Nolumbu special - Recipe for Sweet Karadai and Salted Karadai

 

 

Karadayan Nombu falls on Sunday,14^th March, this year and according to learned priests the time specified for tying the yellow thread is between 3.30 pm and 4.30 pm. Celebrated by the people of Tamil Nadu, married women perform puja and pray for the long life of their husbands and unmarried girls pray for getting blessed with a good husband. The puja is performed at a specified time, just when the Tamil month of Maasi ends and the month of Panguni begins.

 

Tradition

On this day the women get up early in the morning, take bath and decorate their house entrance and the puja room with kolams. They place leaves in front of the Goddess on which they offer betel leaves and areca nuts (Vethalai Pakku), yellow bananas, sweet Karadai and butter. Traditionally, the women fast until the specified time of the puja, wear nine yards sari, adorn their hair with flowers, tie the manjal charadu (yellow thread) and pray for the long life of their husbands.

 

 While tying the manjal charadu, the mantram chanted is

 

“Dhram gruhnami subhage sahardhraam

Dharami aham bharthu

Ayushya sidhartham supreedha bhava sarvadha”  

This means, “I am taking the thread, Oh Goddess, with affection,

And I am wearing it for the long life of my husband.

Always be pleased with me.”

 

The Tamil chant during the puja while offering the Karadai to the Goddess is

“Urugadha vennaiyum, oru adaiyum notrein,

Orukkalum en Kanavar ennai piriyadhirukka vendum”

Meaning “I offer this unmelted butter and adai. Please bless me to live with my husband forever.”

Generally the women break their fast by eating the prasad of sweet karadai with butter after they have performed the puja and offered it to the Goddess.

 

Recipe for Sweet Karadai also known as Nolumbu Adai

 

Ingredients

 

Dry roasted rice powder - 1 cup

Jaggery powdered -  1 cup

Water - 2 cups

Coconut slices - 1 tablespoon

Karamani (Black eyed peas/ lal chowli) - 1 or 2 tablespoons     

Cardomom - 1 pinch

Ghee - 1 teaspoon

 

Method of preparation

Wash and soak raw rice in water for 3 to 4 hours. Drain the water and spread the rice on a cloth for 15 minutes. Then grind it to a fine powder. Dry roast this powder till there is no moisture.

 

Cook the Karamani separately till soft and keep aside.

 

Take a pan and melt the jaggery in 2 cups of water. Filter to remove dirt or impurities. Add the fine small sliced coconut pieces, the Karamani and boil. When the jaggery water starts boiling, add a teaspoon of ghee. the cardomom powder and then the roasted rice powder while stirring continuously till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan. Off the burner and allow it to cool.

Roll the mixture into balls, flatten them and make holes in the middle as shown in the picture. Now steam the sweet karadais in an idli cooker for 15 minutes.

Your sweet Karadai is ready to serve with butter.

 

The recipe for Salted Karadai

 

Ingredients

Dry roasted rice powder

Salt to taste

Karamani - 1 or 2 tablespoons

Coconut slices

 

Seasoning

Oil - 1 tablespoon

Mustard - 1/2 teaspoon

Udad dal - 1/4 teaspoon

Curry leaves - a few

Green chilli - 1 or 2 finely chopped

Ginger - a small piece finely chopped.

Asefoetida - a pinch

 

Method of Preparation

 

Prepare the rice powder and cook the karamani in the same way as for the sweet Karadai

Heat the oil in a saucepan and add mustard. Let it sputter. Add udad dal, asefoetida, and chopped ginger and green chillies. Then add the curry leaves. Now add the coconut finely sliced and karamani. Add water and salt to taste. Bring it to a boil. When the water starts boiling, lower the flame and add the rice powder slowly and stir continuously till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan. Allow it to cool. Then like the sweet Karadai, divide it into balls, flatten them and carve a hole in the middle of each. Steam these salted adais in an idli cooker or steamer and your salted karadais are ready to serve.

 

For those who want to know more here is the story behind this festival.

