Ashadi Ekadashi Special

Ashadi Ekadashi is a special day for the Hindus. Lord Vithala is worshipped and His devotees throng to His shrine at Pandharpur a small town in Maharashtra. Some fast and some celebrate! The Konkani community celebrates this festival by preparing Gajbaje, a dish which has a variety of vegetables that are available only during the monsoon months. Gharayi or roasted Jackfruit in coconut milk is another preparation that is offered to the Lord along with Urad and Rava Idli. I usually make a Madgane as jackfruit is not enjoyed at home. The recipe links to all have been posted below.

Idli – Split Black Gram and Semolina Recipe

Gajbaje Recipe

Madgane/Manganem/ Bengal Gram Paysam Recipe

Copyright © 2019 by Vinaya Prabhu. All rights reserved.

Naivedya /Offerings to Lord Krishna on Krishnashtami.

Krishna Janmashtami is the birth anniversary of Lord Krishna. It is celebrated throughout India by observing a fast and welcoming His birth when the star Rohini ascends the sky. Each region in India celebrates it according to their own traditions and customs. Posting today the Naivedya/ Offerings to the Lord that have been prepared. Recipe Links to all are shared below.

Til/Sesame Seed Ladoo Recipe

Wheat Flour Ladoos Recipe

Panchakkajeya Recipe

Moong Dal Usli Recipe

Chana /Black Chickpeas Stir Fry Recipe

Copyright © 2018 by Vinaya Prabhu. All rights reserved.

Chana /Black Chickpeas Stir Fry Recipe

This is traditionally prepared in South India on auspicious ocassions. No onion or garlic is used as it is not considered Sattvik, hence cannot be offered to the Lord. Seasoned in coconut oil with a simple seasoning, it has its own unique taste.

Ingredients :

  • 250 gms Chana/Chickpeas
  • 6 green chillies
  • 1 dry red chilly
  • Salt
  • 3 sprigs curry leaves
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 tsp mustard
  • 1/4 tsp Hing/asafoetida
  • 4 tbsps grated coconut

Method :
Soak the chickpeas for 8 hours. Pressure cook them with salt. Chop the green chillies and the dry red chilly. Heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard and after it splutters add the green chillies, red chilly, curry leaves and hing. Toss. Drop in the cooked chickpeas. Boil well till all the water is evaporated. Garnish with grated coconut.

Copyright © 2018 by Vinaya Prabhu. All rights reserved.

Roasted Bengal Gram Dal and Jaggery Ladoo Recipe

I have already posted a version of this Ladoo with sugar. Posting a Ladoo which can be made using Jaggery Syrup today.

Ingredients :

  • 200 gms Roasted Bengal Gram Dal /Hurakadle/Daalia
  • 100gms Dry coconut /Copra
  • 5 tbsps thick Jaggery Syrup
  • 2 tsps Cardamom powder
  • 2 tbsps Black sesame seeds
  • 3 tbsps warm Ghee/clarified butter

Method :

Dry roast the roasted Bengal Gram Dal for a few minutes till it gives its aroma. Alternatively you can also microwave it for a couple of minutes. Allow to cool thoroughly. Dry roast the black sesame seeds till they splutter. Powder the dry coconut and the roasted Bengal Gram Dal. Tip it into a vessel. Add the roasted sesame seeds, jaggery syrup, Cardamom powder and warm Ghee. Mix thoroughly in a kneading motion. Take small portions of this mixture and roll it into balls.

Copyright © 2018 by Vinaya Prabhu. All rights reserved.

Roasted Gram and Copra Ladoo Recipe

I made these Ladoos after I was left with a lot of Powdered Panchakkajeya. Just added some warm Ghee to the mixture and rolled them into Ladoos. Recipe Link to the Powdered Panchakkajeya is given below.

Powdered Panchakkajeya Recipe

Just add 4 tbsps of warm Ghee/clarified butter to the ingredients mentioned in the recipe link given above and shape the mixture into Ladoos.

Copyright © 2018 by Vinaya Prabhu. All rights reserved.

Rajgira Ladoos/Amaranth Grain/Lhaye Pitya Undo Recipe

Another of the Ladoos that the GSB community of Karnataka prepares to celebrate Krishna Janmashtami, the birthday of Lord Krishna is the Amaranth Grain Ladoo. I have fond memories of my mother distributing these Ladoos to all the neighbourhood children who eagerly used to look forward to them.

Ingredients :

  • 1/2 kg Lhaye/ Rajgira/Amaranth Grain
  • 1/2 kg Chiki jaggery/jaggery used to make peanut brittle
  • 1/4 kg Besan/Split Bengal Gram flour
  • 2tsps Cardamom powder.
  • A fistful of black Til/ Sesame seeds
  • 2tbsps hot Ghee/clarified butter
  • Ghee for frying

Method :
Add the hot ghee to the besan. Adding a little water at a time prepare a stiff dough. Keep aside for ten minutes. Put into a sev mould. Heat ghee in a pan. Make thick sev (karo) by directly pressing it into the hot ghee. Fry till crisp. Remove and drain. Dry roast the Til till it splutters. Take the jaggery in a thick bottomed pan. Add a glass of water to it. Boil till it thickens. Drop a small droplet of jaggery into a little water. If it comes together as a hard pellet switch of the gas. Add the Lhaye, karo, roasted til and the cardamom powder. Mix thoroughly Apply ghee on your palms and make ladoos immediately.

