FESTIVAL FOOD: DASARA/VIJAYA DASHAMI

Hope you all had a great time celebrating last weekend. Here is an image of dolls of nine Goddesses, who are worshiped and celebrated as a part Golu/Bombe habba during the nine nights of Dasara:
(It's all about girl power in India at this time!!:D)

Photo from Wikimedia commons.

Dasara or Vijaya Dashami or Navaratri festival:
The word Navaratri literally means nine nights in Sanskrit; Nava=Nine and Ratri=nights. During these nine nights and ten days, nine forms of Shakti i.e. female divinity are worshiped in South India. The last day of all the celebrations is "Vijaya Dashami" means "The triumph of righteousness".
The following 9 forms of goddesses are worshiped during these nine days: Durga, Badrakali, Amba or Jagadamba, Annapurna, Sarvamangala, Bhairavi, Chandika or Chandi, Lalitha, Bhavani and Mookambika.
In North India, Navratri is celebrated slightly different than in South India, where they rejoice the triumph of Lord Ram over the evil King Ravan, and the 10th day ends by burning the huge effigy of Evil Ravan symbolizing victory over evil.

Mysore Palace is lit up for Dasara:
Click here for more photos of the palace.

Here is how; we celebrate Dasara in Mysore, Karnataka, also famously called "Mysore Dasara", is a 10-day long festival which also includes display of various colorful dolls called "Bombe Habba".
On the day of Dasara, a procession of exquisitely decorated elephants carrying the idol of goddess Chamundi is taken through the city. It used to be the Maharaja of Mysore who used to ride the Elephants waving at his subjects on that day but not anymore!! I vaguely remember watching the Dasara procession as a young child in the late 60s, when Mysore Maharaja Late Shri.Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar used to parade on top of the Elephant decorated with loads of gold! Info on Dasara rituals, click on Wikipedia.

I am sending this to Vee of "Past,Present and me" blog, for JFI special edition "Navratri Festival" round up. Thanks for hosing Vee!:))

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Here is my post of "Tamil Festival food" for Regional Cuisine of India which is a brainchild of Lakshmi of "Veggie Cuisine". This event is hosted by Viji of "VCuisine" this month. Thank you Lakshmi and Viji!:))



Usually, we celebrate just Diwali and Shivaratri at home. But last weekend,I decided to cook Tamil Nadu style feat for us as a part of Dasara! These are the cookbooks I referred to cook for Vijaya Dashami(10th day) festival food:


I referred to the cookbook "Festival Samayal" for the ideas of what to cook for Vijayadasami, which the author Viji Varadarajan explains it in detail listing all the Tamil festivals. Once I decided on the menu, I chose few from her book; Thayir Semia, Nava Dhaanya sundal, Sugian and rest of recipes from my fave cookbooks from Mallika Badrinath who is also from Tamil Nadu. We absolutely enjoyed the Thali!:)




My Dasara Festival Food Thali, Tamil Nadu style, with many dishes which are common to other South Indian states as well:
In Tamil Nadu, Vijaya Dashami festival incorporates worship of the goddesses Lakshmi,Shakti and Goddess Saraswati on the last day. Here are some of the Festival treats as they celebrate in Tamil Nadu.



Menu: Puliyodharai Saadham(Tamarind rice), Coconut Rice(Thengai Saadham), Thayir Semia(Vermicelli in Yogurt), Nava Dhaanya(Nine beans for 9 nights!) Sundal,Ulundhu Vadai, mixed dal Vel/Ribbon Pakoda, Rasam, Papad, Pickle, a Tamil Nadu special dessert called Sugian(coconut-Jaggery balls fried in sweet batter) and a beverage, Paanagam (Sweet and tangy non-alcoholic drink).

How to make these;
Mixed dal Vel/Ribbon Pakoda:
Heat enough oil to deep fry to 350F.

Roast 2 tbsp each of Moong dal, chana dal, Tuar dal, yellow roasted Chana dal(Chutney dal), 1 tbsp Urad dal separately until golden. Cool and powder finely in the blender. Add this to 2 cups of rice flour along with 2 tbsp hot oil, salt, pinch of baking soda, chilli pd, 1/2 tbsp sesame seeds. Mix well, add enough water to make stiff dough, add to Chakli/cookie press with ribbon/slit plate and press out into the hot oil to deep fry until golden. Drain on paper, and happy munching!


Puliyagarai, Coconut Rice and Semia in Yogurt:
A simple but tasty tamarind rice and a fragrant coconut rice cooled down with Indian rice Vermicelli in spiced Yogurt. Perfect!:)

Easy Puliyodharai:
Cook 1 cup Rice, cool and keep aside. Heat 3 tbsp oil, add 2 tbsp Peanuts, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tbsp each Chana dal, 2 red chillies, a pinch of hing, few curry leaves.Put in 3 tbsp Tamarind juice, 1/4 tsp Turmeric, simmer until thick.Add 1 tbsp Coriander seeds powder, 1/2 tsp Pepper pd,1/4 tsp sugar and salt.When thickens, take out and add to the rice and mix well.


Coconut Rice:
Cook 1 cup rice, mix 1 tsp ghee and little salt, mix and cool. Heat 1 tbsp oil, add 1 tbsp each Chana dal, Urad dal, 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds,few curry leaves, 2 green and 2 red chillies, 2 tbsp Cashewnuts, fry until golden.Add few minced cilantro, then 1/2 cup grated coconut dry or fresh, stir for 3 mins,add a little sal and take it off the heat. Mix with rice,adjust the salt.

