Sapaada Bhakshya /Satyanarayana Prasada /ಸಪಾದ ಭಕ್ಷ್ಯ /ಸತ್ಯನಾರಾಯಣ ಪ್ರಸಾದ

The best part of the Sathyanarayana Pooja is the Sathyanarayana prasaada which is served in the end. It truly tastes devine :)It is also called Sapaada Bhakshya.
Sa means same,similar [ಸ - ಸಮಾನ]
Paada means one fourth, quarter.[ಪಾದ - ನಾಲ್ಕನೆಯ ಒಂದು ಅಂಶ, ಕಾಲುಭಾಗ]
So sapada bhaksha has 4 ingredients, each in the same quantity - namely Rava/sooji, Ghee, Sugar and Milk.

Servings: This recipe makes 15 - 20 rounds/balls.

Ingredients
1 cup Sooji/Semolina/Rave/ಸಣ್ಣರವೆ
[usually fine sooji is used]
1 cup milk /ಹಾಲು
1 cup ghee/ ತುಪ್ಪ
1 cup sugar/ ಸಕ್ಕರೆ
3-4 big ripe bananas/ ಬಾಳೆ ಹಣ್ಣು
Handful of cashews,raisins/ಗೋಡಂಬಿ,ವಣದ್ರಾಕ್ಷಿ
1/2 tsp cardamom powder/ಏಲಕ್ಕಿ ಪುಡಿ
few strands of saffron /ಕೇಸರಿ [optional]



Method :
Take 2 tbsp of ghee in a pan, heat on medium flame. add cashews, raisins and deep fry them in the ghee. Once done keep it aside.

Put 2 tbsp ghee in big pan/kadai. Add sooji and roast it on a medium flame till you get a nice aroma and a slight change in color. Keep the sooji aside. Peel bananas and cut into thin slices,keep aside.

Pour milk into the pan and bring it to a boil. Keep it on medium flame all the time. When the milk is coming to a boil add the banana pieces and half of the ghee. Then stir it for 2-3 minutes so the banana gets slight cooked. Add the saffron threads,cardamom powder.

Now add the roasted sooji slowly into the boiling milk, keep stirring it as you add sooji. Mix well and cover it. Leave it for 3-5 minutes till sooji gets cooked. Once sooji is all cooked, add the sugar, the remaining ghee, deep fried cashews and raisins. Mix well till sugar is dissolved and incorporated. The whole mixture starts comes together like a lump, that is when it is done so you can switch off the stove.

Usually Satyanarayana prasada is served as small rounds/balls. If you have had the prasada you how rich and tasty it is. Adding this quantity of ghee and sugar definitely makes the praasada melt in your mouth :)

For people who are calorie conscious, I am posting another version of the same recipe with lesser quantity of ghee and sugar.

1 cup Sooji
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 - 1/2 cup ghee
3 cups milk [OR 2 cups milk + 1 cup water]
3-4 big ripe bananas
Handful of cashews,raisins
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
few strands of saffron

Since we are using less ghee here, we need more milk to cook the sooji.The procedure is the same as above.

Click here to read how to perform Satyanarayana Pooja

Karnataka Kootu / Dill leaves and Hyacinth beans Curry / Avarekalu Sabsige soppu Kootu/ ಸಬ್ಬಸಿಗೆ ಅವರೇ ಕಾಳು ಕೂಟು

Here is a recipe for Karnataka Style Kootu. Kootu is a type of curry with dal and mixed vegetables. Kootu differs from the commonly known Rasam (Saaru) and Sambhar in 2 ways. For Rasam and Sambhar the spice that gives the heat is dry red chillies. For kootu the heat is solely provided by black pepper. Also for rasam and sambhar we add tamarind to give a tangy taste. Kootu does not have any tamarind, so it has no tangyness. The cumin and pepper give a unique flavor to the currry.


