Lord Krishna
Gokulashtami or Janmashtami is the Hindu festive celebrated in a grand manner all over North India. This day normally falls on the eighth day after Aavani Avittam ie, ashtami thidi of Tamil month Aavani. This day marks the birth of Lord Krishna.
In the evening of this day, we decorate the entrance with kolams and drawing the baby Krishna’s feet imprints that mark the entrance of the Lord to our house.
Lord Krishna Foot prints
Lord Krishna is said to be fond of butter and sweets and this day we prepare all sweets that are Lord Krishna’s favourite. At our home, we prepare Seedai – Uppu Seedai (Salted flavour) and Vella Seedai ( Sweet), Appam, Aval (rice flakes) – Vella aval and Puli aval, Aval Payasam.
Uppu Seedai Recipe:
Ingredients:
Raw Rice – 2 cups
Urad dhal – 3 tsp
White sesame seeds – 1 tsp
Grated coconut – 1/4 cup
Butter – 3 tsp
Asafoetida – a pinch
Salt – to taste
Oil – for frying
Method:
Take Raw rice and soak in water for half an hour, dry it and get it grinded to a fine powder.
1. Take a dry tawa, fry the rice flour for few mins.
2. Take the urad dhal fry in a dry tawa until they turn mild golden brown. Leave them for few mins and get them grinded to a fine poder.
3. Now take a bowl, add 3 cups rice flour, urad dhal powder, salt, asafoetida, butter, sesame seeds and slowly sprinkle water and start preparing thick dough. Do not add too much water else it will splatter when deep frying. Also make sure the consistency is like chapati dough.
4. Once the dough is ready, make small balls and leave them in a clean cloth for few mins so that excess water is absorbed.
uppu seedai or cheedai
5. Now take small portions and get them deep fried in oil.
Seedai in prepation..
Uppu Seedai or the savory balls
Uppu Seedai or Salted savory balls is ready.
Vella Seedai Recipe:
Ingredients:
Rice flour – 3 cups
Urad dhal powder – 2 tsp
Chopped or sliced coconut – 1/2 cup
White Sesame seeds – 1 tsp
Jagery – 2 cup
Cardamom powder – 1/2 tsp
Oil – for frying
Method:
1. Prepare jaggery syrup, adding little water to the jaggery and heating it until the dust settles down and thick syrup stays above.
2. Take a dry tawa, fry the rice flour for few mins.
3. Now take a bowl, add rice flour, urad powder, sesame seeds, coconut, cardamom and prepare thick dough adding the jaggery syrup.
4. Once the thick dough is ready, prepare small balls and can be fried directly.
Vella seedai ready to fry
5. Allow until golden brown.
Vella or Vellam(Jaggery for sweet) seedai is ready.
Vella Seedai or Sweet Seedai
Appam Recipe:
Ingredients:
Maida – 1 cup
Rice flour – 1/2 cup
Cardamom – 1/2 tsp
Jaggery – 1 cup
Grated coconut – 1/4 cup(grind them finely and keep it)
Oil – for frying
Method:
1. Prepare jaggery syrup and transfer it another bowl slowly leaving away the dust particles.
2. Now mix maida, rice flour, cardamom, grinded coconut and slowly add the jaggery syrup and stir well.
3. The consistency should be like that of the dosa batter.
4. Now heat oil in a tawa, take small amount of this batter and pour one by one into the oil.
5. When you pour, the batter would go to the bottom and as it starts cooking it will come to the top and then you can trn it to the other side and get it cooked.
Appam
Sweet appam is ready.
Puli Aval Recipe:
Ingredients:
Tamarind – a small lemon size
Aval or rice flakes or poha – 1 cup
Urad and channa dhal – 2 tsp each
Dry Red chilli – 4
Mustard – 1/2 stp
Oil – 3 tsp
Turemric, asafoetida – a pinch
Curry leaves – to garnish
Rice flakes or poha or aval
Method:
1. Soak rice flakes in water for few mins and squeeze off the water and keep it aside.
2. Add little water and extract tamarind juice.
3. Now take a tawa, heat oil add mustard, urad and channa dhal, red chilli and allow it to turn golden brown.
4. Now pour the tamarind juice and add asafoetida, salt, turmeric and allow it to boil.
5. Finally add the aval and mix well.
6. Allow it for few mins and it will turn out like upma.
7. Garnish with curry leaves.
Puli Aval Upma
Puli aval upma or was called traditionally puli aval is ready.
Vella Aval Recipe:
Ingredients:
Aval – 1 cyp
Jaggery – 1/2 cup
Grated coconut – 1/4 cup
Cardamom – 1/4 tsp
Cashew – 8
Method:
1. Soak rice flakes in water for few mins and squeeze off the water and keep it aside.
2. Prepare jaggery syrup and transfer it to another vessel leaving behind the impurities.
3. Heat the syrup in low flame and add coconut, cardamom, aval and stir well.
4. As it thickens, the aval flakes will loosen and look like upma.
5. Now garnish with roasted cashews if interested.
Vella Aval or sweet rice flakes
Sweet Aval is ready.
Aval payasam Recipe:
Ingredients:
Aval – 1 cup
Heated Milk – 1/2 litre
Sugar – 1 1/2 cup
Cashew – 8
Cardamom – 1/4 tsp
Ghee – 2 tsp
Method:
1. Soak aval or rice flakes in water for few mins and squeeze off the water and keep it aside.
2. Now take the aval and add little milk and get them cooked.
3. Once cooked, add remaining milk, cardamom and sugar and mix well.
4. Finally garnish with ghee roasted cashews.
Aval Payasam
Aval payasam or kheer is ready.