 Legend 

The story goes that Maharaja Ashtapathi had a beautiful daughter named Savitri, whom he adored. He knew her to be very intelligent and wise and gave her the freedom of choosing her husband. Savitri, during one of her visits to the forest, came upon a young man who was carrying on his shoulder, his blind parents in two baskets slung on a pole. Savitri was impressed by his sense of duty and respect and decided to marry him. When she informed her father, Ashtapathi enquired about the young man with Narada Muni. Narada informed him that the young man was Satyavan, the son of a king who had been exiled from his own kingdom. Ashtapati was happy about the fact that his daughter had chosen a prince. But then Narada said that Satyavan would die young. He had only one year to live. The King was aghast. But Savitri was set on marrying Satyavan. The King had no option but to get them married. Savitri was well aware about her husband’s impending death. She undertook strict vrats and performed pujas with dedication. The fateful day dawned. While cutting wood, Satyavan fell dead as Yama, the Lord of Death had arrived. Savitri followed Yama. The God of Death was astonished and pleased by her perseverance. He offered her three boons, and said that she should not ask for her husband. Savitri, being intelligent, agreed. She first asked that her in laws should be reinstated in their kingdom with all glory and respect. Her second request was for a son for her father Ashtapathi. For the third boon she asked for sons for herself. Yama said “Granted” and then realized that he had been outwitted by her intelligence, as he had to leave Satyavan alive for Savitri to beget sons.  The time of Karadayan Nombu is believed to be the time when Savitri performed puja, offered the Karadai to Lord Yama and got her husband back from death. Thus the offering of the delicious Karadai, both sweet and salted, is unique to this festival.

 

#KaradayanNombu #festival #SweetKaradai #SaltedKaradai #recipe #TamilNadu #SavitriVrat, #Nolumbu #Savitri #Satyavan #legend

 

 

 

 

 

 

'ON THE KRISHNA TRAIL' - MY NEW BOOK IS NOW AVAILABLE ON Amazon.in

 

New Book Information

I am thrilled and excited to announce that my latest book 'ON THE KRISHNA TRAIL' has been released and is available to buy on www.Amazon.in . 

https://www.amazon.in/KRISHNA-TRAIL-LALITHA-BALASUBRAMANIAN/dp/8194873347/

The book is represented by Suhail Mathur of The Book Bakers and is published by Locksley Hall Publishing. 

STORY OF MUMBAI’S FAVORITE STREET FOOD - PANIPURI

 

The crispy Puris with delicious filling

The very thought of the crunchy, miniscule hollow balls with spicy potato and chickpea filling, dipped in a tangy tamarind concoction made fragrant by the addition of mint and rock salt, sets our mouth drooling. Yes! I am talking about the delicious street food variant called Pani Puri in Maharashtra, Gol gappa, Gup chup, Pani ke pataashe or Phulkis in different regions of North India. In Bengal, this eternal favorite goes by the name of Puchka.

I first tasted the Puchka, when I visited Kolkota during my childhood for the summer vacations and it immediately settled into the numero uno position as far as my fetish for street food was concerned. Then during my teens I came across a fast food vendor just outside my college which served the most scrumptious Panipuris. My eyes would be fixed, mesmerized, as he picked up a nice round crisp puri, prod it with his thumb in the centre to carve a hole, fill it with a mixture of mashed potatoes and chickpeas, add a little sweet and sour chutney, and the then dip it in a bowl of the tamarind based minty concoction and hand it over with a flourish on to my plate. Oooph! The explosion of flavor and taste as I push it into my mouth in one go has to be experienced to be believed. 

Panipuri ready to be shoved into the mouth

I have nostalgic memories of waiting for the refill of spicy pani after my puris were done, setting my mouth on fire and water flowing like a stream from my eyes and nose. The panipuri climbed, rather jumped up the ladder of ratings on my must have fast food list. Later, during the course of my travels, I have sunk my teeth into the luscious Gol gappas in Delhi and the Pani ke Pataashe on the streets of Varanasi.

