SuvaiArusuvai - Veg Recipes of India

The day when the 10th Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh laid down the foundation of the Panth Khalsa on 1699 is one of the important festivals of Sikh which falls on 13th or 14th of April every month (This is also the New Year day for Tamils). This is also the day of harvest festival of the Rabi crops. Its a thanksgiving festival to mother earth for giving a sumptous harvest. Its marked as a new beginning and beginning of Hindu Solar Year.  Baisaki Recipes Carrot Halwa Aloo Gobi Coconut Ladoo Amritsari Chole Bhature Sarson ka Saa Makki Roti Atte ke ladoo Rawa Halwa (Rawa Kesari) Alu methi Dal Makhani Dal Tadka Dil Gajak Mixed Fruit Kheer Mooli Paratha Baingan Bharta Punjabi Pickles Paneer Butter Masala Dry Fruit Kheer Paneer Makhni Mint Paratha Tandoori Aloo Tandoori Baby Corn Dahi Papdi Chaat Cheese Stuffed Potatoes Chana Dal Pancakes Lentil Patties Paneer Cocktail Tandoori Baby Corn Besan ka Halwa Kesari Phirni Badami Besan Ke Laddoo

This is a special side dish made on Pongal. For this only the following vegetables are used and these vegetables are a must. Ingredients: White pumpin - 100 gms Sweet Potato - 100 gms Yellow pumpkin - 100 gms Raw plantain - 1 no. Drumstick - 1 no. Avarai - 100 gms. Green Chilly - 2 nos Tamarind paste - 2 spoons Grated coconut - 1/2 cup Bengal gram - 2 tbs Coriander seeds - 4 tbsp Urad dal - 1 tbsp Red chillies - 8 to 12 nos Pea nut - 2 tbsp sesame seeds - 1 tbsp Curry Leaves - a few Fenu greek seeds - 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds - 1 tsp Gingely Oil - 2 tbsp Turmeric powder - 1 pinch Asafodeita - 1 pinch Salt to taste Method: Dry roast the sesame seeds separately till they splutter. When cool grind it separately and keep aside. Heat 1 tbsp of oil and fry the grated coconut separately. Heat another tbsp of oil and fry coriander seeds, bengal gram, peanut and 6 red chillies adding one by one. When they turn golden brown in colour remove and let it cool. Grind it along with the fried coconut. C

Dates Honey Pongal is the regular sweet pongal added with dates and honey. The quantity of dates can be increased or decreased according to one's taste. Can make it as a different Pongal recipe for Aadi Pandigai, Chitra Pournami or Chithirai varuda pirappu. Ingredients: Raw Rice - 1 cup Moong Dal - 1/2 cup Milk - 2 cups Water - 4 cups Jaggery Powdered - 1 1/2 cups Dates - 12 nos Honey - 4 tbsp Ghee - 2 tbsp Dry Ginger powder (sukku powder) - 1 tsp Cardamom powder - 1 tsp Cinnamon Powder - 1 pinch Cashew Nuts - 12 nos Method: Fry Moong dal a bit till it emits a nice aroma. Add jaggery to 1/2 cup of water and mix it thoroughly till all the jaggery dissolves. Drain it through a thin seive to remove all the impurities. Wash rice and soak it along with Moong Dal for about 20 to 30 mins. Drain thoroughly and add it to boiling water. After adding the rice dal mixture add water and 1 tbsp of ghee. Close the cooker and pressure cook it for about a whitsle or for about 1

Ingredients: Khus/Khus - 1/4 cup Grated coconut - 1/2 cup Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp Rice - 2 tsp Jaggery - 2 cups Milk - 2 cups Cashew nuts - 8 to 10 nos Ghee - 2 tbsp Method: Dry roast or microwave Khus Khus for about a minute. Soak rice in warm water for about half an hour. Grind khus khus, rice, grated coconut, elaichi to a fine paste. In a thick pan add the paste and add 2 cups of water and bring it to a boil. In another pan add half cup of water and jaggery and keep stirring till the jaggery melts. Drain to remove impurities. Add the drained jaggery syrup to the boiling paste and stir well till both mix well. Boil it for about 10 mins in medium flame. Keep stirring to ensure that it doesnot settle at the bottom. Turn off the flame and remove from the stove and then add milk to it and stir. Heat ghee. Add the broken cashew nuts to it and fry till it becomes brown. Add it to the kheer. This also helps in treating cold and cough.