Servings: This recipe makes about 4 quarts/4 litres of Curry (4 - 6 servings)

Ingredients:
1 big bunch dill leaves / Sabsige soppu / ಸಬ್ಬಸಿಗೆ ಸೊಪ್ಪು
1 cup hyachinth beans/surti papdi / avarekaLu / ಅವರೇಕಾಳು
1 fistful fresh groundnuts / ಹಸಿ ಕಡಲೇಕಾಯಿ ಬೀಜ
1 small potato / ಆಲುಗಡ್ಡೆ
1 cup raw toor dal / ತೊಗರಿ ಬೇಳೆ
Salt / ಉಪ್ಪು to taste
½ tsp Turmeric /ಅರಿಶಿನ
few Curry leaves / ಕರಿಬೇವಿನ ಸೊಪ್ಪು

For masala(grind these)
2 tbsp channa dal / kadale bele /ಕಡಲೆ ಬೇಳೆ
1 tbsp urad dal / uddina bele / ಉದ್ದಿನ ಬೇಳೆ
1 tsp cumin seeds / jeerige / ಜೀರಿಗೆ
1 tbsp coriander seeds / dhaniya / ಸಂಬಾರ ಬೀಜ
1 piece cinnamon / chakke / ಚಕ್ಕೆ
1 tsp pepper corns / pepper powder / ಕರಿ ಮೆಣಸು
4 tbsp grated coconut / ಕಾಯಿ ತುರಿ

Seasoning / ಒಗ್ಗರಣೆ
1 tbsp Oil / ಎಣ್ಣೆ, Mustard seeds /ಸಾಸಿವೆ, Asafoetida/ Hing / ಇಂಗು, 2 Dry red Chilli / ವಣ ಮೆಣಸಿನಕಾಯಿ

Clean the dill leaves and chop them. Cook chopped dill leaves, hyacinth beans, fresh groundnuts with enough water in a pressure cooker. Pressure cook the toor dal too. Both will need 3 whistles. So you can cook vegetables and dal at the same time. Peel and cut potato into small cubes. Potato cooks fast, so no need to put in pressure cooker. you can add it later on.

Dry roast the Masala ingredients (all except coconut) in a pan and then grind all these ingredients along with grated coconut in blender with water. keep this paste aside.

Take a big vessel which holds about 4 litres . Pour the cooked vegetables and toor dal into the vessel. Add the potato cubes. Keep it on the stove on medium to high flame. Add salt, turmeric powder,curry leaves. Add the grinded masala paste to it. Mix well. You can add water and make it into desired consistency. The consistency is that of sambhar, not too watery. Stir it and bring it to a boil.Taste the curry, if you feel it does not have enough heat, add some pepper powder. Once it boils, switch off the stove. In another pan pour oil, add hing , mustard seeds and dry red chillies. Pour this seasoning into the curry. Kootu is ready. It is usually served with rice and ghee.

Variations:
1. I have used dill leaves and beans as it is a personal favorite. You can use any sort of vegetables here. Another common combination is carrots, green beans, potato, peas[Mixed vegetable kootu].

2.Gourds are very commonly used.I have eaten kootu which had sweet pumpkin, ridge gourd(heerekayi), Ash gourd (budukumbala kayi ), bottle gourd (sorekayi), snake gourd(padavala kayi). these are used in some combination with other vegetables.

3. You can use any beans or pulses like black chana (kadale kalu), whole green moong (hesaru kaaLu), black eyed peas (alasande kaalu) etc.

Paanaka, Majjige, Kosambari for Rama Navami Festival / ಪಾನಕ, ಮಜ್ಜಿಗೆ, ಕೋಸಂಬರಿ

Rama Navami Festival is celebrated in Chaitra Masa, which usually falls in March or April of the calendar. Paanaka from belada hannu(wood apple juice), Neeru majjige (Spiced Buttermilk) and Kosambari ( daal and cucumber salad) are made as offering(naivedya) and served on this day. The juice and buttermilk are perfect thirst quenchers on a hot summer day. Read more about Rama Navami Festival here

ಪಾನಕ, ಕೋಸಂಬರಿ , ಮಜ್ಜಿಗೆ - ರಾಮ ನವಮಿ ಹಬ್ಬದ ನೈವೇದ್ಯ

Lemon Juice / Lemonade / ನಿಂಬೆ ಹಣ್ಣು ಪಾನಕ

Baelada hannu / ಬೇಲದ ಹಣ್ಣು (Wood-apple) is traditionally used for making juice on Rama navami. I have used lime juice here.

