Varalakshmi Vratam Vantalu / Sravana Sukravaram Prasadam / Naivedyam

Varalakshmi Vratam falls on the second friday of the Sravanam Masam. It is widely performed by the married ladies all across South India for their husband's long life and for riches to the family. This year Varalakshmi Vratam falls on 28 August.

Goddess Lakshmi is worshiped throughout this holy month of Sravana in the form of Ashtalakshmis Aadi Lakshmi, Dhanya Lakshmi, Dhairya Lakshmi, Gaja Lakshmi, Santana Lakshmi, Vijaya Lakshmi, Vidya Lakshmi and Dhana Lakshmi. For any pooja bhakti is the main element but a lot of preparation go into this pooja.  

Apart for Pooja, 3,5,7,9 or 12 different naivedyam / prasadam will be made. It is completely depends on you on how many prasadam varieties you can make and offer. If you want to offer 9 varieties here is the list Boorelu, Garelu, Paravannam, chakkara pongali,  Pulihora, miriyala pongali, plain rice with pappu (Plain Dal/Tomato Dal/ Yellow Cucumber Dal/ Mango Dal/ Green Sorrel Dal), daddojanam, Aratikaya Bajji.

Boorelu	Garelu	Paravannam
Chakkara Pongali	Pulihora	Miriyala Pongali
Pappu	Daddojanam	Aratikaya Bajji

Curd Rice / Daddojanam - South Indian Rice Item

We South Indians can't end our meals without curd rice. In everyday meals, we just mix curd with rice and eat it with a pickle but when I make as an offering to God, specially on festival days I follow this recipe. 

You can beat the summer heat with this yummy curd rice. Some people also add pomegranate to this recipe but curd rice just with tempering and no fruit and vegetable also tastes heavenly.

Ingredients

1/2 cup Raw Rice

2 cups of Water

3 tablespoons Milk

1 cup Thick Curd

Salt to taste

3 tablespoons chopped Carrot

1 tablespoon Ghee

10 Cashewnuts

To Temper

2 teaspoons Ghee

1/4 teaspoon Mustard Seeds

1/2  teaspoon Urad dal

2-3 Green Chillies

1/2 inch Ginger 

1 Sprig Curry leaves

1. Pressure cook rice with 2 cups of water for 4 whistles. Let it cool, then mash the rice. Add milk, curd and salt. Mix it well.

2. Chop green chilli to small circles and chop ginger to small pieces. In a small pan, add 2-3 teaspoons of ghee , mustard, urad dal, saute for till dal turns to light brown. Then add green chilli, ginger and curry leaves. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Add this to curd rice. Chop carrot to small pieces. Add this to curd rice. Mix it well.

3. In a small pan, add a tablespoon of ghee, and cashews. Saute it till cashews turn to golden brown. Add this to curd rice. You don't have to follow this step in case you don't want to add cashews. Mix it well.  

4. Yummy,  heavenly delicious curd rice. Add water if required to make more smooth. Adjust salt accordingly. Have it with any Indian pickle.

Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes / Cup Cakes in Cones - Recipes for Kids

Another easy recipe made by kids during winter holidays is this one. My kids were so bored at home when I asked them to help me to make cupcakes their response was "Oh mummy we don't want cupcakes everytime". But when I told them that this time they are going to make Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes they were very excited. Kids get bored eating the same stuff everytime, my kids are not an exception but because they get to make the same old cupcakes in a different way they liked these.

Ice Cream cone cupcakes is a nice idea for kids parties.  These are easy to make and kids themselves can make these with a little help from elders. They allowed me to show the procedure, keep the cones in oven and to take photos. Thumbs Up.

Recipe is exactly same as 5 Minute Mug Cake Recipe. Try it and make your kids happy.

Ingrendients (Makes 10)

10 Ice Cream Cones

8 tablespoons All Purpose Flour / Maida

2 tablespoons Cocoa Powder

4 1/2 tablespoons Sugar

6 tablespoons Milk

6 tablespoons Oil

1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Essence

1. Mix all the ingredients. Pour 1 1/2 - 2 tablespoons of batter in each cone.

2. Pre heat the oven at 180 degrees. Fill all the cones and keep them on a grill.

3. Add sprinkles on the top and bake for 15 - 20 minutes or till the tooth pick inserted in ti comes out clean. Allow them to cool for 5 minutes.