It was only recently though, that I learnt that the Panipuri in one of its various forms is believed to have been in existence since ancient times, well before 600 BCE. The story of its origin, though contentious, is very interesting and there are not one but two interesting legends, including one from the epic Mahabharata, involving Kunti, the mother of the Pandavas, and her daughter in law, Draupadi. The legend goes that the Pandavas along with Kunti and Draupadi were in exile after losing their kingdom. Once, Kunti, wanting probably to test her daughter in law, gave some dough and some potatoes to Draupadi. She asked her to cook some dish with the two ingredients that would be tasty as well as satisfy all her five husbands. This was a mighty challenge no doubt, but Draupadi proved her mettle by inventing a fantastic concoction that resembled panipuri. Kunti is believed to have been so extremely impressed by the ingenuity and resourcefulness of her daughter in law, that she is believed to have blessed the dish with immortality.

Another popular belief is that the panipuri originated in the form of Phulki in the ancient kingdom of Magadha, well known for being the origin of the Maurya and Gupta empires. Magadha corresponds to the South Bihar area. As I mentioned earlier, in certain parts of North India the Panipuri is still known as Phulki.  

Pani puri is not restricted to being a street food sold by dubious vendors now. It has made its entry into the menus of well known restaurants and hotels where it is served as a super special chaat item. One finds people making a beeline for the chat stall at high end weddings just to fulfill their craving for the scrumptious panipuri.

 Five places where you can find the most delicious Panipuri in Mumbai

• 1.      You have a wonderful choice between Gupta Chaat centre and Pankaj Pani Puri in Matunga East.
• 2.      One cannot miss the outlet at Elco Market at Hill Road, Bandra West. They serve the most delicious panipuri, the taste of which lingers on.
• 3.      Guru Kripa at Sion near SIES college is a college student’s delight.
• 4.      Want to try the most famous panipuri in South Mumbai? Visit Kailash Parbat at Colaba.
• 5.      Ram and Shyam Chaat Stall in Santacruz is another popular outlet, and so is the Punjab Sweet House in Bandra. 

  Are you tempted? Go ahead and enjoy! Happy eating folk!

#Panipuri, #Golgappe, #puchka, #phulki, #pani_ke_pataashe, #streetfood, #Mumbai, #story

The #Story of #Navaratri for #children about Goddess #Durga as #Mahishasuramardini

 

We are once again in the midst of our favorite festival Navaratri. But children, do you know the story behind this festival and why we celebrate it with so much fervor?

Once upon a time there was a demon or Asura called Mahishasur.  He had the face of a buffalo with two pointed and sharp horns and a human body.  Mahishasur prayed to Lord Brahma for many, many years, doing strict penance.

Lord Brahma appeared before him and said, “Hey Mahishasur! I am pleased with your devotion and prayers. I will grant you any boon that you want.”

The Asura was pleased. He said, “I want to be immortal. Grant me the boon that I will never die.”

Brahma shook his head. “I am sorry, Mahishasur. I can’t grant you immortality. It is against the law of nature. Ask for something else.”

Mahishasur thought for a moment. Then he said, “My Lord, grant me a boon that I cannot be killed by any God, Man or animal.”

“Thathastu!” exclaimed Brahma with a smile. The Asura, in his arrogance, had not considered a woman as being strong enough to confront him. 

Mahishasur became proud of his prowess and his invincibility. He started harassing the Sages, Maharishis, and conquered the whole world. He then moved on to heaven and the Devas had to concede defeat because of Lord Brahma’s boon.

The Devas rushed to Lord Brahma for a solution. Brahma said that only a woman would be able to kill Mahishasur. It was then that Lord Brahma, Mahavishnu and Mahadev created a beautiful, divine woman Shakthi called Durga Devi, with ten arms and a lion as a mount. Each of the Devas presented her with their weapon. She had a weapon in each of her ten arms including Mahadev’s Trishul and Mahavishnu’s Chakra, Brahma’s kamandala and Indra’s thunderbolt and presented a magnificent sight sitting majestically on her mount, the lion.

 Attracted by her magnificent beauty, Mahishasur expressed a wish to marry her. Durgadevi was angered by this and started a war with the buffalo faced Asura. The fierce battle lasted for nine days and nine nights. On the tenth day, Durga Mata vanquished Mahishasur  by piercing him with her trident.  Durga Mata is also called Mahishasuramardini and Simhavahini.

Thus the festival of Navaratri, meaning nine nights, celebrates the victory of Shri Durga Mata over the wicked Mahishasur. 

