October 24, 2007

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.

Festival food Thali

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

Dasara Thali

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

140 comments:

Menu Today said...

Hi Asha,
Typical tamilian spread. Fantastic!!!
Great entry for this RCI (Festival) Event.Thanks for the visual treat.

Anonymous said...

I'll eat everything on that plate except for the sugian - I dont understand how some of these dishes become so famous you know :D

Going by your last year post, I am waiting for a cute surprise. :)

Shivapriya said...

Beautiful thali. Everything is my fav except for sweet part n panakam:). MY sis makes awesome thayir semiya. Even I made coconut rice for dasara. Din't get time to take pictures.

Daily Meals said...

Hi Asha! Thanks for the great feast. I like the idea of making tomato rasam using tomato sauce and love the navadhanya sundal.

Anonymous said...

I'm hungry for breakfast, Asha, and here you come with this ginormous thali full of mouthwatering treats! And yes, ginormous is one of Merriam Webster's new words for 2007 ;)

I'm home for a few days so maybe no excuse for me not to be trying some of these great recipes. Now please excuse me while I go back to drooling :)

sunita said...

Wow! What a thali...you never cease to amaze...and yes,I'm waiting to be scared:)

Anonymous said...

Looks like you had a great time on Dasara Asha :). That thali looks so delicious. I could not cook anything for Dasara since we had painting class on that day and we were out entire day.

FH said...

You are welcome MT. This is first time I chose and cooked all Tamilian menu, loved it!:))

Lakshmi, I have never heard of Sugian before, I was pleasantly surprised how great that dessert tastes.It's like eating Obbattu mini rounds!:)

Shivpriya, I enjoyed this meal fully. It was great. It is fun to make different state's food once in a while!:))

Latha Narasimhan said...

Liked the vada and rasam most!:) Mouthwatering really!:) The picture of nine Devis is great dear! It seems there was an article on Durga Puja in Newyork times!

BTW the suyyian(thats how we say) comes out better when only maida is mixed with water for the outer covering. The inner poornam is made exactly the way we make for kozhukattais!
Rice semiya with curds is good!:))
I am really scared! better not visit your blog for a week!:D

FH said...

Vijaya, isn't that Nava dhanya clever? Instead of making 9 nine Sundals, you make one with 9 dals!! That cookbook is good!:))

Oh, you are home? Good for you. Read a lot and eat Linda, enjoy!:))
Ginormous is in the dictionary now? What is the World coming to!:D
EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Rachel Ray style!) is in the dictionary too and she keeps saying GB for Garbage bowl!! OH NO!!:D
Have a fun break, you deserve it.Hugs.

Thank you Sunita! I cooked all these alone, can you believe it? Kids rather have non-veg instead but I love vegetarian food!:)
YUP! Be ready to get scared!;D

Anonymous said...

impressive thali, Asha! How long did it take to cook all these wonderful dishes? And I don't believe that you followed the books and got them all right in the first try... amazing.

Shobana senthilkumar said...

Hi ashaji,
wat a gr8 spread of tamilian dishes.The presentation is too good and tempting too.Thanks for sharing a good post:)

FH said...

Shilpa, usually I don't cook anythng for Dasara either but this time I tried Tamilian style Vijaya Dashami, loved eating these. It's all in the mind really, festival or not.Enjoy your painting, see you later!:))

Latha, in NY, there are more Indians than here, so they have more fun than us. There are Garba dances too there!:)
That cookbook spelled like Sugian,I have never heard of that before about this at all!
She also writes, you have to dip these in idli batter! I didn't have it, so I made sweet rice flour!:D
It tasted crunchy and yummy, I liked it.
This year's Halloween is not scary, did you see last year's Lakshmi did today and liked it!:))
I have to ask my son to dress up and take a photo before I post next week!:)

Anonymous said...

Love your Golu/Bombe (see, by now I know enough about Golu to comment on it freely) . Does Bombe=Dolls in kannadiga, too. It does in konkani.

That feast looks delicious! Thanks for participating!

TBC said...

Very nice, Asha:-)
The rasam is my fav. I have not heard of paanagam before. Sounds really good.

FH said...