Thayir Semia:(Rice Vermicelli in yogurt)
Heat 2 tsp ghee, add 1 cup rice Semia broken into 2" bits, fry until reddish,add 1 cup to 1 1/2 cups of water and cook until soft and drain the excess water if any left or cook until all the water evaporates. Cool the Semia, separate the noodles and keep aside in a big bowl.
Beat 1 cup plain yogurt and 1/2 cup milk with salt. Heat 1 tsp oil, add 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds,1 tsp Chana dal, few curry leaves,2 chopped green chillies, 1 tsp grated ginger,1 tbsp minced cilantro until reddish.Add to the rice bowl and mix in the yogurt. Adjust the salt and serve at room temperature.

Nava Dhaanya Sundal:
A delicious and healthy stir fry of Nava=nine Dhaanya=beans for nine nights of Navaratri. You can use canned beans too.Make Sundal with just one kind of beans or nine, your choice!

Soak 2 tbsp each of Chickpeas, Peanuts, Brown Chana, dry White Peas, Kidney beans, Blackeyed Peas, Field beans(Lilva), and cook all these until soft, drain water. Soak 2 tbsp each of Moong dal and split Chana dal for 1/2 an hr and drain the water. Don't cook these two, use raw. Mix all these with little salt, 1 tsbp grated coconut, 1 tbsp Lemon juice, minced cilantro. Heat 1 tbsp oil, add 1/2 tsp mustard seeds,Curry leaves,pinch of Hing, 1-2 chopped chillies,fry until reddish and mix with Sundal, adjust the seasoning.

Plain and Masala Ulundhu(Urad dal) Vadai with Rasam:
A South Indian snack of fried savory lentil doughnuts with a spicy Tomato gravy to dip or to soak in.

Soak 2 cups of Urad dal for 2 hours, drain all the water and grind in blender until you get a smooth and fluffy. Take out in a bowl, add salt, pepper and a pinch of Baking powder for plain Vadais and for masala vadais, add Minced Onion, cilantro, green chillies, 1 tsp grated ginger, mix well. Heat oil to deep fry. Wet your left palm or a parchment paper, put a golf size lump of thick mix on it. Make a flat circle, with your index finger, make a hole in the middle and stretch like doughnut.Slide in to oil carefully, and fry both sides until golden. Drain on paper towel. Serve with Chutney or Rasam or Sambhar.

My own favorite recipe for Tomato Rasam:

Roast 2 tbsp Tuar dal, 1 tbsp Coriander seeds, 1 tsp Cumin seeds, 2 tbsp grated dry coconut, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 2 dry red chillies until reddish,cool and powder. Keep aside. Heat 1 tbsp oil and ghee, add in 1/2 tsp each mustard seeds and cumin seeds, few curry leaves,pinch of hing. Pour in 2 cups of Tomato sauce, 1/4 tsp turmeric,salt , 1-2 tbsp of Rasam powder you made before and 1/2 tsp of Tamarind juice. Simmer for 15 mins on low heat.Adjust the seasoning and add minced cilantro. Serve with Rice, Idlis, Vadai etc.


Sugian/Suyyian:
A Tamil Nadu special sweet ball, made of sticky sweet coconut dipped and fried sweet rice or plain flour batter and great tasting too.Enjoy.(Thanks Latha N, for Suyyian name and plain flour advice)

Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a non-stick pan, I added 2 cups of sweetened grated coconut we get here, mixed with 1 tbsp Molasses, 1 tsp Cardamom pd, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp powdered Chutney dal(roasted gram or Chana) and stir fried these until they form a lumpy mix with sugar caramelized.Cool, make into balls using a bit of milk if it's too dry to roll, keep them aside.
Heat oil to deep fry. Mix 1 cup Rice flour, 3 tbsp powdered sugar in a bowl, add enough water to make a thick batter.Dip the coconut balls in the batter, deep fry in oil until golden, drain on paper towel. Enjoy!:)

Paanagam:
This is basically a sweet and tangy beverage made with Jaggery (You can also use dark unbleached brown sugar), lemon juice,and spices. Makes a refreshing non-alcoholic drink. Jaggery I bought last time was almost looks like bleached blond color, so my Paanagam was yellowish rather than dark colored Panaka but very refreshing!:D



Heat 1 cup Jaggery with 3 cups water until dissolved, strain into a glass jug. When cooled, add 3 tbsp Lemon juice, 1 tsp Ginger powder or juice, 1/2 tsp Cardamom pd, 1/4 tsp salt, and drop a few fresh Mint leaves. Mix and chill in the fridge.Strain again if you like and add Ice Cubes just before serving.





Another look and I am almost done!:D



Two more ways to serve the delicious Rasam:

Idli-Tomato Rasam:
The ever delicious combo in South India, Idlis(steamed Rice cakes) and Rasam (spicy Tomato broth) makes a great breakfast or any time meal. If you are new to making Idlis, click HERE for step by step instructions and photos.Same batter and fermentation but Idlis are steamed with different mould that Thatte Idlis. Enjoy!:))


Rasa Vada:
A classic and popular South Indian snack, fried Urad dal vadas are soaked in Rasam and served. You can also sprinkle some minced onions and cilantro on top of the dish for garnish.


Okay!! Now I am done. See ya, I will be scaring you next, be very afraid!!;D