For this Urad dal is used. Ingredients: Processed rice flour - 4 cups Urad dal - 1 cup Cumin seeds - 2 tsp Salt - 6 to 8 tbsp Asafodeita piece - 1 inch Butter - 100 gm Oil for frying Method: Then Kuzhal plate Soak salt in 1/2 cup of water and wait till it dissolves completely. Add asafodeita to 1/4 cup of water. In a shallow vessel add rice flour, urad dal, cumin seeds, butter along with salt water and asafodeita water. Make a soft dough by adding water little by little. The dough should not be thick or liquid. It should be soft enough so that it can be easily squeezed using the Thenkuzhal plate. Heat the oil in a pan, add the dough into the cylindrical tube of the Murukku achchu. Use the thenkuzhal achu to squeeze the thenkuzhal. Donot squeeze the thenkuzhal so close but spread it over the pan. Use the given quantity of butter or ghee. Never store the mixed dough for a long time. The thenkuzhals will become red if the dough is left for a long time. So mix the d

This is one special recipe that is prepared specially during the first day of the month of Aadi which is celebrated as Aadi Pandigai. This is a special dish that is given as a speciality dish to the new son-in-law of the house. This kheer is served in a new silver tumbler. Ingredients: Coconuts big - 2 nos Milk - 1 cup Rice - 2 tbsp Jaggery - 1 cup Cardamom powder - 1 tsp Pachai Karpooram (Edible camphor) - a pinch Method: Grate the coconut. Take care not to grate untill the end and the brown should be avoilded. Add coconut and rice and grind it together little by little and squeeze out the milk. Add the coconut again to the mixer and add 1 cup of water and grind it again. Drain the first and second milk through a muslin cloth. Add the milk to the coconut milk and heat it, when it comes to a boil reduce the flame and add the jaggery to it. Keep stirring till all the jaggery dissolves. Add cardamom powder and edible camphor to it. Note: The milk that is added to the coconu

Thiruvathirai also known as Arudra Darisanam is celebrated in Tamilnadu. It falls in the month of Margazhi on the Thiruvathirai star day. The main neivedhyam is Thiruvathirai Kali and 7 kai kootu. Ingredients to make Thiruvathirai Kali: Raw rice - 1 1/2 cups Moong Dal - 1/2 cup Bengal gram dal - 1/4 cup Jaggery - 1 cup Grated coconut - 1/2 cup Cashew nuts - 10 to 12 nos Cardamom - 6 nos Ghee - 1/4  cup Water - 3 cups (Add 1 to 1 1/2 cups while cooking if needed) Method: Fry rice till it becomes golden brown in colour. Fry both the dals separately till they become golden brown. Grind them together till they reach rawa consistency (this can be done at home in mixer itself). (The dals can be powdered to a fine powder consistency too). Fry the cashew nuts in a tbsp of ghee and set aside. Grind the cardamom to fine powder and keep it ready. In a hard bottom pan add 1 cup of water and when it boils add the jaggery and let it mix well to form a syrup. Drain the jaggery so that

This is one of the method to make Thirattupal. A traditional sweet of Tamilnadu, which is one of the main sweets that is to be kept in seer during any functions and festivals. Ingredients: Full Cream Milk - 1 ltr Sugar - 2 cups Method:  Heat milk in a deep non-stick pan. When the milk boils reduce the flame and keep stirring occasionally. When the milk gets reduced to half add sugar to it and stir to make the sugar dissolve completely.  Keep stirring till the paste thickens again and turns pink in colour. Remove from flame and when cool, store it in airtight container. Note:  Instead of sugar, jaggery can also be used to give more taste.

Maa Ladoo can be made either using Fried Dal or Moong Dal.   Ingredients: Moong Dal - 1 cup Sugar - 3/4th cup Ghee - 1/2 cup Cashew nuts - 20 nos Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp (made from 4 to 6 cardamoms) Method: Fry Moong dal till it turns golden brown. When cool grind it to a very fine powder. (If it is not obtained, sieve and grind again). Grind sugar to make sugar powder. Mix moong dal powder and sugar together. Add cardamom powder to it and mix well.  In 2 tbsp of ghee fry cashewnuts after breaking it into pieces. Add it to the dal flour and mix thoroughly. Heat the remaining ghee and pour it over the flour and mix well. Make small balls when the ghee is hot.