Thank you Latha!:)
Oh, it took quite a long time. I was exhausted when it's done and didn't have the energy to take photos!:D
But those cookbooks are really great, very traditional recipes. We don't have anything like these books in K'taka or about K festival food at all, sad!

You are welcome Priar. It was fun to cook these. Some dishes are very unique for me like that sweet. It was great, I loved it. Glad you did too!:))

Sreelu said...

Asha, what a feast,you are truly an expert with presentations.I never had idle with tomato rasam.new combination for me.I missed you on my blog :(

Viji said...

Thank you so much for the entries Asha. All are typical tamil recipes (though they are common for other states too). Nice spread. You have proved it again :) Waiting for the email. Viji

ChrisB said...

I haven't felt much like eating today but seeing this feast is making me feel a little hungry.

USHA said...

Hi Ashaji,

Wonderful thali for the event....i love that dugian very much....
You have presentated very authentic recipes...looks delcious.

Kribha said...

Oh Asha, I've been waiting for this post. I knew you'd cook up a feast. That platter looks absolutely gorgeous. Nava dhaanya and sugian looks yummy yummy good. I'm sure your family must have loved this.

Swaruchy said...

Hi Ashadi...Loved ur thali :-) Wish I had been ur guest that day.....Loved every item......The tomato Rasam looks fiery and nice :-)

FH said...

Vee, I learnt a lot too sweetie,about the tradition and new dishes. JFI special and RCI both rock!
YUP! Gombe or Bombe is Kannada for dolls.It's amazing how we all have so many things in common!:))

TBC, we call it Paanaka in Kannada. They make it in Mysore where sugarcane is grown and made into jaggery. My Thatha used to make and sell Jaggery wholesale!:)
Very refreshing in summer with lots of ice, try it.

You did? I thought I visited you! Will be there and check.I don't comment on most weekends now,unless I got time on my hands!:))
I love Idli-Rasam-Urad dal Vada combo. I make Sambhar-Idli too sometimes!:)

Anonymous said...

wooowww...nice spread of the goodies.
I really really astonised at the efforts u take in cooking a meal and making it look so presentable. :)
U are ..simply great! I bet ur kids are lucky to have u as their mom.

FH said...

Thank you Viji. All of these were very tasty too. I sent a e mail to you with one photo, but you can take any photo you like from this post. Thanks for hosting and can't wait for the round up!:))

Stay away from solid food for a while Chris. You will be alright in few hrs.Hugs, get better soon!:))

Glad you liked them Usha! There were lot of Payasa recipes too, but I wanted to make something special.Never had cooked Sugian before, I loved it. Enjoy!:))

FH said...

We loved this Thali Kribha. Kids, not into vegetarian food so much but we adults had fun eating these!:))
Nava Dhanya and Sugian were new to me, loved both.

Sirisha, wish I had you over too!:))
Tomato Rasam is tasty, my fave recipe.Not so fiery to taste but color looks fiery indeed!:D
Enjoy.

Thanks G! I never make anything for Dasara, just for Shivratri and Deepavali. This is exclusively for JFI and RCI! The things we do for blogging, huh? ;D
Kids love cakes, cookies and non-veg mostly. My son loves Sambhar if it's mild.
They get very cautious when I start cooking only vegetarian meal, keep peeking in the kitchen to check what's going on! They have to eat them anyway!:P

EC said...

Although i just finished my dinner, i started feeling hungry again seeing ur thali...no words to describe it. You have really lot of patience to make all of these on the same day..never heard of thayir semiya..will try it out soon. super spread...btw when r u inviting me for lunch to ur house ???? :-)

Laavanya said...

Asha, you Really have been busy over the weekend.. what an amazing spread that is. Wish I could just dig in. Idli and Tomato Rasam... that's what my daughter likes... And the vadais look so perfect too. Sugiyan is lovely... i've not tried making it so far but my friend makes them - yum O.

Seena said...

hm,am going to eat that idly with tomato rasam..drooling..

Namratha said...

Ahh the grand finale to Vijayadashami :) The wait for your post was well worth it dear, awesome dishes..way to go!

Rajitha said...

asha!! my my my..how i wish i was ur neighbour..friendly one of course and i get invited for these goodies..u are putting all us tamilians to shame ;)

Padmaja said...

what an amazing festival feast asha!! wish i had 1% of your zeal!!! u are a great inspiration!!! love all those amazing dishes!! and those idlis look like cotton wool!!!