Ingredients:

For 1 cup of water, you will need:
lemon juice from 1/2 a lemon / ನಿಂಬೆ ರಸ
5-6 tsp of sugar (ಸಕ್ಕರೆ) OR 4 tbsp (1/4 cup) of grated Jaggery (ಬೆಲ್ಲ)
A pinch of cardamom powder / ಏಲಕ್ಕಿ
small piece of rock candy/rock sugar /kallu sakkare/ ಕಲ್ಲು ಸಕ್ಕರೆ (optional)
Black pepper powder (ಕರಿ ಮೆಣಸು), ginger powder (ಶುಂಠಿ )- optional

Method:

Soak the jaggery and rock sugar in water and let it dissolve completely. Then strain this water to remove any dirt/stones. To this add the lemon juice and cardamom and mix well. Panaka is ready. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or add some ice cubes and serve it cold.
I have used jaggery here. I used Rock sugar to give a nice color to my panaka. Some people add pepper powder/ginger powder to give a spicy flavor. I haven't used it here.
Enjoy the cool refreshing panaka :)
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Ingredients for Spiced Buttermilk/Masala majjige:

1 cup Buttermilk (ಮಜ್ಜಿಗೆ) OR 1/2 cup yogurt (ಮೊಸರು)+1/2 cup water
1 green chilli / ಹಸಿರು ಮೆಣಸಿನಕಾಯಿ (chopped)
few sprigs Coriander leaves / ಕೊತ್ತಂಬರಿ ಸೊಪ್ಪು
few Curry leaves / ಕರಿಬೇವು ಸೊಪ್ಪು
small piece ginger / ಶುಂಠಿ
pinch of Asafoetida/ Hing / ಇಂಗು
salt / ಉಪ್ಪು to taste
lemon juice / ನಿಂಬೆ ರಸ (optional)

Method:

Put all the above ingredients in a blender or mixer and blend until everything is mixed well. Strain it to remove any stems of cilantro or curry leaves. This actually makes the buttermilk look kind of green in color, but the flavors of ginger, cilantro and curry leaves are well infused. It is preferable to have sour yogurt or buttermilk. If yours in not sour enough, add a few drops of lemon juice. You can add water to make it thinner. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours and serve.
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Kosambari / Daal, cucumber and carrot salad

Ingredients:

1/2 cup dal (Moong dal /Hesaru bele / ಹೆಸರು ಬೇಳೆ OR Channa dal /kadale bele / ಕಡಲೆ ಬೇಳೆ)
(for 1/2 cup dry dal, use 1 cucumber)
1 Cucumber / ಸೌತೆಕಾಯಿ
1 Carrot / ಕ್ಯಾರಟ್
4-5 sprigs Cilantro, finely chopped /ಕೊತ್ತಂಬರಿಸೊಪ್ಪು
1-2 tbsp Grated Coconut /ಕಾಯಿತುರಿ
1-2 tsp Lemon juice / ನಿಂಬೆ ರಸ
1/2 tsp salt / ಉಪ್ಪು to taste

Seasoning / ಒಗ್ಗರಣೆ
1 tbsp Oil / ಎಣ್ಣೆ, 1 tsp Mustard seeds/ಸಾಸಿವೆ, pinch of Asafoetida/ Hing / ಇಂಗು,3-4 chopped green chillies / ಹಸಿರು ಮೆಣಸಿನಕಾಯಿ (chopped)

Method:
Soak the dal in water for 1-2 hours. moong dal soaks quickly, needs about 1 hour. chana dal needs about 3 hours to soak completely. Once soaked drain the water from dal. keep the dal aside.
Peel the cucumber, remove the seeds and chop them into small pieces.
Peel the carrot and grate it.
In a bowl combine the soaked dal, chopped cucumber, chopped cilantro, carrot. To make the seasoning, heat a small pan on medium flame, add a spoon of oil , then add hing,mustard seeds.When they splutter add green chillies. Stir it for a few seconds.Pour this over the dal and cucumber mixture. Add grated coconut and lemon juice to the mixture. Mix it well. Add salt just before serving or else it will extract water from the cucumber making the salad watery. It can be eaten as a salad, a side dish along with rice & rasam, can be eaten by itself as an evening snack.

Raita, Mosaru gojju, Pachadi / ಪಚಡಿ / ಮೊಸರು ಗೊಜ್ಜು / ರಾಯಿತ / ರಾಯತಾ

Raita is a yogurt based dish which is usually served as an accompaniment to some rice dish(bhaath) like Bisibelebath, Vangibath etc. The 2 main ingredients are Yogurt and some combination of vegetables - fresh or cooked.

