Aadi Perukku

This year the festival falls on August 2nd, 2008 . Hundreds of devotees, including newlywed couples, celebrate the `Aadi Perukku' festival by offering worship on the banks of the Rivers. The festival name translates as Adi (month) swell or 18th day swell because the waters of the Kaveri river invariably rise dramatically, often to the 18th step on the 18th day of the month of Adi, corresponding with the second or third of August every year. Perukku’ means rising – indicating the rising water in rivers. The festival is essentially a form of nature worship. Special food is prepared on this day and family and friends get together and pray for uninterrupted supply of water and a good harvest..

The river runs swiftly today. The water seems to be overflowing the banks. It is but natural. The increased water levels directly correlate with economic prosperity. This occasion is marked by offerings of chitrannam or rice cooked in different flavours,colours and ingre-dients to honour the river goddess and nature for life giving water. Goddess Kaveri is supposed to be in the third month of her pregnancy and like all pregnant women, she has a craving for delicacies. The baskets are laden with food which will be offered to the goddess as treats. There’s lime rice, tamarind rice, coconut rice, curd rice, sweet jaggery rice, appam, fried karudams, appalams and pickles.

The menu for this festival is always variety rice.

1. Thengai saadam (coconut rice)
2. Elumichai saadam (lemon rice)
3. Puliyodarai (tamarind rice)
4. Ellu saadam (Sesame rice)
5. Sarkaraipongal
6. Kalkandu sadam
7. curd rice
   

All recipes will be posted in the next 3 days.Blog related Aadi perruku here

Pal Poli (Milk Poli)

"Pal poli is one of our traditional sweets famous for its own taste. Pal poli is one of the sweets I love. In tamil for milk we say pal. Pal poli puris soaked in sweetened reduced milk. There are many ways to prepare this sweet poli – with rava (semolina), maida or mixed one Very delicious and easy to prepare. You will enjoy its rich taste.The taste is divine…

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tbsp oil or ghee

2-3 drops yellow food colouring

Water to make dough

For the milk syrup:

5 cups milk

1 cup sugar

8-10 cardamom pods

1/2 tsp saffron strands

Oil for frying

Thinly sliced almonds/pistachios, for garnish

Method:

Make a elastic dough with the flour, ghee and water and use 2-3 drops yellow food colouring Cover and set aside

Boil the milk and sugar in a heavy saucepan, Continue stirring the milk on a low simmer until it thickens and reduces to about a third in volume.

Meanwhile Divide into 10 equal parts and shape them into balls make small size of puris from the dough.

Heat the oil in a pan and deep-fry the puris.

Drain the oil well and Dip each puri in the hot thickened milk.

Soak the fried polis in the milk and then arrange them on a plate. If there is excess milk, you can always pour it over the polis and sprinkle with the toasted almonds/pistachios. Serve warm or chilled.

The longer it soaks in milk, the better taste you will get.

Tendil Sabji

Tondli or Tendli as its called in Maharashtra, is a vegetable that looks like small dark green cucumbers but are stubby and grow aggressively on vines. They are also known as Tindora or Tindla in Hindi, Goli in Rajasthani, Tondakayi in Kannada,kovvakkai in tamil Dondakaya in Telugu and Ivy Gourd or Gentleman’s Toes or Gherkins in English. They are available in India throughout the year.. This dish is often prepared in my home It gives a very nice taste. The preparation is very simple.

Ingredients:

250gms tondli, sliced or cut into thin vertical pieces,

2 onions chopped

2 tomatoes cut into small pieces

2 green chillies chopped

1/2 tsp turmeric powder,

1tsp red chilli powder,

1 tsp jeera powder

1tsp coriander powder

1 tbsp peanut powder

Salt to taste

1 tbsp oil

Chopped coriander leaves.

Method:

1.Heat some oil in a deep frying pan,Add mustard seeds and when they splutter add green chilli , onion and fry till onion turns brown.

2.Then add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, jeera &corriender powder and fry again.

3.Now add tomato and fry again . Mix. Mix and immediately add the chopped tondli,salt springle little water and mix well,

4.This should be stir fried for sometime before steaming in low fire. cook till tondli is soft, cooked and all the water has dried up. Keep stirring at regular intervals.

5.Once the tendili is cooked garnish with corriender and peanut powder.

6.Serve with rice or chapati