Aama Vadai

Though the name of this vadai raises many people's eyebrows and make them ask whether it is anyway related to tortoise no it is not. Either this or plain Ulundu vadai is prepared as Neivedhyam for almost all special pooja days.

Ingredients:
Bengal Gram Dal - 2 cups
Thuvar Dal - 2 cups
Salt to taste
Red chillies - 6 to 8
Curry Leaves - 1/2 cup
Asafodeita - 1/2 inch piece or powdered asafodeita 2 spoons

Method:
Wash and soak the Bengal gram and Thuvar Dal together for almost 1 hour. Grind it along with the other ingredients to a coarse consistency. Mix all the ingredients.

Heat oil in a pan. Make balls of the dough. Flatten the dough and put it in oil and fry till it becomes golden brown. Remove from oil and drain it.

Aval Payasam - Ugadi Special Recipe

Ingredients:
Beaten Poha - 1/2 cup
Cream Milk - 1 litre
Sugar - 1 cup
Cardamom - 2 pinch
Cashew Nuts - 8 to 10 pieces
Badam (Almonds) - 8 pieces
Unsalted Pista - 8 pieces
Raisins - 10 to 12 nos
Ghee - 1 tbsp

Method to make Aval Payasam:
Soak Beaten Poha in water for about a minute. Drain the water and let it set for a few mins.

Boil milk and let it reduce to 3/4th. Add the poha and mix thoroughly. Add sugar and stir till it mixes well. Remove from flame and add cardamom to it.

Fry cashew nuts and raisins in ghee and add it to the payasam. Deskin Almonds and cut that and pista into small pieces and add to the payasam.

Athirasam, Ariselu (Ugadi Special)

The dish which is called as Athirasam or Adirasam in Tamilnadu is known as Ariselu in Karnataka and Andhra. On Ugadi, this dish is made as a special dish.

Ingredients:
Processed Rice Flour - 4 cups
Jaggery - 3 cups
Oil - For frying
Cardamom Powder - 2 pinch
Sesame seeds - 1/4 cup (this is must if Ariselu is made for Ugadi)
Water - 1 cup

Method:
In a thick bottom pan add water and when it boil add grated jaggery and when it dissolves remove from flame and drain to remove the impurities. Keep the jaggery mixture again in flame, add cardamom powder and let it boil till it forms a syrup (if a drop of the syrup is put in water, it should settle well in the bottom).

Add the rice flour slowly and keep stirring without forming any lumps. Remove from flame and when warm make balls and spread them in the shape of puris. Dab the puris with sesame seeds.

Heat the oil in a pan and fry these puris in low flame till they turn golden brown. Store these in air tight container.


Sesame seeds can be added directly to the jaggery before adding the rice flour.