Priyanka said...

Asha, your plate of Tamil festival foods is a treat to the eyes. Lovely spread.

Anonymous said...

Wow nice spread for RCI festival.I am drooling over everything in the plate.Can i have some.

Kamini said...

HI Maam, here I am reporting for duty :)... Just that I have been in bed for a while with a bad back and then had run to catch up on all my pending work.. No time at all for any blog hopping.. Cold turkey is setting in.. Will be back at it soon..

J said...

I am craving for idlis, rasam, vadas, panakam and sugiyan!!! All along I thought sugiyan was a malu dish coz my grandma used to make it! And she adds sugarcane juice to panakam. My.....I'm drooling!:)

Unknown said...

Feast on a plate ! Delicious ..:)
Want some Vada sambar..Drooling.

FH said...

EC, you are welcome here!:)
Thayir Semiya is same as yogurt rice but add roasted Sevai instead of rice, really tasty. I made snacks and sweet the day before and everything else in one day!:D

Laavanya, I tried vadas many times with my old mixie,never came right.I have Sumeet now, grinds perfect without any water!:))
Sugian are like Obbattu balls!:D

Seena, great combo, isn't it? I love it too, with vadas on the side, what can I say!:D

Thank you Namratha!:)
Took me long time to type in all these here than cooking these! Hahaha!!

TheCooker said...

The thayir semiya are new for me...look easy to make though.
I used to bookmark your posts...gave that up as i ended up bookmarking each and every post. Such a waste of time, no? :)

FH said...

Oh Rajitha, thanks! That is a great compliment. I tried to pick really authentic Tamil recipes, took a while to choose.I am glad you liked them, worth my effort!:))

Thank you Padmaja! I LOVE my Sumeet mixie!! It makes everything so smooth and so efficiently too. It was a pleasure to cook all these. Enjoy:))

Thanks Priyanka. Loved sitting infront of it and enjoy too. We skipped dinner of course after eating all these!:D

Go ahead and grab some Ramya!:))
I wish they come up with grabbale pics some day. But until then, enjoy looking!:D

Latha Narasimhan said...

Asha dear I burst out laughing when I read that you had to use idli batter for suyyian!:D Thankgod you used your brains to make it much better!:))
after reading yours I thought of giving a try with riceflour and sugar!
I came to see the palace pictures and enjoyed reading all comments and your prompt and warm replies!:))
Palace with reflection is beautiful! I think it is photographic trick!

FH said...

HeHe! Kamini, I had to drag you in here!!;D
So sorry about your back pain girl. I get it sometimes too, it's terrible.Take care and yes, blog when you are able to, no worries. Hugs!:))

J, sugar cane juice sounds great. Ooh! I can imagine the taste.
I have made Sugian for the first time, loved it.Until now, I hadn't even heard of it! We get to learn so much, love RCI!!:))

Madhu, thank you. I just saw vada and Payasa in your blog. That would be a feast for me anytime too!:))

TC, I am here always. Just go to recipe index to find the recipes! I do save like that and my Laptop is getting crowded too!:))
Or you can save the whole round ups of every single RCI etc.
Try Semia, it's tasty and little different than usual yogurt rice!:)

FH said...

Latha, I was surprised too. Idli batter would be little sour, why dip sweet Jaggery rounds in that!! Other book says dip plain Urad dal batter too!:D
Rice flour was lot better, I will use maida next time. That would tastes like mini Obattu rounds, sounds good to me!:)
Yeah, you get camera filters like that to make reflection, change colors, Sun sets etc. We have one camera with long Zoom with filters but we don't use it anymore. It's all fancy teeny tiny cameras now-a-days!:D

Bong Mom said...

What a nicely presented Thali, but Asha we do not expect any less from you :)
Bijaya dashami Greetings to you & the family

Anonymous said...

there's a very interesting tag waiting to be done - check our blog. :)

musical said...

Ashakka, you are great! You always make so many things! and here i am, still haven't made anything for RCI!! i want to make something savory, lets see how it goes, i have time till tomorrow :-D.

Paanaka, puliogre, coconut rice and rasam-vada are my favorites here :).

i am waiting for your halloween post :-D.

hugs and love,
musical.

sra said...

