Jai Ganesh !

Wishing all readers a very Happy Vinayak Chaturthi !

This is the day when scores of people celebrate the birthday of Lord Ganesha, the elephant headed son of Shiva and Parvati.Ganesha is revered as the God of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune. In any religious ceremony, the first offerings are always made to Ganapati*. Ekadanta* (One who has a single tooth) is also the first one to be worshipped when any new task is to be started. This is supposed to ensure good luck and bring prosperity and wealth in all new ventures ! The mythological story about Lord Ganesha is a very captivating one..It is a story that is told and retold by grandparents to their beloved grandkids ! (Click here to read the story :-) ) Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the festivals that is celebrated widely throughout the state of Karnataka (Maharashtra, Goa and Andhra Pradesh are the other states where this festival is also accorded a lot of importance).
I remember from my childhood, when my mother used to start preparing sweetmeats well in advance of the festival. Chaklis, various kinds of laddus, chivda were the most common ones..Then on the day of the festival too, she used to prepare, modaks and karanjis, sometimes kadubus(a special kind of a sweet, wrapped in turmeric leaves and steamed and served with fragrant ghee!). My grandmother used to send a packet all the way from our village and it used to contain another variety of goodies..home made sev and more chaklis..
It does seem that festivals are all about food ! In addition they were also all about families coming together and celebrating together!Nostalgia aside, it is still a very effective method of bringing families and friends together, of communal harmony, giving a sense of belonging. The beautiful stories keep the children enthralled and give them a sense of wonder about their heritage !
In my humble opinion, modern thoughts and actions give us the freedom to soar up to the sky,
but its our heritage and traditions that give us roots and keep us firmly on the ground ! How wonderful would it be to be able to use both to have a richer and fuller life !!!
On that note I give here a recipe for the traditional panchakajjaya (offering to God with 5 ingredients)..This is a simple yet delicious treat, often offered as prasadam and is often prepared when time is of the essence !
Panchakhadya, as it is also known, is also regarded as one of Lord Ganesha's favourites !

Ingredients:
1 cup roasted chana dal (dalia)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup white sesame seeds
1/4 - 1/2 C grated coconut (can use either fresh or dessicated)
1/4 C cashew pieces
3 cardamoms
2 cloves

Method:

1. Lightly roast the dalia in a tsp of ghee. (Although this is optional, it gives a great texture and taste to the final product).
2. Also roast the sesame seeds until light brown. Do this on a low flame so that the sesame seeds dont get scorched. Sesame seeds will be bitter if burnt, so beware !
3. Coarsely grind the dalia, sesame seeds and the sugar.
4. Lightly toast the coconut in another tsp of ghee.
5. Combine the coconut with the dalia sesame mixture.
6. Fry the cashews and add them to the above mixture.
7. Powder the cardamoms and the cloves and sprinkle over the mixture.
8. Turn well with a spoon so that all the ingredients are well mixed.

The panchakajjaya is now ready to be served.

Happy Ganesh Chaturthi to everybody !

ಗಜಮುಖನೆ ಗಣಪತಿಯೇ ನಿನಗೆ ವಂದನೆ
ನಂಬಿದವರ ಪಾಲಿಗೆ ಕಲ್ಪತರು ನೀನೆ...

(Translation: This is a kannada devotional song, much loved by kannada audiences, sung as a glorifying ode to dear Lord Ganesh. "Oh Ganapati , with the face of an elephant, we offer our humble prayers to you...for all those who believe in you, you are the Kalpataru." According to ancient mythology, the Kalpataru is a divine magical tree that has the power to fulfill any wish.