To know about how different States celebrate Navaratri in different ways read https://lalithabalasubramanian.blogspot.com/2019/09/5-states-in-india-celebrate-navaratri_14.html

Jai Mata Di

#Navaratri  #Story_for_children #DurgaMata #Mahishasur #Mahishasuramardini #Trident #Festival

The #Religious Significance and #Medicinal Properties of #Vilva #Bilva or #BelPatra

We cannot imagine a puja for Lord Shiva without the sacred Bilva leaves also known as Bel Patra or Vilvam. Offering of the Bilva leaf with devotion has a deep religious significance, as Mahadev is said to bless the devotee with whatever he wishes for. 

 The Bel Patra is trifoliate and, as per Hindu belief, symbolizes the holy Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.  The trifoliate Bilva is said to represent the three eyes of Lord Shiva and the three syllables of the Omkara, namely Akara, Ukara and Makara. It is also said to represent the three spokes of the sacred Trishul. Yet another interpretation is that the Bilva personifies the three gunas, namely, the Satva, Rajas and Tamas, and the middle portion of the Bel patra indicates the perfect balance of the three gunas.

According to the Skanda Purana, while Goddess Parvati was performing penance to get Mahadev as her husband, drops of perspiration fell on the Mandrachal mountain and Bilva trees grew from these sweat droplets. Hence it is believed that Goddess Parvati resides in the leaves, flowers, fruits, roots and all parts of the Vilva tree.

Girija - Root

Maheshwari – Stem

Dakshayani or Sati - branches

 Parvati – Leaves

Gowri – Flowers

Katyayani – Fruits

Another belief is that Goddess Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth resides in the Bilva tree as it was born from her breasts. People believe that by even having a darshan of the Bilva tree and touching it, you can be freed from sins.  

Just like the Tulsi is said to be dear to Lord Vishnu, the Bel Patra is held dear by Mahadev and it is believed that offering even one Bel Patra to Lord Shiva with sincere devotion can free a person from their sin or ailment. Devotees worship Lord Shiva with Bilva leaves while reciting the sacred Bilvasthakam. 

The Bel Patra is said to absorb Mahadev’s energy. Hence we generally find devotees taking back home a leaf or two to transfer a little of this positive energy to themselves.

There is a very interesting story of a hunter who was in the forest to hunt for his food.  Even by nightfall, he had not found any animal. Scared by the appearance of a Lion, he climbed a tree. Neither was he aware that it was a Bilva tree, nor did he see the Shivaling under the tree. To keep awake and pass time during the night, he kept plucking the leaves and dropping them below. The Bel patras were falling on the Shivaling. Lord Shiva was pleased with the continuous offering of the Bilva leaves and saved the hunter from the lion.

Another story from the Shiva Puran goes, that a hunter who was searching for food on Maha shivaratri day, did not find anything to eat. At night, he climbed unknowingly atop a Bilva tree to spot his prey. There was a Shivaling below the tree and a pot of water was hanging above, which the hunter did not see. When he moved a little, the water pot would shake and water would fall down on the Shivaling. He also plucked many of the leaves inadvertently and dropped them down until the Shivaling below was covered with Bilva leaves. So without being aware of his actions, he had fasted during the Maha Shivaratri day and also worshipped Lord Shiva with Bel Patras and water. His mind was getting purified. Just then a deer appeared. The hunter happily aimed his arrow at the deer, but the deer asked him to wait till he bid goodbye to his mate and children. For the first time in his life, the hunter felt sympathy for the deer and agreed. After some time the mate came searching for the first deer and then the child deer. Each of them requested the hunter for some time to bid goodbye to their family and overcome by kindness, he agreed. The deer family appeared together in front of the hunter to keep their word, but by then his mind was completely purified. He did not want to kill animals anymore and in turn asked the deer to forgive him. Hearing this, Lord Shiva gave him darshan. The hunter fell at Lord Shiva’s feet and turned into a great devotee and achieved salvation.