Oh, your Halloween post - I remember the one last year, soon after I started my blog.

Smita said...

oh yum!!!! :) I am married to a tamilian and am love with both him and tamilian food:D:D

Suganya said...

Top notch Asha. I can't even think of preparing all these in one shot!

Richa said...

lovely feast :)
i would like to try suggian, did u use the frozen coconut we get here?
vada rasam combo...slurrrrrrrp :)

Pooja said...

thats a wonderful spread of tamil dishes...thanks for sharing, i love south indian food very much , as far as it is vegeterian :D.
your dish is just make ing me even more hungry now, i better grab something to eat now:)).

I love tomato rasam too very much. in fact our all gujju family loves it very much :))thanks for sharing:). Deepak gonna love your post very much , i m sure :D.

oh forget to say the drink you prepared is lookig too good in color thati cant wait to prepare one soon. thanks for that too !
I am ready to get scared :))))....

hugs to you dear...

FH said...

Thank you Sandeepa, we did have a great although we didn't do any religious things. It was fun!:))

I just did L! That was hilarious to read!:D
I don't have many disasters in the kitchen fortunately but there was one I remember to this day.I will repost!:))

Musie, just do one or two for RCI, you don't do Thali like this. I am a little crazy of course!:D
Yeah, most of these are our faves too!:)

YUP!! Coming up next sra!:)
Last year's was fun. I will see if I can better that his time, probably not. Trisha doesn't want to go for trick or treating this year, so half the fun is gone!:D

Anonymous said...

The sweet seems very similar to the kannada 'sukkinunde' I wonder about the history of this one, if it was borrowed from TN...

FH said...

LOL!!! That's a good way to put it Smita! He must love this Thali!!! It is just comforting to see traditional food,isn't it?!:))

Suganya, Lakshmi made a Thali for me for my RCI, so I am just repaying her kindness! And we get to eat all these too as a bonus!:))

Richa, I used (Baker's Angel flakes) sweetened coconut you get here near baking section in the grocery store. You don't need to add too much sugar to this, works so well in desserts. You just need to some molasses to make it dark. Try it!:))

Hi Pooja, so good to see you girl! How are you coping with new house and all?:)
Paanaka is very refreshing, sweet and tangy. Try it. Tomato rasam powder is my recipe,try it.I love it with rice too or just to drink it like soup or with bread. Enjoy!:))
Halloween and then Diwali!! Too many fun days are ahead!

FH said...

Mekhala, I remember Sukkinunde but don't know the exact recipe for it. Post it if you make it next, I can add to RCI K.Sugian was new to me .
We Kannadigas probably borrowed it from TN, because we are neighbors anyway! So many dishes are similar to all 4 southern states, it's amazing!:))

Sia said...

Drool drool and drool is what i am doing...

FH said...

HeHe!! Hi Sups, glad you made it today! Yeah, we had a blast. Halloween next, more fun and the Deepavali, even more fun! Then I just collapse!:D

Latha said...

OH my god! What an awesome looking meal! Everything looks so authentic! Really wished i lived closer (again!)
Happy belated navratri and a wonderful diwali, halloween to u guys!

Tee said...

Awesome! Your thali looks so good...don't you think you forgot something? ---- inviting me over ;)

By Deepa and Supriya said...

Hello Asha,
I am stopping by after a long time...I got back to blogging abt 2 weeks ago but only now am I catchign up on all the posts I have missed form some of my favorite bloggers. I sent the RCI karnataka link to all girl friends (hope you dont mind) :)
aswesome spread...slurp!!, making puliyogare tonight :)

Deepa Hari said...

Hi Asha,
Beautiful Thali and nice presentation...Very tempting, feel like having it.

Anonymous said...

Hi Asha,
what a delicious spread.i wonder from where u get the energy to cook all the dishes.

shalini

Shionge said...

I am truly truly fascinated once again and I'm going to be full for at least one week ;) You ROCK my friend and hey how come you can stay so trim kkekek...good job!

Keshi said...

Asha dahlin cud u send me some of these goodies all the way to Aus? Im drooling here!

And Im looking forward to being scared by ya..LOL cute!


Keshi.

indosungod said...