4. Isn't it easy to make and a nice idea for parties.

Cupcakes in Colours - Recipes for Kids

  

Do you know who made these cupcakes. My kids. They wanted to make rainbow cupcakes but they felt it is too difficult for them so they tried these Colourful Cupcakes first. My kids took my recipe Chocochip muffins excluded chocochips and added their favorite colours blue and green to it. They allowed me to put the tray in oven. Everything else was done by them.

Ingredients (Makes 12 Cupcakes)

1 1/2 cup Cake Flour 

1 cup Sugar

1/2 cup Oil

1/4 cup Water

1/2 cup Milk

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 teaspoon Vanilla Essence

5 -6  drops of each Food Colour

1. Mix cake flour, sugar, oil, milk and water in a bowl. Divide the batter to equal parts into 2 bowls. Now add your favorite colours to each bowl. Mix it well.

2. Preheat oven at 180 degrees. Arrange the cupcake papers in the muffin tray. Fill 2/3 of the cupcake paper with batter. Bake it for 18 - 20 minutes or till the toothpick inserted in it comes out clean.

3. Allow them to cool.

Paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese) Tikka in oven

Paneer Tikka is a good starter and snack. Paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese) is marinated in with curd and indian spices and then grilled. You can easily make this at home. With this oven method recipe you can make paneer tikka in bulk for parties.

There is no green bell pepper in my paneer tikka recipe because of my daughter. She doesn't like it and exchanges that with paneer pieces. Whenever we order this in restaurants we both are always finally left with vegetable pieces.   So I started making these at home without green bell pepper.  Problem solved. 

Enjoy your winter, rainy days with hot Paneer Tikka. Serve it with Green chutney and 

Sweet Chutney.

Ingredients

12 1" Paneer Cubes / Indian Cottage Cheese

1 Yellow Bell Pepper / Capsicum

1 Red Bell Pepper / Capsicum

1 Green Bell Pepper / Capsicum

1 Onion

2 Tomatoes

3 tablespoon Yogurt / Curd

1 teaspoon Ajwain

1 teaspoon Dhania Powder

1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper Powder

1/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder

1/2 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder

Salt as needed

Oil as needed

1. Mix curd, cumin powder, black pepper powder, Ajwain, salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt in a bowl. Add lemon juice and mix it.  

2. Grease the skewers with oil. If you are using wooden skewers, keep them in cold water for atleast 30 minutes so that they don't burnt in oven. Keep the frozen paneer in hot water till it becomes soft. Then cut paneer to 1 inch cubes. Remove the seeds from tomato and peppers. Cut tomato, onion and all peppers to inch size. Coat the pieces all over with the marinade. You can also marinate vegetable pieces. Keep them in refrigerator for atleast 2 hours.

3. Preheat the oven at 220 degrees.  Arrange paneer, tomato, peppers and onion in skewers. Keep on them on a grill or on a baking tray. I placed them on a grill and kept the grill in a baking tray. Bake them for 15 minutes or until the edges of the paneer turns brown.

4. Serve it hot with green chutney and sweet chutney.

Dahi Papdi Chaat - Chaat Items

Best thing about these chaat recipes is every bite tastes different and you get many flavours and textures at a time. Dahi Papdi Chaat with a mix of sweetend curd, soft boiled potato, sweet and tangy chutneys, crispy papdis and masala powders is mouth watering.

You can buy papdis and chutneys from Indian grocery shops or can easily make these at home.

Click on the link for Green Chutney / Mint Coriander Chutney recipe

Click on the link for Sweet Chutney / Date and Tamarind Chutney recipe.

Click on the link for Papdi recipe. 

Click on the link for Sev recipe. 

Ingredients (Makes 4 Plates)

24-30 Papdis

4 tablespoons Yogurt / Curd

1 teaspoon Sugar

3 boiled Potatoes

4 tablespoons Chopped Coriander

Sev as required

Green Chutney as needed

Sweet Chutney as needed

Chat Masala Powder as needed

Red Chilli Powder as needed

Salt as needed

Cumin Powder as needed

1. Cut potato to 4 parts. Boil potatoes for 3 whistles in a pressure cooker, discard water, remove the skin of potato and let it cool. Cut these boiled potatoes to small cubes. Keep all the ingredients ready. Mix sugar to yogurt to sweeten it. 

2. Place 6-7 papdi on a plate. Place 2-3 potato cubes on each papdi. Pour a teaspoon of sweetened curd on papdis.

3. Add sweet chutney, green chutney and then a teaspoon of chopped coriander.

4. Add sev. Mix all the powders and salt. Sprinkle this powder mixture on papdis. 

5. Serve it immediately.