The Bilva tree (Aegle Marmelos) also called the Wood Apple, is also known for its medicinal properties. According to the Ayurveda, the Bilva fruits and leaves are antibacterial and anti fungal and can be used to treat various stomach related ailments and gastric ulcers. The extract of the Bilva leaf can be used to control Cholesterol levels in the blood, control blood sugar levels, and cure respiratory disorders like Asthma and common cold.  Inflammation is also said to be quickly cured when the extract of Bel Patra is applied on the inflamed region. This is due to its anti inflammatory property.  

#Shiva #Bilva #BelPatra #Religious #Vilvam #Medicinal #Ayurveda #worship #Mahadev #Parvati

#Religious Significance and #Medicinal value of #Tulsi

 

 

One of the most auspicious plants in a Hindu home is the Tulsi plant, which is worshipped as a Goddess, an incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi. People plant the Tulsi in a special pot called the Tulsi Madom which has carvings of Goddess Lakshmi among others on its four sides. There is a space on this pot dedicated to the placing of a lighted diya or lamp. One has to water and care for the Tulsi plant daily and the leaves are used for the worship of Lord Mahavishnu. They are generally woven into a garland to adorn Sri Krishna or Sri Rama. In fact, a Tulsi leaf is generally used for offering Neivedyam to Gods and Goddesses during worship. There are two types of Tulsi which are worshipped by the Hindus. They are the Rama Tulasi which has a light green stem and the Krishna Tulsi or Shyam Tulsi which has a dark stem. Vrindavan, the forest of Tulsi, is completely under the protection of Devi Vrinda. She is the one who arranges everything for the divine couple Sri Krishna and Radha Rani. Entry into Vrindavan is only possible with her blessing.  The Tulsi is said to connect the devotee with the Lord and lead him on the path of bhakti..

The legend goes that Brinda (Vrinda) was the pious wife of the Asura King, Jalandhara. She was a staunch devotee of Lord Vishnu. Due to her continuous worship of the Lord, Jalandhara gained in strength and became almost invincible. None of the Devas could defeat him as Vrinda had undertaken vows for his victory. The Devas prayed to Lord Shiva to fight and vanquish Jalandhara. But it was difficult for even Lord Shiva to defeat him as Vrinda’s devotion and worship proved to be the protective shield for the Asura King.

Jalandhara was becoming more and more proud of his prowess and the prolonged battle worried Mata Parvati. She knew that the power of Jalandhara was in his wife’s virtuous love for her husband and her devotion to Lord Vishnu. The Devas therefore approached Mahavishnu for help. The Lord, though not happy about deceiving his beloved devotee, had to take the decision to come to Vrinda in the guise of her husband. Believing the Lord to be her husband Jalandhara, she left her worship and touched the feet of Mahavishnu reverently. Her one minute of distraction was enough to make Jalandhara weak and Lord Shiva could vanquish him. When Vrinda came to know of her husband’s death and the cause of it being her beloved God, she was saddened and furious. She cursed Mahavishnu to become a stone for being stonehearted towards her devotion. She also cursed the Lord to be separated from his wife which happened in the Rama avatar, when Rama and Sita were separated. The Lord accepted her curse and turned into a black Shaligrama stone. He also blessed his devotee to become a Tulsi plant and promised to marry her on the Prabhodini Ekadashi day, and that’s the reason for the Tulsi-Shaligrama vivah being performed with great devotion every year on that day.

 Apart from the religious significance of the Tulsi, the medicinal properties of this plant are well documented in the Ayurveda. Also known as the Holy Basil, the Tulsi leaves are an important ingredient in almost all ayrvedic medicines for cough, cold, headache and other ailments. The plant of the family Lamiaceae is widely found in India and some other South East Asian countries.

It is a rich source of Vitamin C and Zinc. Hence it is an immunity booster. It has anti bacterial, anti viral and anti fungal properties, thereby helping the body to fight against infections. The juice of Tulsi mixed with ginger and honey is very effective in reducing cough and cold, influenza, bronchitis and asthma. It has anti inflammatory properties which reduce inflammation and blood pressure. It is good for heart patients as well as for reducing sugar levels in diabetic patients. The Tulsi is also useful in treating gastrointestinal disorders, Gout and Kidney stones. Apart from all this it is said to improve the skin texture and prevent premature ageing because it is rich in antioxidants.