That thali is sure inviting and Asha , with my cold and sniffles i am looking at the Rasa Vadai longingly :)

Enjoy the festival season and have fun dear.

Anh said...

Asha, what a feast! I think everyone would be so happy to get invited to your house :P

Sharmi said...

rasa wada looks very tempting:) lovely post and nice info. very beautiful feast.

Cynthia said...

I'm soon writing another column about foods at festival times back in Guyana. Your post made me a bit homesick.

Thanks for your always enlightening posts, Asha dearest.

deepsat said...

everything looks so delicious!!

Hope you had a nice Dasara!!

tc!

;-))

Reeta Skeeter said...

Looking fwd to the Halloween post!!! Yayy!! :) And about vijaya dashmi...yaar hum desis bhi itna saaara good good khana ni khate :P

Neelam said...

Wow what a filled up thali Asha!everything looks delicious! How do you get the time to cook so much! Its really a feast !

Anonymous said...

Ashakka,
I bow to you! I did not prepare such a well spread thali for Dasara. Thali looks awesome. swalpa adress hlethira? deepavalige ticket madisthini :P :))

Raks said...

Wow looks great....I like everything in that thali...!!
I too think that sugians outer layer with idly batter will not be that much good as maida..but glad that u used rice flour and sugar instead...
You know asha I submitted sugian for RCI tamil festive event... :))

Beccy said...

Asha you've been very busy creating all that delicious food.

I'm looking forward to being scared next week!

Raaga said...

Wow... I miss home now... :-)

Srivalli said...

Asha...thats really a wonderful feast...everything looks so wonderful!..very sweet of you to try so many new dishes...semiya in curd is our fav too..

FH said...

Thank you Latha. I scratched my head to choose really authentic Tamil dishes this time. Worked well. Enjoy the Halloween!:)

Haha!! Tee, yes, I did forget you! Ooops!:))

Hi Orchid, so good to see you. I will check your's today. Blogger gave me lot of trouble yesterday!:)
No, I don't mind at all, that's the purpose of RCI, to make all Kannadigas at home here at FH! Have fun!:))

Thank you Deepa. Glad all Tamilians approve. I had to depend on those cookbooks for recipes, they turned out good!:))

FH said...

Shalini, so far I am standing up, but you never know when I go down with exhaustion! ;D

Shi, who told you I am trim?! Nope, I look like a plump chicken and am happy as a clam!! ;D

Hi Keshi, Halloween is always fun, although some here scowl at the whole thing! They think it's Devil worship etc. Oh well..kids just get dressed up and have fun for a while before the Winter hits! I don't see any harm in that!:))

Aw! Indo, hope you feel better soon. Everybody seems to be having cold these days. Hugs. You too have a great Halloween if you are up to it!:)

FH said...

Thank you Anh. Only Indians would be happy with this these, too many rice dishes!!:D

Thanks Sharmi. I think you have the best Thalis girl. I love each one of your RCI Thalis. Thank you for cooking all those!:))

Cynthia, can't wait read your article. We do have similar dishes most of the time!:))
One day I will have to make Caribbean food post here, I do have a Caribbean cookbook. Hugs to you, enjoy the weekend, see you later!:)

Satheesh, thanks. Hope you had a great Dasara day too. Halloween next, have fun!:))

FH said...

Hi Reeta, we make all these because we don't live in Des anymore!!:P
Even my parents in India don't cook all these at all! We miss India and we try to create a mini India here at home!:D

Neelam, thanks. Got to make time if I want to do something for Dasara. I don't mind but I have to cook all these alone is a problem indeed!:D

LOL! Lakshmi, you are a sweetheart! Thanks!:)
Ishtella Dasarakke adige madi, deepavalige enu madodu antane gottagutta illa iga!:D

Raks, you made Sugian too, how did I miss that post? You must have posted it weekend. I will check today. Rice flour made it crisp, I liked it. I will use Maida next.Never made this sweet before, I like it!:))

FH said...

