

Method : 

Powder cardamom and grate coconut. Dry grind coconut with cardamom seeds and keep it aside.
Now keep a pan on the fire and add jaggery and dry ground coconut.
Mix it nicely on a low flame and to a slightly thick consistency.
They should be mixed together and the water content should disappear. Remove from the pan and keep it aside.
Now keep water for boiling on the fire.Once the water boils add rice powder and mix it thoroughly..
Mix it nicely and stir continuously till it gets thick.
It starts leaving the pan. Mix it well again and remove from the pan.
Now mix it well once again and take a small size of cooked dough and prepare Kai kadabu.
Spread the dough in circle shape. Place a spoon full of jaggery coconut mixture in the middle and  fold both sides like a boat shape or half moon shape. Prepare kaikadabu and arrange in the plate.
To give a modaka shape : touch little ghee and take a small lemon size of rice flour dough. Spread it on the palm like a circle shape. Keep a teaspoon of coconut jaggery mixture and bring up all the sides on the top and turn it like a top.
Steam these kai kadubu and modakas in a pressure cooker or idli cooker for 10 to 15 minutes.
Arranging them in pressure cooker: arrange the modak/kaikadabu in a small plate. Put some water to the bottom of the pressure cooker. Place a big bowl upside down. Place a plate above the bowl. Keep the  Kai kadabu or Modaka arranged tray or plate on the top of the plate. Cover the pressure cooker and cook for 10 to 15 minutes. (Do not use weight while steaming).
Modakas/Kai Kadabu  are ready for Naivedyam.

Note : You can prepare kova modakas, just mixing sweet kova and little chiroti rava together, add a teaspoon of ghee and prepare a ball size and give a shape of modaka. You can also prepare dough with rava and maida and keep some sugar and nuts mixture and give a shape to modaka and fry them till they turn brown. Crsipy modakas are ready to serve.

Mixed Dals & Rice Dosa.

 Eating dosa or idli for breakfast is one of the good habit. Dals are loaded with proteins and carbohydrates.
 Idli and dosas are prepared using rice or rava and urid dal. They are rich in carbohydrates and proteins. It is easy to prepare and it is always healthy to eat home made food.Here is one such recipe which loaded with proteins.

Mixed dal dosa is called adai or dal dosa and I have used all the dals and red boiled rice (Kocchakki - or Kusulakki ) as we say and I have not used any maida. (normally maida (all purpose flour) is added in hotels. Try this and I am sure you all love this dosa very much. Dals /legumes are loaded with protein, carbohydrates and energy rich. They also loaded with minerals and vitamins.
Kochhakki/Kusalakki makes the dough soft and crispy. 

Things needed :

Toor Dal : 1/2 Cup
Urid Dal : 1/2 Cup
Moong Dal : 1/2 Cup
Chenna Dal : 1/2 Cup
Raw Rice : 2 Cups
Red boiled Rice : 1 cup
Avalakki : 2 Handful (Optional)
Methi Seeds : 1 Teaspoon
Medium Rava/ Semolina : 1 Cup
Oil/Ghee : 1/2 Cup

Method :

1. Wash and soak rice and all dals together for 2 to 3 hours. Wash and soak Avalakki/beaten/flattened rice separately.

2. Grind them nicely adding water little by little and put it in a big bowl. Add salt and mix it well. Let it rest for 4 to 5 hours or over night.

3. Add rava in the morning when you are ready to prepare dosa. Mix it thoroughly .

4. Keep a tava (dosa pan) and heat. Put 1/2 Teaspoon of oil on the tava and spread it nicely. Clean that oil with a kitchen tissue.
5. Take a ladle full of dosa batter and spread it on the tava in circular shape. Do not press so much it might stick to the spoon and it becomes difficult to prepare dosa.

6. Add a spoon of il on the top of dosa and let it cook for 1 minute. Turn the other side and cook for 10 seconds.
7. Remove it from the dosa pan and serve hot dosa with any curry or chutney you prepared. Add a spoon of ghee on the top of hot dosa before serving.

 8. Repeat the same with remaining batter to prepare dosa.

Note :

Adding more boiled rice may turn dosa very soft and you might not be able to prepare thin dosas. Adding Avalakki/poha is optional.That too makes the dosa very soft but it adds to the  fluffyness to the dosa. You can use ghee instead of oil. It adds to the taste,
Prepare dosas on medium and low flame.(while spreading let it be low flame and then let it cook on medium flame).

Adding rava is to get the crispness and binding consistency. (Instead of maida added medium sized rava/semolina). You can also prepare dosas with this batter. Add a cup of curd just when are ready to prepare dosas. Do try it on a small quantity first and then you can prepare the larger quantity. (You get the idea by preparing smaller quantity and then you can adjust according to your wishes.


Time :
Dosa preparing : 20 minutes.
Preparation : Soaking 3 hours, leaving the batter to ferment : overnight. 
Serves : 8 to 10 ppl :  35 to  40 Dosas can be prepared.