#Tulsi #HolyBasil #Medicinal #Religious #plant #antioxidant #Antiinflammatory #immunitybooster #Vrinda #SriKrishna #Vrindavan #Shaligrama #TulsiVivah

How Lord #Ganesha hoodwinks the mighty #Ravana #ChildrensStories

 

Ravana was the mighty king of Lanka. He was a great devotee of Lord Shiva. Once his mother wanted him to pray to Mahadev and procure the Atmalingam for worship in Lanka.

Ravana at once set out to Kailas. He prayed fervently and performed great penance. Lord Shiva was very pleased with his devotion. He appeared before him to bless him and grant him a boon.

Ravana said, “Mahadev, please give me the Atmalingam to take with me to Lanka.”

Shiva was taken aback, but since he was pleased with his devotee and had promised to grant him a boon, he said, “Ravana, I will give you the Atmalingam on one condition. You have to walk your way to Lanka and not place the Lingam on the ground even for a few seconds on the ground. If, by any chance, you do keep it down anywhere on the way, the Atmalingam will get rooted to the earth there.”

Ravana agreed to the condition. He was quite confident that he could carry the lingam all the way to Lanka.

He accepted the Atmalingam from Mahadev and walked away. Seeing the mighty Lankesh with the powerful Atmalingam held close to his chest, the Devas were scared. They knew that if Ravana succeeded in his mission of installing the Atmalingam in Lanka, he would become almost invincible.

They rushed to Mahavishnu praying for a solution. Mahavishnu knew that only the wise Lord Ganapati was capable of handling this situation. He accompanied the Devas and narrated the sequence of events. He and the Devas then humbly requested Lord Ganesha to find a solution.

Ganesha thought for a moment. He said, “Don’t worry. I know the importance and power of the Atmalingam. And also I know that the mighty King of Lanka can misuse its power. So I will find a way to prevent him from taking the lingam to Lanka.”

The Devas were relieved. Lord Ganesha took the form of a Brahmin boy and appeared on the shore of the sea with a few cows. As per their plan, Mahavishnu shut the rays of the sun with his Sudharshana Chakra to make it seen as though it was sunset.

Now, Ravana was a devout Brahmin and would not skip his prayer rituals at any cost. Thinking that the sun had almost set, Ravana arrived at the sea shore wanting to perform his Sandhyavandhanam. He could not do sandhyavandhanam with the Atmalingam in his hands. And he could not place it on the floor too.

He was in a dilemma. At that moment he saw the Brahmin boy with his cows. Thanking his stars, he approached the boy and requested him to hold the lingam for a few minutes while Ravana performed his ritual.

The boy agreed but said, “Oh Mighty King, I will hold the lingam in my hands for a little while, but as you can see, I am a little boy. If I feel its weight to be too much for me to hold, I will call you three times. You have to come immediately and take it from me. Otherwise I will keep it down.

Ravana agreed. As soon as he went into the sea to bathe and perform Sandhyavandhanam, the Brahmin boy, who was actually Ganesha in disguise, called out his name thrice in quick succession. Before Ravana could come out of the water and reach him, he had already placed the Shivalingam down.

Ravana was furious. He tried to lift it from the ground but it did not move. He turned angrily towards the boy but the boy had already vanished taking the cows along with him. Just then, Mahavishnu removed the Sudarshana Chakra and the sun's rays fell again on earth. Ravana understood that he had been tricked. Deeply aggrieved, he tried his best to lift the Atmalingam, but he failed miserably. In frustration, he threw the pieces of outer covering in three different places. The lingam was now in the shape of the ear of a cow. 

Realising that his efforts were futile, Ravana prayed to Lord Shiva and named the Atmalingam as Mahabaleshwara , the all powerful God. He then proceeded to his kingdom. The Devas were all in praise for Lord Ganesha, who had wisely hoodwinked the mighty King of Lanka, Ravana.

Even today, the Atmalingam is worshipped as Mahabaleshwara at Gokarna in Karnataka. Gokarna incidently means the ear of the cow.

The pieces of the covering of the Atmalingam which were flung away by Ravana in fury turned into Lingams instantaneously and are worshipped as  Dhareshwara, Gunavanteshwara, Murdeshwara and Shejjeshwara. These five holy places are together called the Pancha Kshetra.