Thank you Beccy. It was exhausting but satisfying meal. I am baking a yummy cake for Halloween, you will love it!:))

Tamil Nadu and a Konkan girl, aren't you Raaga? What a great combo, you get to enjoy every cuisine!:))

Srivalli, thanks. It was great joy choosing and cooking all these Tamil festival food. I really enjoyed it. I should make more Thalis from now on!:))

Sana said...

hey,

thanks for dropping by. and yes, I did look at your recipes too :)

DEEPA said...

where should i start asha ji ....excellent one ..too good....mouth watering ..u have stolen words from my mouth asha ji .....

Dhana said...

All my favorite things!! You should start a restaurant with all the amazing variety of foods u cook! I will be 1st in line ;)

sallywrites said...

Your pictures and feasts are quite amazing Asha...

FH said...

You did! That's great Sana, thank you!;D
Have a great weekend girl.

Hello speechless Deepa!:D
Glad you liked them, now go and cook something!:))

HeHe! That's what my son says too Dhana. I don't think Meat and Potato people here would like this kind of food!:D
Hey if I do, I will give you 10% discount!;)

Thank you Sally. Most of the time photos come out very well, not so good on cloudy days!:))
Have a fun weekend, take care.

Cee Kay said...

WOW!! I am definitely going to come back to this post (and the previous one) for they have some of my favorite food items!!

I am afraid my comment will get lost in the 80+ comments you have but - PLEASE CHECK OUT MY BLOG FOR A SURPRISE :)

http://my2centstoo.blogspot.com/

FH said...

Great to see you here GTN!:))
I always check everybody's comment, so don't worry! I will check out your blog now. Enjoy the recipes!:)

Mishmash ! said...

I saw this post y'day but could not drop a comment...I first got a feel of the Dussehra on a trip to Blore....and the platter you have is so traditional. In Kerala , we make sugiyan with cooked green grams combined with melted jaggery and then coated with flour and deep fried in oil...yummy :) will post that once.

Shn

FH said...

Hi shn, blogger gave me lot of trouble too yesterday!:))
Moong dal and jaggery sounds so yum, hope you post. I had never heard of Sugian at all until this post. RCI makes us learn so many new things!
Mysore Dasara is a very grand tradition than in B'lore. Our Maharaja used to ride the Elephants, now he replaced by Pravati from the temple!:))
Enjoy.

Unknown said...

Asha akka, how long did it took u to prepare such a huge spread. The platter looks very grand. Looks very typical to me. Just like how amma cooks during festivals. Ahh... those good old days......

Srivalli said...

Asha..I just came back to enjoy looking at your thali...how did you manage to get that perfect hole in the vadas?..great...i never get mine...they look real crisp and lovely...oh everything looks great

amna said...

lovely spread.. i have been really really lazy this month.. work was so bad :( feeling guilty :(

FH said...

"Just like my amma used to cook", that made me very happy Pushpa!! I tried to choose very authentic Tamil dishes,took about 2 days to make the whole thing. Glad you liked the thali. YAY!:))

Sri, my new Sumeet mixer giving me a good servive. It girnds so well without any water for Vada.
Batter must be very thick, I wet my left palm with water, place a lump and make a hole in middle with my right hand index finger and slide it in the oil.Without water,it's hard to make the hole. Try it!:))

Hi Nags, I haven't seen you anywhere these days, now I know why!:))
Don't feel guilty if you are busy, just take your time and relax. Hugs. Have a great weekend!:)

Swaroopa said...

hey a wide range of delicacies. I absoluetly loved them all. thanx 4 sharing. will try some of them soon. especially coconut rice

FH said...

Coconut rice was tasty, I had made this before although it's similar to Chitranna with lot more coconut. Try t Swaroopa.Thanks for visiting!:))

Chef Jeena said...

Asha I never know where to start when I see your posta becuase there are just so many delicious recipes. I love the picutres. :)

FH said...

Hi Jeena, so good to see gal pal!:))
I understand the feeling, many of my readers feel that too. They go away and come back again when they have time!!;D
Thanks for visiting, we all missed you, blog on girl!:)

Mallika said...

Your family is the luckiest on the planet. This spread looks amazing. Tell me, did you buy your idli tray in India?

Amanda at Little Foodies said...

The picture of the palace is breathtaking! Beautiful food as ever Asha. Have a good weekend.

Prema Sundar said...

ohhoooooooo... what a nice spread Asha..My aunt used to drink panakam at night during the days she is fasting .. its healthy and has good taste too. hey ur idlies look so whiteeeeeeeeee!!!!
waiting to get scared.

starry said...