Ingredients:

1 cup Yogurt / ಮೊಸರು
1 cup Vegetables / ತರಕಾರಿ
few sprigs Coriander leaves / ಕೊತ್ತಂಬರಿ ಸೊಪ್ಪು
few Curry leaves / ಕರಿಬೇವು ಸೊಪ್ಪು
1 fist full Grated Coconut /ಕಾಯಿ ತುರಿ / ಕೊಬ್ಬರಿ(optional)
small piece ginger / ಶುಂಠಿ (grated)
1/2 tsp - salt / ಉಪ್ಪು to taste

Seasoning / ಒಗ್ಗರಣೆ
I tbsp Oil / ಎಣ್ಣೆ, 1 tsp Mustard seeds/ಸಾಸಿವೆ, pinch of Asafoetida/ Hing / ಇಂಗು,3-4 chopped green chillies / ಹಸಿರುಮೆಣಸಿನಕಾಯಿ

Cut/Chop the vegetables to small pieces. Transfer them to the bowl. Add the cilantro, curry leaves, grated ginger, salt. Then beat the yogurt and add it to the vegetables. You can make the raita thin by adding water or milk. Adjust the consistency as per your liking. Then make the seasoning with little oil, mustard seeds, hing and green chillies, add it to the yogurt mixture, give it a good mix. Raita is ready to be served.

Here are some of the raitas using raw vegetables: Tomato,onion & cucumber raita(either used alone or in some combination) is the most common and popular raita.

1. Tomato raita
2. Cucumber Raita (Chop/grate)
   
3. Radish Raita (Chop/grate)
   
4. Tomato & Onion Raita
5. Tomato+ Onion + Cucumber Raita
6. Banana Stem Raita (baaLe dindu raita)

Here are some of the raitas using Cooked vegetables:

Chop/Cut the vegetables,stir fry in little oil till done, then add to yogurt. Rest same as above.

1. Tomato Raita
2. Okra/Bendekayi Raita
3. Spinach Raita (Soppu raita)
4. Raw Banana Raita (baaLekayi)
5. Beetroot Raita (beware this raita will be a red one :)
6. Potato Raitha (Boil potatoes in water, peel and chop them to bite sized pieces, add to yogurt)

Variations:

1. Instead of adding seasoning, you can pinch of hing, some cumin powder, pinch of red chilli powder, chat masala powder to the yogurt. This gives a different flavour.

2.Thiruvida Mosaru gojju - One more version where you grind some ingredients making the raita thicker in consistency.

Above ingredients + these below
1/4 cup - Split roasted gram/ Dalia/ kadale /putani / ಹುರಿಗಡಲೆ
1 tbsp - Cumin seeds / Jeera / ಜೀರಿಗೆ

In a small pan dry roast the Dalia and cumin seeds. Take green chillies, small piece of ginger, roasted gram, grated coconut, cumin seeds in a blender. Grind it in mixer/blender adding water. then mix this with yogurt and vegetables. Add salt, cilantro and seasoning. This raita will be thicker than the other kind. This will increase the volume of raita, especially useful if you have to make a lot of raita.

One last tip from me, add some milk or cream to raita(cream is best), this prevents it from turning sour. it tastes sweet for a long time. this is especially useful if you taking it for lunch or on a trip where u don't have a fridge.

Idli and Pudina Chutney / ಇಡ್ಲಿ ಪುದಿನ ಚಟ್ನಿ

Ingredients for Idli

1 cup - Idli rava/ಇಡ್ಲಿ ರವೆ
1/2 Cup - Urad Dal /ಉದ್ದಿನ ಬೇಳೆ
Salt to taste /ಉಪ್ಪು

Method for Idli:
Soak urad dal and idli rava in water separately for 5-6 hours. Grind the Urad dal into a smooth batter adding as little water as possible. Drain the water of the soaked idli rava and mix it to this urad dal batter. Mix well,cover and allow the batter to ferment for 8 hours or overnight.Idli batter is usually thicker than dosa batter.It should not be watery/runny.