Copyright © 2018 by Vinaya Prabhu. All rights reserved.

Powdered Panchakkajeya Recipe

The regular Panchakkajeya is made of a mixture of coconut, jaggery, roasted Moong Dal/ Split Green Gram and Chana Dal/Split Bengal Gram. The powdered one is an instant one and is equally tasty as it makes use of Copra or dry coconut. Usually made during the month of Shravan as an offering to the Sun God and holy Tulsi (Basil) it is also made during Ganesh Chaturthi. The convenience of parceling it to members of the family who could not participate in the rituals or festival cannot be denied .

Ingredients :

  • 200 gms Roasted Bengal Gram Dal /Hurakadle/Daalia
  • 100 gms Dry Coconut /Copra
  • 2 tbsps black Sesame seeds
  • 11 tsps sugar
  • 2 tsps Cardamom powder

    Method :

    Dry roast the roasted Bengal Gram Dal for a few minutes till it gives its aroma. Alternatively you can microwave it for a couple of minutes. Allow to cool thoroughly. Dry roast the sesame seeds till they splutter. Make a fine powder of the dry coconut and sugar. Add the cooled roasted Bengal Gram Dal and the Cardamom powder and powder the ingredients. Tip it into a container and add the roasted sesame seeds. Mix thoroughly and store in an airtight container. You can add more copra instead of gram dal if you like the nutty flavour of the copra. The colour too changes accordingly. Looks more white.

Copyright © 2018 by Vinaya Prabhu. All rights reserved.

Sakkare Phovu /Sweet Flattened Rice Recipe

Sakkare Phovu is Flattened Rice flavoured with Sugar and Cardamom. There is also another recipe of Sweet Flattened Rice in this website but therein the flattened rice is sweetened with Jaggery. This is a quick and easy recipe which is made during rituals as an offering to the deity.

Ingredients :

  • 7tsps sugar
  • 5 cardamoms
  • 1/4 of a large coconut grated
  • 3 large fistfuls of Flattened rice.

Method :

Powder the Cardamom and sugar together. Add it to the grated coconut. Sprinkle with two tablespoons of water and mix thoroughly. Add the flattened rice and mix well.

Copyright © 2018 by Vinaya Prabhu. All rights reserved.

Sheera Recipe

Sheera is an all time favourite dessert prepared all over India. Known by different names like Sheera, Rava Kesari and Meetha Rava, it is a common offering at temples or on festive days. The trick to get a perfect Sheera is to roast the Rava/Semolina in Ghee well. Dry fruits are optional though they do enhance the taste of the dish.

Ingredients :

  • 125 gms Rava/Semolina
  • 10 cashewnuts halved
  • 25 kishmish
  • 125 gms sugar
  • 100gms Ghee/ clarified butter
  • 600 ml boiling water
  • 1 tsp Cardamom powder
  • A large pinch of Saffron

Method :

Grind the saffron in a little water to a smooth paste and keep aside. In a tbsp of Ghee roast the cashewnuts and raisins to a golden brown. Keep the water to boil. Heat half of the Ghee mentioned above and roast the Rava in it till it turns a rich golden brown and emits a sweet fragrance. Drop the boiling water into the roasted Rava carefully, stirring all the while. Add the ground saffron. Cover and cook till rava is done. Add the sugar. The mixture turns a little watery. Keep stirring it till it starts absorbing the water. Add the remaining ghee at this time and mix thoroughly. Retain a few of the roasted cashews and kishmish for garnish and tip in the remaining into the sheera along with the Cardamom powder. Switch off the gas. Tip the Sheera into a pre greased plate. Allow to cool thoroughly. Cut into squares or diamond shaped pieces. Alternatively you can use a small bowl to make individual servings and garnish them with the roasted dry fruits.

Copyright © 2018 by Vinaya Prabhu. All rights reserved.

Panchakkajeya Recipe

Panchakkajeya literally translated means mixture of five items. This is an offering made to the Lord by the GSB community of Karnataka in India. Chana Dal/Bengal Gram Dal and Moong Dal/Green Gram Dal is roasted and ground coarsely to make this preparation. Traditionally whole Chana/ Bengal Gram was roasted and deskinned and then powdered coarsely. Some people also mix Amaranth (Rajgira/Lhayi) to it.

Ingredients :

  • 1/2kg Jaggery
  • 2 small Coconuts grated
  • 150gms Chana dal/Bengal Gram Dal
  • 150 gms Moong dal/Green Gram Dal
  • 1 tsp Cardamom powder.
  • 1fistful Til/sesame seeds

Method :
Dry roast the chana dal and the moong dal separately to a rich golden brown and powder it to a Rava/semolina like consistency. Dry roast the til too till it splutters. All the roasting must be done on a gentle flame and by stirring constantly.
Place jaggery in a pan. Add one glass of water and boil till all the jaggery is dissolved and tiny bubbles appear at the sides. Add the grated coconut and boil well for a couple of minutes and switch off. Add the chana dal and moong dal powder, roasted til n the elaichi powder. Mix well.

Copyright © 2018 by Vinaya Prabhu. All rights reserved.