Maavinkaayi Gojju / Raw Mango Gojju

Generally when we plan for any major meal, we select a main dish, an entree, something that will be the star of the show, something to dazzle the senses of the guests, a dish that will set the theme for the table. If the menu is Indian, the entree could be one of several tantalizing rice dishes, or a wonderful korma or a finger licking-good makhanwala dish. You could have wonderful pasta dishes that adorn the center of the goodie table. But, in all the adoration for these main dishes, the ubiquitous, necessary side dishes are almost always forgotten. They are made with regularity, enough care is put into their preparation so that they do not spoil the meal, but I don't think they ever get the appreciation that they deserve. After all, its these chutneys, sauces, raitas and side vegetables that enhance the flavour of the entree or can even save the day, if disaster strikes the main attraction !
So today's ode is to the wonderful array of side dishes that any cook would gladly have in his/her recipe collection - Gojjus or chutneys.
I love gojjus, the ones that I have had till now have always had a wonderful balance of tartness and sweetness, which makes them suitable with bread, dosas, chapaties and even rice ! I got this recipe of raw mango gojju from my mom. She made it quite frequently when mangoes were in season. Unlike in the US where you can generally get mangoes all round the year, we would have to impatiently wait for the mango season in India. That was the time when mangoes of all shapes, colours and ripeness levels could be seen on every nook, corner and stall.
Made with sour mangoes and fresh succulent coconut, this side dish is worthy of any Indian menu.

Maavinkaayi Gojju / Raw Mango Gojju

Ingredients:

1/2 raw mango
1/2 C fresh coconut, grated.
(you can also use frozen coconut, just thaw and warm in the microwave before grinding)
2 green chillies
1/2 inch fresh ginger (optional)
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/2 tsp sugar

For tempering:

1 tsp canola oil
1 tsp urad dal
1 tsp black mustard seeds
2 -3 curry leaves
generous pinch of asafoetida

Method:
1. Peel the raw mango and dice into small pieces
2. Grind to a coarse paste along with the coconut, green chillies, ginger (if using), salt and sugar.
3. Transfer the gojju into a serving bowl.
4. For the tempering, heat the oil in a small wok, add the urad dal and the mustard seeds. Fry until the urad dals turns golden brown and the mustard seeds splutter. Add the curry leaves. Take off from heat, add the asafoetida and mix well.
5. Pour the tempering over the gojju and mix well.

This gojju makes a delicious accompaniment to various dishes such as idlis, dosas, even chapaties, bread and rice. With few ingredients and uncomplicated steps, you will have a
dish that you can easily whip up ! Try it !!

Cucumber Tellavu and Carrot Chutney

It wouldn't be a surprise if I say that while growing up, my family consumed a whole lot of rice in the form of different kinds of bhaaths (spicy rice preparations), idlis and dosas.
My mother made delicious dosas and idlis. Whether crisp masala dosas with spicy potato filling or soft fluffy urad- rice dosas, enjoyed with a savoury chutney, she had a variety of recipes at hand and could whip up something when her hungry kids demanded appeasement !
One type of dosas that she would make were the tellavus. This name is uniquely Havyak. I do not know if other dosa experts use this terminology, but this was a common preparation at my house and at my relatives'. Probably Neer dosa would be the nearest cousin to the tellavus. These dosas are very thin dosas and are almost lace-like in texture. They can be paired up with any kind of chutney. TH likes to have his tellavus sometimes with a little maple syrup and ghee and it tastes delicious :) Little P also likes to munch on pieces of tellavu.
This is a great breakfast or evening snack item. The batter does not need to be fermented, so its quicker to prepare than standard dosas using urad dal.
The batter stays quite well in the fridge for up to a week.
I prepare this frequently and the last time I paired it up with carrot chutney.

Cucumber Tellavu :
Servings: Makes about 10 medium tellavus




Ingredients:
2 C rice
2 C chopped cucumber
1/2 C fresh or frozen coconut
1 tsp salt

Method:
1. Soak the rice for 3-4 hours.
2. Grind the rice along with coconut and cucumber until very fine.
You might need to do this in batches.
3. The consistency of the batter should be almost like buttermilk.
You should be able to pour it out of a ladle very easily.
4. Add the salt and mix well.
5. Heat a non stick griddle until sizzling and grease it with a cooking spray.
6. Pour a ladleful of the batter onto the griddle.
7. You will not be able to spread the batter around. If you need to make a bigger tellavu,
just pour the batter slowly in concentric circles.
8. Cover the tellavu with a lid and let one side cook until golden brown.
(I discovered that the tellavu cooks better when covered.)
9. Flip the tellavu onto its other side and cook for about another 2 minutes.
If the griddle is well greased, you should have no problems in flipping the tellavus.
Another tip that I read that you rub a cut onion onto the griddle before pouring the batter. This technique works well too.

