Friday, August 15, 2008

Karnataka Festive Food

























Varamahalakshmi Pooja

Who wouldnt love festive feasts..We all do especially the color, the various rituals, new clothes, holidays and Food..Karnataka festive food is a delicious melange of various tasty dishes..

As the history goes Varalakshmi Vratam is an important pooja performed by many women in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka and some parts of Tamil Nadu.The Hindu festival going by the name 'Vara Lakshmi Vrata' is celebrated on the last Friday of the bright fortnight in the month of Ashadha, also called Adi, which corresponds to the English months of July-August
This pooja came to be practiced year after year by women. Done with devotion, it is said that boons would be granted and thus many wishes would be realized.
This pooja can be done with no restriction to caste or creed. To this day, the faithful of modern times observe this tradition.


Some of the popular dishes prepared during this festival are


Hesarabele Payasa/Moong dal Payasam
Aaama Vade/Channa dal fritter
Kosambaris (Kadlebele kosambari/Hesarabele kosambari)/Dal salads
Seemebadnekai Palya
Thovve

Majjige Huli



For Hesarabele payasa/Moongdal Kheer
Grind to a paste (1/2cup coconut, 1tsp dry roasted poppy seeds, 2 cloves, 3-4 cardamom pods,3-4 almonds)
Dry roast 1 cup of moong dal with a tsp of ghee and pressure cook till soft.
To make:
In a thick pan, add the pressure cooked dal, mix with 11/4 cup jaggery and the ground paste. boil till all the ingrediants mix well and jaggery fully melts. Add a cup of milk (optional)..Serve hot or cold..


For Aama Vade/Channa dal fritters
Soak 2 cups of channa dal/kadlebele. Drain and pulse this with a cup of fresh grated coconut, 4 green chillies. Do not overgrind.
To this mixture add chopped mint, chopped coriender leaves and a tsp of jeera.
Flatten small rounds of the mixture into your palm and drop it in hot oil and deep fry till crispy and brown..


Seemebadnekai palya/Chayote Palya
For Take 2 Chayote/Chow Chow and chop into small pieces. Microwave them for 5-6 minutes with little water till soft.
Now in a pan, season with oil, mustard, green chillies and a tsp of turmeric. Now add the boiled chayote. Add salt and fresh grated coconut and serve with hot rice.


Majjige Huli
Please refer to my previous post using Taro leaves. Instead of Taro leaves, I have used a mixture of drumsticks, white pumpkin and okra.



30 comments:

FH said...

Paru, habbada oota tumbane chennagide, majaa madi!!!

I would love to link this post with first thali photo in my Karnataka RCI round up. Let me know if it's okay for me to do that, I will take it myself if you say yes!:)

Purva Desai said...

Wow Paru!!
Ur small mandir looks really authentic.....
And so many yummy food for the occassion

Paru ... said...

Asha,

Thanks for your comments:-) Yes you may link this post for the RCI round up..Thanks..

Paru

Paru ... said...

Thanks Purva..Happy festival season to you:-)..

Meera said...

Wow!! That looks like an awesome spread.

HAREKRISHNAJI said...

I would die for Hesarabele payasa. I have tasted this item at Rama Nayak at Matunga, Mumbai

Daily Meals said...

Great thali! Every thing looks delicious Paru!

Indian Khana said...

Hey very nice..liked so much your Pooja vidhi...and the thali too...very authentic :)

lubnakarim06 said...

Wow foof looks gr8.

Unknown said...

Hi Dear...
Fantastic Entry... looks nice & Amazing... Nice click...

Your small temple looks nice & Awesome....

Aparna Balasubramanian said...

Festivals are a welcome break to evryday routine. Many of these food items are familiar though we do not celebrate Varalkshmi Pooja.
Thanks for dropping by my blog.

ST said...

Everything looks awesome Paru!!!Great and delicious Thali!!
Your small temple looks nice & Awesome....

Sum Raj said...

woo looks amazing...feel ike grabing those thali for our lunch..mouthwatering and colourful..

Bhawna said...

Hi Paru...Ur Mandir looks really beautiful and so is the Feast. wow, with everyth so ethnic its look like we are celebrating festivals in India.

Deepthi Shankar said...

paru .. habbada adige looks really yummy .. i love seemebadanekai palya .. its a delicious spread ..

Sum Raj said...

theres a surprise for u..check my blog

Paru ... said...

Thanks Meera, Vijaya, Priti, Aparna, Vegetable Platter, Hare Krishnaji, Sireesha,Srikars kitchen, Kitchen Flavours, Bhawna for your wonderful comments..

Thanks Suma for passing the award to me...

Lakshmi said...

Sakkathagi habbada oota :) Loved it :)

anudivya said...

Simply beautiful! Nice pic and food looks great as well.

anudivya said...

Paru, If you are not very comfortable with cakes, then I suggest trying it with all-purpose flour. All my recipes involve whole-wheat flour and they are tricky to work with... Happy baking!

anudivya said...

Yet again, thanks for ur comments. I am enjoying it!

Ok I have a question for you, I am asking becoz you prepared Chayote in the last recipe...
I bought a yellow long squash from a farm, and I dont know what to do with it. Sad part is, I dont even know itz name! ha ha ha.
Can you throw some light on this?
I know I am being vague! But I need help.

FH said...

Thanks Paru.I did link this thali with other K'taka thalis, looks great!:))

http://foodieshope.blogspot.com/2007/10/karnataka-cuisine-main-course-round-up.html

Cham said...

I always look for Kannadiga food, just to surprise my husb :) This thali is beautiful Paru and like ur pooja settings too... Glad that i landed in ur spot!

CurryLeaf said...

Hi,
Thanks for visiting my blog.Please pick up an award from y site.Link:
http://tastycurryleaf.blogspot.com/2008/08/strawberry-banana-sorbet-my-first-award.html

Srikitchen said...

an award waiting for u in my blog!

Purva Desai said...

hey here's ur chance to celebrate festivals with enthusiasm and zeal...
check out blog to participate and njoy festival season

Padma said...

Looks like you had a nice celebration on Varalakshmi Vratham puja...
May Goddess Lakshmi shower her blessing on your family!

Padma said...

hu ggh! forgot to say thank you for visiting my blog!

Rajani said...

wow!! I so want to eat that thali...though its only 8 am here right now... the stomach's growling!!

Laavanya said...

What an inviting thaali - beautiful.