Ingredients: Bombay Rawa or Cheeroot Rawa - 1 cup (Semolina) Ghee - 1/2 cup Sugar - 3/4 cup Cardamom Powder - 2 pinch Method: In a hard bottom pan add 1/4 cup of ghee and add the rawa and fry it till all the ghee is absorbed fully by the rawa. Add 1/2 cup of water to it and close with a lid for a min. Rawa would have got cooked by this time. Add sugar to it and mix well. Add another cup of ghee to it and when it all turns to a mixture, remove from flame and add cardamom powder. Make small balls of the mixture when warm.   Rawa Ladoo is ready

Ingredients: Almonds - 1/2 kg Sugar - 7 cups Cashew Nuts - 25 to 30 nos Cardamom - 12 nos Pachai Karpooram (edible camphor) - a pinch (optional) Saffron strands - a pinch Kesari colour - 1 pinch Ghee - 1 1/2 cups Method: Soak and peel the skin of almonds. Grind it to a very fine paste. Wash the mixer with 1/4 cup of water and add it to the badam paste and make it to a batter consistency. In a hard bottom pan, add sugar and 1/4 cup of water and make a thick 1 string consistency sugar syrup. Add the badam paste to it and keep stirring till both mixes well. In a tbsp of water mix saffron strands and kesari colour and add it to the paste. When the whole mixture starts hardening, add the ghee slowly. (The entire quantity of ghee might be a bit too much, so it have to be added little by little).   Break the cashewnuts into pieces and fry them in ghee. Add it to the hardening paste and mix well. Grind cardamom to a fine powder and add it to the pan. Crush the edible camphor into

The king of Paayasam is Paal Payasam. It is one of the favourite dish for many. And during festivals and marriages, it is prepared as one of the items in menu.  Ingredients: Basmati Rice - 1/2 cup Milk - 2 cups Sugar - 1 cup cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp Cashew nuts - 10 to 12 nos Raisins - 10 to 12 nos Ghee - 2 to 3 tbsp Saffron strands - 1 pinch How to make paal payasam Fry the rice in 1 tbsp of ghee in low flame till it fries and turns golden in colour. Boil milk and once it is done reduce the flame and keep stirring till the 2 litres is reuduced to 3/4th. Add sugar, cardamom powder and saffron strands to it and keep stirring it to mix all together. Add the rice to the milk and keep cooking till the milk reduced to 1/2 and the rice gets cooked. Keep stirring to avoid rice settling at the bottom and burning out. In a pan add remaining ghee and add cashewnuts and raisins and fry till they turn golden brown; add it to the Paal Payasam. 

A sweet especially for kids and the kids in all adults. Ingredients: Milk - 2 1/2 cups Drinking chocolate Powder - 4 tsp Sugar - 1/4 cup Cashew - 12 nos Badaam - 12 nos Method: Soak and peel Badam. Grind it along with cashew nuts. Boil milk to 1/2 of the original quantity. Add the cashew and badam paste to it. Mix thoroughly. Add chocolate powder and sugar to and bring it to a dough consistency. Make small balls of it.  Insert lolipop stick into it and freeze it to make chocolate lolipops.  Wrap it into golden or silver foil and twist the ends of the wrapper to make it look like chocolate freeze it. Spread it into small rectangular plates and cut small squares or diamonds to make it look like bar chocolates. To give it as gift to kids, it can be pressed into animal, bird or other moulds, arrange it in a tray and freeze it.

For neivedhyams, no onions or no garam masalas. But as the powder that is to be added for the sundal is made ready and added along with the sundal that is made every day. The powder is a bit spicy and thats why it is named as Masala Sundal. Ingredients needed for the spicy powder: Urad Dal whole - 1/2 cup Channa dal - 1 cup Red Chilly - 20 nos Dhaniya (Coriander seeds) - 2 cups. Hing - 1 inch piece (solid hing) Grated coconut - 1 cup (fry it in a dry pan till they turn slightly golden brown in colour) Oil - 2tbsp How to make the spicy powder: In a pan add  1 tbsp of oil and fry Dhaniya first and then add remaining ingredients except hing and Red Chillies. When the dals turn golden brown, remove and spread it on a plate and let it cool. Add the remaining 1 tbsp of oil and fry hing first and then add red chillies to the oil so that the smell will not spread the entire house. Grind all the ingredients together to a fine paste along with the coconut. Store in an airtight cont

Recipe for Sarkarai pongal made of sarkarai. This is not as famous as the Sarkarai Pongal made of Jaggery. My grand ma makes this on Pongal day itself. But my mom makes it during Kanu. Ingredients: Milk - 1/2 ltr Raw Rice - 1 cup Moong Dal - 1/3 cup Sugar - 1 cup Cardamom - 3 to 4 nos Cashew nut - 12 nos Ghee - 1 cup Method: Wash and pressure cook rice and moong dal in 4 cups of water. When done mash the rice well. Add sugar and milk and mix well. In low flame cook for another 5 mins by stirring constantly. Remove from flame, powder the cardamom and add it to the Pongal. Fry cashew nut in 2 tbsp of ghee untill it is golden brown in colour and add it to the Pongal. Add the remaining ghee. Can be served as a part of breakfast along with Ven Pongal and Medu Vadai.