Continue making tellavus in this way and then enjoy them with your favourite chutney.


Carrot Chutney:
Source: Tarla Dalal
Servings: 4 -5



I adapted this recipe from a Tarla Dalal recipe that I had read a few years back.
This chutney tastes really good with chapaties, dosas and idlis. The fact that you are eating healthy carrots is an added benefit too :)

Ingredients:

1 C shredded carrots
4 tbsp peanuts
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp coriander seeds
5 curry leaves
2-3 red chillies (or according to taste)
2 tsp salt ( or to taste )
pinch of asafoetida.
1 tsp canola oil ( or any oil of your choice)
small piece of tamarind soaked in water.

Method:
1. Heat the oil in a small pan and add the mustard seeds and coriander seeds. When the mustard starts sputtering, add the asafoetida and the curry leaves.
2. Add the peanuts and fry until the peanuts are golden brown.
3. Add the red chillies.
4. Add the shredded carrots and mix well and stir fry, stirring occassionally, until the carrots lose their raw smell.
5. Remove from heat and cool.
6. Blend the carrot mixture along with the tamarind water and salt until desired consistency is reached. Add a little water if chutney is too thick.


Result:
The tellavus have a subtle taste of the cucumber and go very well with any kind of savoury side dish, be it chutney or sambhar. The carrot chutney on the other hand can be made as spicy as you like it, it has a hint of a sweetness from the carrots and a little tang from the tamarind. It is a perfect companion to the tellavu. Needless to say these items have become a hit at my kitchen and hopefully will find a permanent place in yours too !

Heerekaayi Sippe Gojju (Ridgegourd Peel Gojju)

Like in most south indian families, my mother is at a complete loss of ideas if she doesnt have the omnipresent coconut in her kitchen...I think there are a very few recipes in her repertoire that do not call for coconut in some form or the other...She maintains that all recipes can be made with little or no coconut, but then they wouldnt be authentic havyaka recipes !
I adore my mom's cooking( this, I guess is a universal phenomenon...almost everyone praises their mom's cooking and I am no exception)..My efforts at cooking began in her kitchen where I was just the sous-chef, helping in the cooking preparations (peeling, cutting, chopping,slicing, etc.) and never actually cooking myself..It wasnt until I got married and had a kitchen of my own, per se..that I started cooking in earnest and began enjoying it too :D
Although I have learnt different dishes through friends and the internet (!!), my main source of recipes for traditional havyaka recipes is still my mom..This is one such recipe that I relish and would like to share with my online readers.

Hirekaayi Sippe Gojju (Ridgegourd Peel Gojju)





Ingredients

1 medium sized ridge gourd (Heerekaayi / Beerakaya / तुरई )
4 tbsp freshly grated coconut
2 green chillies
1 marble sized ball of tamarind
1 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp canola / vegetable oil
(traditionally, my mother would probably have used coconut oil for this,
but I havent graduated to that....yet )
2-3 curry leaves
generous pinch of asafoetida
1 tsp urad dal



Method

1. Peel the ridge gourd, making sure that the peels are thick.
Boil the peels in water along with the green chillies, tamarind and pinch of salt.
The number of chillies can be adjusted according to taste. The water should just cover the peels.
2. Meanwhile, fry all of the coriander seeds and 1 tsp of mustard in 1 tsp of oil until the mustard seeds pop. Add the curry leaves and the asafoetida. Let this cool for a little bit.
3. Grind the peels along with the coriander-mustard seeds. Also add the coconut to this mixture and grind to a thick consistency.
4. Transfer to a serving bowl and adjust the salt according to taste.
5. Add a seasoning of urad dal and mustard seeds and a pinch of asafoetida to the gojju.
6. This can be served as a side dish and can also be savoured with rice.


Result
The gojju is a slightly tangy and spicy preparation and makes good use of the peels which would otherwise have been thrown away !
For those who like it spicy, this dish is a must try !