Paasi paruppu Payasam / Moong dal Kheer:

Paasi paruppu or Yellow moong dal payasam is one of the many varieties of payasam. I prepared this payasam on the occasion of Shivaratri. It’s very easy and tasty, also healthy. As we are not adding sugar in this payasam, it’s better for health. Adding jaggery to the dish, which is prepared for neivedyam (offering) to God, is considered more special.

Ingredients:

Moon dal – ½ cup

Jaggery – 1cup

Water – 1 ½ cup

Milk – 4 cups

Cashew – 5 to 7 numbers

Raisin – 1tbsp

Ghee – 1tbsp

Method:

Fry the moong dal (without oil) in a pan or in the pressure cooker till it turns light brown.

Add 1 ½ cups water to the dal and cook in pressure cooker (3 whistles)

Boil the milk and keep aside.

Once the dal get cooked, smash it with a ladle and add little water and jaggery.

Let them boil for 5min.

Now add the boiled milk and boil the payasam for 15min.

Fry the cashews and raisins in ghee and keep aside.

Once the payasam reaches its constancy add the fried cashews and raisin and remove from heat.

Now the Moong dal payasam is ready to serve.

Maha Shivaratri-The Festival of Lord Shiva

Maha Shivaratri is a Hindu festival falls on 14^th day of Krishna paksha every year on the Maagh (Tamil month maasi, English month Feb-March) month of Hindu calendar. It is the most auspicious festival of Lord Shiva. Shivaratri is celebrated all over India and Nepal. People on this day fast all day and stay awake all night chanting ‘Om Namah Shivaya’ the manthra dedicated to Lord Shiva. Many rituals and pujas are performed all night in the Shiva temples. Rudra jaba abisheka is performed on this holy night to the Lord.

Rudram is the most powerful, sacred mantra dedicated to Lord Rudra (who share same feature as lord Shiva)

According to legends, there are many stories related to Shivaratri. It is believed that this is the day on which Shiva drank the poison to save the world, which emerges from churning of the ocean by demons and God. Hence he got the name ‘Neelakanda’ the blue throat one.

It’s believed that on this day Lord Shiva performed ‘Thandava’ the cosmic dance.

It is also believed that Shiva married Goddess Parvathi on this auspicious day. 

Wish You All A Happy Maha Shivartri. Let us all worship Lord Shiva and get his blessing on this auspicious day. 

Simple and Yummy Carrot Soup

I’m preparing this soup for first time. So not sure it would turn good J But! Yes! It was good!! I prepared this soup for today’s dinner along with Oats Upma . Carrot soup is one easy recipe, that won’t fail you. I learned this secret today. Usually I’m not a big fan of adding cream to recipes, especially soup. But today thought to try something new, so got this cream from grocery, especially for preparing this soup. I like the taste. I added it finally while serving, only to my bowl, as my husband is not interested in creams.  

This carrot soup is very filling. Good choice for dinner menu. 

Ingredients:

Carrots – 2 (medium size)

Onion chopped – 1 tbsp

Garlic pods – 2 big

Sugar – ½ tsp

Pepper corns – 3 numbers

Bay leaf – 1

Butter/Oil – 1 tbsp

Cream – 1 tsp (optional) (if adding, add as per your taste)

Corn flour -1/2 tsp (optional)

Water – 2 cups

Croutons

Method:

Wash the carrots, peel off the skin and chop.

Chop the garlic pods coarsely.

Heat butter/oil in pressure cooker.

Add bay leaf, garlic, pepper corns, onion and fry till the onions turn translucent.

Now add the chopped carrot and saute for 3 min.

Add ½ cup water and cook.

Switch off the stove after 3 whistles and cool the mix.

Transfer the mix to the blender and grind them to a smooth paste.

Add the paste to the same cooker and add remaining 1 ½ cups of water.

Add sugar and bring the soup to boil. (Boiling time 5 to 7 min)

Mix the corn flour in 2 tbsp water and pour it to the boiling soup.

Remove from heat and add cream.

Serve hot topping the soup with croutons, salt and pepper powder.

Note: Adding cream is optional, if you are adding; add after removing from              heat or while serving. I added while serving.

         Adding corn flour is also optional if you like the soup little watery.

Dates Chutney / Sweet Chutney / Date Tamarind Chutney

Dates chutney is a quick and healthy recipe. This chutney is commonly used in Chat dishes. No chat recipe is complete without this chutney. Its sweet and sore taste with little hotness (from chilli and cumin powder) gives a yum taste to the chat recipes.

Ingredients:

Dates – 19 numbers (seedless)

Tamarind paste – 1tbsp

Red chilli powder – 1 ½ tsp

Cumin powder – 1tsp

Water - 1cup

Method:

Chop the dates coarsely and keep aside.

Add ½ cup water in a pan, add jaggery and tamarind past.

Boil in medium heat, till the jaggery get dissolved and bubbles start appearing.

Keep aside the syrup.

Heat the other ½ cup water in a pan and add the chopped dates and mash them using an egg beater or with a ladle.

Mash them till they become soft and turn into a pulp.

Add the jaggery, tamarind syrup to the mashed dates.

Add the chilli powder and cumin powder. Add some water if required.

Boil till it reaches the thick consistency.

Remove from heat and cool the chutney.

Transfer them to the blender and grind them to a smooth paste.

Store in an airtight container and refrigerate.  

Note: Adjust the chilli powder as per your taste. If you want sweeter chutney reduce the chilli powder.

This chutney can be stored for one to two weeks, if stored in a refrigerator.

Peanut Chutney / Nilakadalai Chutney

Apart from regular coconut and tomato chutney, this peanut chutney has its unique taste. Those who love peanuts, peanut butter or anything about peanut, definitely love this chutney. I can say this as I’m one of those peanut lovers :) Try this with Idly, Dosa. I sometime take this with chapatti/ roti when tired to prepare any side dish in the lazy afternoons. Spread it in the toasted bread while preparing sandwich, tamarind and chilli in the chutney gives nice flavor to the sandwich. Good combination for curd rice too.

Ingredients:

Peanuts – 1 cup

Tamarind – Small amla size

Red chilli – 3 to 4 numbers

Garlic pods – 2 numbers (big)

Salt

Method:

Roast the Peanuts in a pan without oil for 2 to 3 min, or till they get the heat and turn light brown.

Cool down the peanuts and remove the skin.

Heat oil in a pan, add red chilli, garlic pods and fry for few seconds. (The garlic should not get burnt)

Make puree out of the tamarind, adding small amount of water.

Now transfer roasted peanuts, red chilli, garlic, tamarind puree and salt to the blender.

Sprinkle required water and grind to smooth paste (chutney).

Now Peanut chutney is ready to serve.