Whenever it is Navarathri, the evening Neivedhyams are only Sundals. Channa Dal Sundal is one among them. Ingredients: Channa Dal (Bengal Gram Dal) - 2 cups Oil - 2 to 3 tbsp for tempering Salt to taste Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp Urad Dal - 1 tsp Red Chilly - 2 nos Green Chilly - 2 nos Curry Leaves - a few Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup Method: Soak the Dal in warm water for an hour. Cook in open flame till the dal become soft and tender. Do not over cook. Drain the excess water and let it cool for some time. In a pan heat oil and add the mustard seeds when they splutter add urad dal, curry leaves, green and red chillies. Add cooked dal and add necessary salt. Mix everything together without breaking the cooked dal. Add grated coconut and mix again. Remove from pan and transfer it to bowl. 

Though we make this on special occassions, I generally give this to my kids whenever they feel heavy after a good, nice meal. This helps in easy digestion. But care should be taken as to not to have too much Ingredients: Dried Ginger (Sukku) Powder - 1 tbsp Jaggery Grated - 4 tbsp Ghee - 1 drop Cardamom Powder - a pinch How to prepare Sukku Vellam: Mix all the ingredients slowly in a cup and ensure that no lumps are formed. Make small balls the size of Small Gooseberries.

Onam, the flower festival of Kerala is very special to Keralites. During Onam, the people of Kerala prepare a grand luncheon for their family, friends and relatives which is called as Onam Sadaya. There is a huge list of recipes prepared for Onam. Though not all, many of the dishes are prepared by almost all families. Malabar Appam Paruppu Puttu Kuzhal Puttu Banana Ericherry Mor Kuzhambu Injithair Sweet Chutney Pineapple Pachadi Sambar Parippu Curry Pappadam Aama Vadai Medu Vada Masala Vada Coconut Milk Rasam Kachiya Moru Naranga Curry Lady's Finger Kichadi Vazhakkai Kalan Mambazha Pulusherry Pumpkin Erissery Yam/Senai Erissery Brinjal Theeyal Payar Thoran Beans Thoran Spinach Thoran Cabbage Thoran Sarkarapuratty Plantain Chips Ilayada Nei Payasam Moong Dal Payasam Parippu Payasam Wheat Payasam Parippu Pradhaman Ada Pradhaman Kootu Curry Moru Curry Parippu Pradhaman Ada Pradhaman Kootu Curry Moru Kalan Parippu Curry Olan Tomato Rasam

Varalakshmi Vratam  falls on the Friday that comes after Aadi Amavasya or Aavani Amavasya.For most of the Tambrahms especially those from the Coimbatore area, and Brahmins of Karnataka this is first initiated on the first year of marriage in the month of Avani. The girl's parents give Amman face(mugham), silver sombu as seer. The amman mughams of those who perform the pooja alone should be kept in the pooja. Only one kalasam should be kept in one house hold, even if more than 1 woman is performing the pooja.   For neivedhyam some special items are made. I am adding the same here. Moong Dal Payasam Aama Vadai Paruppu Kozhukattai Thengai Kozhukattai Ulundu Kozhukattai Ellu (Til) Kozhukattai Raw rice Idly Appam are the main items that are offerred. In some houses, Ulundu Kozhukattai is left out and all the other items are made. To make the outer cover for the Kozhukattai;s check here. Both coconut pooranam and sesame poornam can be made the previous day itself.

Raw rice idly is normally made for all those festivals. As boiled rice idly is not made for Neivedhyam. Ingredients: Raw Rice - 4 cups Urad Dal - 2 cups. Methi seeds - 2 tbsp Salt  to taste Method: Wash and soak raw rice and urad dal separately. Soak the raw rice for almost 4 hours. Grind everything together to a fine batter. Add salt and mix the batter together. It can be made idlies the next day for Neivedhyam.