Asha what a wonderful spread and really I am full just feasting my eyes on all that good food.I like all that good food.

Saju said...

how yum!
i just love your blog

FH said...

Thanks Mallika. Idli and plate idli stands available here. We can order online too. You must get them in UK easily too!:))

Palace is even more gorgeous to look at in Mysore!:))
You too have a fun weekend Amanda.

Prema, I like Panaka too, sweet and tangy, specially in Summer. Enjoy and have a great weekend:))

FH said...

Lalitha, once in a while I would like to eat like that too. Diwali is coming, I will cut down the Thali items after all these!:D
Enjoy.

Thank you Saju. I wanted to make something special for TN festival. We enjoyed eating!:D
Have fun at triple birthdays tomorrow.

Shweta said...

Awwwwww.... what mouth-watering food Ashaji. That rasam looks amazing. I totally LOVE rasam and still never make it. Your recipe looks great. This gets tried!

Pravs said...

soooo very yummy the food in the thali looks.

Roopa said...

what a spread Asha :) would loved to have the plate here had a mini deepavali there :)

FH said...

Shweta, thanks girl. Try the Rasam, this recipe is my favorite!:)

Thank you Pravs. Got to Dasara this year, usually I don't! Enjoy:)

Deepavali feast is coming in 2 weeks here Roopa but I will few dishes this time since I cooked so much or Dasara. Have a great weekend!:))

Lotus Reads said...

Hi, Asha!

Love your feast! What wouldn't I give to be invited over for lunch! :) You are so right, this time of year is all about girl power, I love it!

Tomorrow is Karva Chauth and I will be fasting so today I'm going to treat myself to something nice. Your delicious tamil cusine post has inspired me to maybe visit our local Sarvona Bhavan...ofcourse their dishes are more Karnataka inspired than Tamil Nadu, but they do have nice pongal and all the different types of rice.

swapna susarla said...

Hi Ashaji
The thali looks awesome.hope u had a wonderful festival.

Finla said...

Hey i missed this post and i am the last to comment :-(
Wonderful spread Asha.
I have not had a thali like that in ages. Last time i did one like that was in the end of August for Onam.

FH said...

Lotus, you have Sarovan Bhavan there! How lucky! Most south Indian restaurants have similar dishes anyway,enjoy!:))
We have Woodlands here but got to drive about 100miles and then kids refuse to go to vegetarian restaurants! Sometimes we get their Butter chicken and the we go to Woodlands or Udupi!:p
Happy Halloween, Diwali is coming too, more food!:D

Yes, we did this year Swapna, usually we do just Diwali and Shivaratri!:))

F, what were you doing all this time girl?:D
No, it's okay.As long as you visit me to say hello, it's fine. Doesn't matter when. I am sure you are not the last one!:))
Have a great weekend. Cook something for Deepavali, would be fun.
My kids love Diwali because they get money and firecrackers!! Early Christmas for them being Hindus!:D

Lissie said...

asha, a fantastic thali! anybody would love to have it...in the rasam recipe, you have mentioned tomato sauce. is it tomato puree or the regular sauce?

FH said...

Thanks Lissie!:)
It's the regular Tomato sauce, I don't use Tomato Puree much in anything.
Canned sauce will do too, click on the link to see how to make the sauce at home. Enjoy!:0

Sig said...

Hey Ash, that thali looks so good... Love the color of the tamarind rice... Yummy! I didn't know that Navaratri is all about goddesses.... Girl power rules :D
Hope you are having a great weekend...hugs.

FH said...

Hi Sig, you been busy this week, huh?:)
Yes, apparently it's all about girls for a change at this time of the year atleast!:D
Just relaxing this weekend, lot cooler now fortunately. Have fun!:)

Kajal said...

What a great dish of festival of Tamil my dear. I will try your Paanagam. Very nice color of drink.

Cheers!!!!!!!!!!!

FH said...

Cheers Kajal. Thank you. Hope you had a great weekend. Enjoy the Paanagam!:))

Anonymous said...

Hi Asha
I adore your Blog and visit often!! What a feast for Dasara!!!So glad that you made Susiyam too :)
Thanks for dropping by my Blog.

