Varalakshmi Viratham or nombu is the festive celebrated in he Tamil month Aadi on Friday preceding the full moon day. This day is meant for women who welcome Goddess Varalakshmi to their house. Kalasam or a pot that is filled with rice, toor dhal, lemon, ripe turmeric and 1 rupee coin is kept ready. A coconut is dusted with turmeric and kumkum and is used to create five faces one on each side.  This is placed upside down with Mango leaves on the kalasam. Over this, the Ambaal mugam or Godess face is placed. The place is decorated with kolams. Also decorating the Goddess with silk material and gold jewellery.

Varalaksmi Nombu 09

It is beleived that whatever you give the Goddess will come back manifold. Also special dishes are prepared as offering to the Goddess.

The dishes prepared in our home are kozhukattai, raw rice idli, Urad vada and parupu paiysam.

Kozhukattai (kadubu or moodak) Recipe:

Ingredients:

Rice flour – 2 cup

Water – 1 1/2 cup

Cardamom powder – 1/4 tsp

Coconut – 1 cup

Jaggery – 1/2 cup

oil – 2 tsp

Method:

1. Take little water in a tawa, heat it and add the powdered jagerry.

2. Once jaggery melts and add the coconut and mix well.

3. When it thickens add cardamom powder and turn off the stove.

Poornam or the sweet stuffing is ready.

4. Heat 1 1/2 cup water and add a pinch of salt and 2 tsp oil to it.

5. When water starts boiling, add the rice flour and mix well.

6. Allow the recently mixed rice flour to cool down a bit and start making small cups  and fill the poornam inside and close the corners.

7. Steam cook the prepared kozhukattai for min 7-10 mins and kozhukattai is ready.

Vadai and kozhukattai

Urad Vada Recipe:

Ingredients:

Urad – 2 cup

Green chilli – 4 – 5nos

Curry leaves – 3 tsp

Salt – to taste

Oil – to fry

Method:

1. Soak the urad dhal in water for 1 hr and get it grinded finely along with chillies and salt by adding little water. (Do not add more water else vada will absorb lot of oil)

2. Heat oil in tawa, make small flat balls, flatten them and deep fry.

3. Cook it, till it becomes golden brown.

4. Hot Urad vada is ready.

Parupu Paiyasam Recipe:

Ingredients:

Channa dhal – 1/2 cup

Moong dhal – 1/2 cup

Jaggery – 1 1/2 cup

Cardamom powder – 1/2 tsp

Milk – 200 ml

Ghee – 3 tsp

Cashew – to garnish

Method:

1. Fry moong and channa dhal and cook them soft.

2. After the dhal is cooked, add grated jaggery and allow it to melt.

3. Allow it to boil until it starts thickeing.

4. Remove from flame and add cardamom powder.

5. Fry cashews in ghee and add it to the kheer or paiyasam.

6. Finally add boiled milk and paiysam is ready.

Parupu Payasam

Ragi (also spelled as Raagi or Kelvaragu) or finger millet koozh or a kind of porridge that is a special dish meant for Tamil month Aadi where this porridge is offered to God. This ragi itself is a good ingredient for those dieting and also a rich fibre food good for ladies specially. This dish is the breakfast in the country side in India where they serve this with raw green chilli or pickles or they take it with raw onions.

Raagi or Kelvaraghu Koozh Recipe:

Ingredients:

Ragi (Finger millet) flour – 4 tablespoons

Salt – as required

Butter Milk – 3 tumbler

Water- 3 tumbler

Chopped onion – handfull

Cooked rice – 1 tablespoon

Method:

1. Mix Ragi flour in 1 cup of Water without any lumps.

2. Heat remaining Water in a vessel.

3. Once it started to boil, add mixed Ragi flour in medium flame.

4. Allow the Ragi flour mix to boil until it thickens.

5. Finally add cooked rice, salt, chopped onion and remove from flame.

6. Allow it to cool for some time and add butter milk while serving.

Ragi Koozh served with chilli, pickles and onions

Ingredients:

Chicken – 1 cup

Coconut – 1/2 cup

Turmeric – 1/2 tsp

Olive oil – 3 tsp

Oil – 2 tsp

Salt – to taste

Water – as required

For Masala:

Pepper – 1 tsp

Jeera -1 tsp

Red chilli – 4

Small Onions – 1 cup

Garlic – 8

Coriander powder – 3 tsp

For seasoning:

Sombu – 1 tsp

Red chilli – 2

Chopped small onion – 5 no’s

Curry leaves – 1 table spoon

Method:

1. Add 2 tsp oil to a pan and fry the masala ingredients and get them grinded once they cool down.

2. Grind the coconut separately adding little water and keep it aside.

3. Now take a tawa, add 3 tsp olive oil, chicken, turmeric and saute till water is removed from chicken.

4. Now add the grinded masala to the chicken mixing it with little water.

5. Allow it to boil and finally add the grinded coconut and salt.

6. Season it with the seasoning ingredients with olive oil.

Chicken Masala Gravy

This chicken masala gravy goes well with rice.

Ingredients:

Chicken – 250 gms

Onion – 2

Tomato – 2

Basmati Rice – 1 cup

Cinnamom – small piece

Bay leaf – 1

Green Chilli – 4

Mint and coriander leaves – 1 cup

Turmeric power – 1/2 tsp

Ghee – 3 tsp

Oil – 1 tablespoon

Salt – to taste

lemon juice – 1 tsp

Water – as required

For Masala:

Ginger – 1 inch piece

Garlic – 5

Fennel seeds (sombu) – 1 tsp

Clove – 3

Cinnamom – 1 inch piece

Ingredients for Chicken Biryani

Method:

1. Take a pan, heat oil and ghee 1 tsp and add cinnamom, bay leaf, chopped onion, tomato and fry.

2. Keep the masala ingredients grinded separately.

3. Add mint and coriander leaves to the pan and saute.

4. Now add the chicken pieces, turmeric, grinded masala, little salt and 2 cup water and allow the chicken to cook.

5. Soak the rice for 10 mins in water and add it to the boiling chicken.

6. Now add salt if needed, ghee and lemon juice and stir well and clove the pan.

7. Allow it for 3 whistles and open only after the steam subsides.

Chettinad style Chicken Biryani served with raita

The authentic chettinad chicken biryani is ready to be served with onion raita.

Ingredients:

String bean or kaaramani kai – 250 gms

Green Chilli – 2

Grated coconut – 3 tsp

Oil – 1 tsp

Mustard – 1/2 tsp

Urad dhal – 1 tsp

Turmeric – a pinch

Water – to cook

Salt – to taste

Method:

1. Wash and chop the string bean and keep it ready.

2. Take a tawa, heat oil and add mustard and urad dhal.

3. After mustard pops, add the sliced green chilli.

4. Now add the chopped string bean and add turmeric and sprinkle little water.

5. Close with a lid and allow it to cook for 5 mins and add salt.

6. Finally add grated coconut, mix well and serve.

String Bean poriyal or curry