Once its fermented add salt and stir the batter.Take an idli stand with idli plates, grease it with oil. Pour idli batter into the plates. Put some water in a pressure cooker, keep the idli stand inside it. Turn on the heat to high. Once you see the steam, just leave it on high for around 6-8 minutes. Idli cooks in the steam, no need to put the weight on the pressure cooker. Then turn the heat to low medium and leave it for another 3-5 minutes. Turn off the stove. let the cooker cool for 5 minutes. Then open the pressure cooker and remove idlis from the idli stand. Now you should have soft fluffy idlis ready.Idli is served with chutney, sambhar and a dollop of butter/ghee :)

Ingredients for chutney:
1 handful of Mint leaves / Pudina / ಪುದಿನ ಸೊಪ್ಪು
1/4 cup - Split roasted gram/ Dalia/ kadale /putani / ಹುರಿಗಡಲೆ
1/4 cup - fresh grated coconut/ ಕಾಯಿ ತುರಿ
4-6 Green chillies / ಹಸಿರು ಮೆಣಸಿನಕಾಯಿ
1 tsp - Tamarind paste / ಹುಣಸೆ ಹಣ್ಣು
1/2 tsp - sugar / ಸಕ್ಕರೆ
1 tsp - salt / ಉಪ್ಪು
1/2 tsp - turmeric powder / ಅರಿಶಿನ

small piece ginger / ಶುಂಠಿ
few sprigs coriander leaves/ಕೊತ್ತಂಬರಿ ಸೊಪ್ಪು

Seasoning / ಒಗ್ಗರಣೆ
1 tbsp Oil / ಎಣ್ಣೆ; 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds /ಸಾಸಿವೆ; 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds /ಜೀರಿಗೆ; Asafoetida/ Hing / ಇಂಗು;

Method:

Wash the pudina leaves and pat them dry with a paper towel or cloth. Heat a pan on medium flame, add these leaves into it. Stir them for 1-2 minutes till they wilt. Take off the flame, keep aside. In the same pan add dalia/kadle, then green chillies and dry roast them for 2-3 minutes. Take off the stove now. let it cool a little bit. Then transfer these ingredients into a blender. Add the pudina leaves, grated coconut, salt,sugar,tamarind paste,ginger,coriander leaves and turmeric to it. Add enough water and grind them.Pour it into a bowl.

Heat a small kadai, pour oil, add hing, mustard seeds, cumin seeds. Pour this seasoning over the chutney. Pudina chutney is ready to be served now. It is eaten with idli, dosa,chapathi, rotti. As it is not a cooked dish, keep it in the refrigerator for later use.

As this does not have any onion or garlic, idli chutney is a common breakfast item on festival days.

Kadalekalu Usali / ಕಡಲೆಕಾಳು ಉಸಲಿ

Servings: I cup chana makes around 4 servings of usli.

Ingredients:

1 cup - cooked Kabul Channa/Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans /ಕಾಬುಲ್ ಕಡಲೆ
4-6 Green chillies / ಹಸಿರುಮೆಣಸಿನಕಾಯಿ (slit them)
few sprigs Coriander leaves / ಕೊತ್ತಂಬರಿಸೊಪ್ಪು
few Curry leaves / ಕರಿಬೇವು ಸೊಪ್ಪು
2 tbsp Grated Coconut /ಕಾಯಿತುರಿ
pinch of Turmeric /ಅರಿಶಿನ
lemon juice / ನಿಂಬೆ ರಸ to taste
1 tsp - salt / ಉಪ್ಪು to taste

Seasoning / ಒಗ್ಗರಣೆ
I tbsp Oil / ಎಣ್ಣೆ, 1 tsp Mustard seeds/ಸಾಸಿವೆ, pinch of Asafoetida/ Hing / ಇಂಗು

Method:

Soak 1/2 cup dry channa in adequate water overnight. It usually doubles up in volume. The next day pour the soaked channa with enough water into a big pot and cook it on stove top. Keep the heat on medium. It takes around 35-45 minutes till channa is fully cooked. Adding salt to the water is optional. Another way to cook the channa is in pressure cooker. Just cook for 1 whistle. Sometimes channa can get overcooked and become mushy. To avoid this, its best to cook on stovetop.Once chana is cooked, drain the water and keep it aside.

Heat a pan on medium flame, add a spoon of oil , then add hing,mustard seeds.When they splutter add green chillies and curry leaves.Stir it for a few seconds.Then add the cooked channa to the pan. Add salt,turmeric,grated coconut to the mixture. Stir fry it for another 3-4 minutes so the chana gets coated with all the spices. Then add chopped cilantro and fresh lime juice. Mix it well and switch off the stove. Now usali is ready to be served. It can be eaten as a side dish along with rice & rasam, can be eaten by itself as an evening snack. You can add some yogurt to usali and eat it.