Suma Gandlur said...

Some how, I could not see the thali pictures.
Some of dishes happen to be my favorite.
We add crushed pepper also to the coconut rice.
& we need to cook semiya in that yogurt dish. right?

FH said...

Hi Pearlin, good to see you! I remember your comment at all before, did I miss somehow! Glad to find you though!:))
Thanks. Susiyam/Sugian was my first try, loved it!:))

Suma, I tranferred the Thali photo from Flickr, it takes a little time to load I think.I can see it now. Yeah, cocnut rice was yum, pepper sounds great. I wanted to make Peeper and Jeera rice too, ran out of time!:D
Yes, you have to cook and drain Shavige just like rice, cool and then add to Mosaru.Try it!:))

Anonymous said...

so u sure had a great dasara
thats a beautiful thali
u r one hell of a cook
the ribbon pakodi is what we call aku pakodi but not that complicated
puliyodharai, coconut rice and rice semya are abs. darlings

Nava Dhaanya Sundal is one protien packed snack......luv it
plain n masala vadai are cuties
my aunt makes them with rasam too
suyyian is somewhat new to me
looks great though
panagam in yellow....:))
finally rasa vada is awesome
hmmmmm need to make some vadas for myself
btw am ready to get scared ;)

Anonymous said...

Asha,I lurk most of the time, so you didn't miss me :)

FH said...

Anusha, finally caught up with Dasara food!!:D
Thank you Darling. My jaggery is bleached, it's golden, not very sweet either!:)
I loved Sundal too. Ribbon pakodas are protein packed with many dals too! Halloween is tomorrow, check it out. Hugs to you.

Hello Pearlin, glad you are not a lurker anymore!!!HeHe!!
I appreciate all your comments always, good to know what people think about a post!:))

Mandira said...

it was a visual treat in all respects Asha. Love your doll collection ;)

FH said...

Mandira, thanks. Worked like a dog to make all these!!:D
Those dolls photo is not mine but from Wikimedia commons! I never owned a doll in my whole life! Hahaha!!

starry said...

Asha..You have been given an award.please check my blog.

marriedtoadesi.com said...

What a fantastic spread! Looks delicious Asha!

Kanchana

FH said...

Thank you Starry! How did I miss your new post, will check right away!:))

Thanks K. Few dishes were new to me too, thoroughly enjoyed cooking and eating it all!:))

Ramya's Mane Adige said...

oh God!!! your post is lovely!!!! amazing pictures too

Sona - quick picks/pick quicks said...

Ashajee;...i keep coming back here to have a look at ur makhani....wow!!!..it just keeps calling me back..will come back again tomorrow..waiting for ur halloween special

Anonymous said...

You have a nice blog.
I will visit regularly to quench my hunger :)

FH said...

Ramya, so good to see you girl!:))
Thank you. It looks better than K'taka cuisine, huh?:D

HeHe!! Sonu, are you getting dreams about that too?:D
Thanks, Halloween post will be up in few mins! Enjoy!:)

Thank you Sathiyan!:))
Hope you leave comments too. Enjoy and see you later!:))

Apple said...

Thought I'd missed some event hosted by you by glancing at the pics...Fabulous spread Asha..Belated Happy dassara to you...I've missed your mega posts...Hope 'm not too late to comment...

FH said...

Hi Apple, no worries. We are all busy these days. But it's never too late to say to me!:))
Glad you liked them , enjoy and have a great Sunday! Hugs.

Rohini's kitchen said...

Great recipe for RCI. Mouth watering..I have been busy for this month full..and didnt visit any blog. Hope I will be back in few more days.

FH said...

Hi Rohini, good to see you!:))
Take your time, sometimes it's just too much work to cope with everything. Glad you liked it. See you later! Hugs.

venkatamanjunath said...

Hi Asha,
Chocolate Cake Method dis copy sent me http://venkatamanjunath-info.blogspot.com, venkat.manju05@gmail.com,

Beautiful thali. Everything is my fav except Dasara Festival Food Thali, Tamil Nadu style, with many dishes which are common to other South Indian states as well:). MY sis makes awesome .

FH said...

Hi Venkat. I agree that almost all dishes of south Indian states are similar, always tasty too. Enjoy.