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 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.

5. Now take small portions and get them deep fried in oil.

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.

5. Allow until golden brown.

Vella or Vellam(Jaggery for sweet) seedai is ready.

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.

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

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 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.

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 or kheer is ready.