Showing posts with label Ganesh chaturthi special. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ganesh chaturthi special. Show all posts

Saturday, 10 October 2015

Vaatli Daal : Ground Chana daal snack

I love this part of the year!! Yes, i have mentioned it before and i will say it again and again. With so many festivities come so many traditions, celebrations and of course food specialties. More so, the sweets and snacks that are prepared in each household adds so much more excitement to the air, that it's fun not only gorging on them but learning about the whole "making" process too. Yes, as kids, it would hardly matter but since the time i have started blogging, i try as much as possible to learn/read about different cuisines, and the history behind each dish or the method it is prepared. Am sure my fellow bloggers will understand this urge to explore :) Here today, am posting the recipe of a typical Maharashtrian delicacy often served on Anant Chaturdashi (the last day of Ganesh Chaturthi)that i made for the first time. I have always seen my mother or aunt making this on the traditional grinding stone (Paata-varvanta as we call it) during Ganesh festival but never really knew that this tasty dish can be made even in mixer-grinder. Of course, the hand ground adds in more flavour but the mixer does justice too. It is also an easy recipe to serve as a tea time snack or for breakfast.



Vatli Daal is literally translated as "Ground Daal"- the daal here being Chana Daal (split and husked Bengal gram). This is a highly nutritious dish and has a nice tangy flavour to it, with the addition of raw mangoes. Since raw mangoes was not easily available during this time here, i have used lime juice. You can also add Amchur powder instead, but the tanginess in the dish is important. There is also a raw version of this daal which i will post soon.



Preparation time: 8-10 hours soaking
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves: 2 people
Recipe type: Snacks

Ingredients:

Chana daal - 1 cup 
Lime juice - 2-3 tsp or grated green mango (3 tbsp)
Salt - to taste
Sugar - 1/2 tsp

For tadka:
Oil - 3 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Green chilli - 2(sliced)
Grated ginger - 1 inch piece

For garnish :
Grated fresh coconut
Chopped corriander leaves (optional)



Recipe:

Wash and rinse the chana daal well.

Soak the chana daal in about 2 cups of water for 8-10 hours of overnight. It should turn to be so soft that when you press it, the daal grain should break. Hence, if needed, soak for more time.

Drain the water and clean the daal under running water.

Now grind this to a grainy consistency in mixer grinder adding little water at a time. Don't make it to a runny consistency. It has to be grainy.



Heat oil in a pan. Now add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add the turmeric, green chilli and ginger.

After about half a minute, add in the ground chana daal. Mix it all well. Add the lime juice, salt and sugar and again mix it all well.

Add a little water and cover the pan. Steam cook the daal for about 5-7 minutes. Keep stirring occasionally.

Garnish with grated fresh coconut and corriander leaves (if used).

Tangy yummyliscious snack is ready. Hope you all try it and love it.



Happy Cooking :)


 


Wednesday, 16 September 2015

Happy Hartalika: Celebrating female friendships!!

I love this part of the year... there are so many festivities and celebrations one after another, that it truly brings out the joy of life. Smiles, food, laughter, shopping, meeting families and friends and the age-old traditions that are followed along with it. One such interesting mythological story is that of Hartalika. Hartalika is observed one day before the Ganesh Chaturthi. (Bhadrapadh Shudh Tritiya)

On this day, girls and women pray to Goddess Parvati. Unmarried girls do pooja to get that prince charming they have always been dreaming about and married women pray to get the same husband in all the lives, also for happy successful married life. It is a belief that once you take the oath of Lord Shiva, you shouldn't break it, hence women continue to do this pooja each year till they are alive.



Parvati was the daughter of Himvan (the king of Himalayas). "Parvat" means Mountain, hence being the daughter of the king of mountains, she was named Parvati. It is said, when Parvati grew of age, Narad Muni brought in the message of Lord Vishnu to marry her. Himvan was very happy to hear this, but Parvati had secretly loved Lord Shiva. Hence, without telling her parents, she ran off with her female friend into the forests. Harit ( = Haran =abduction) and Alika ( = alichya = friend). Hence the name, Hartalika.

On the banks of the river, Parvati made a "Shivling" of sand and started meditating and praying to Lord Shiva. Initially, she ate raw leaves, but later on even left that. This we call as "Upvas" meaning fast. Seeing this, Lord Shiva was pleased and agreed to marry Parvati as per her wish. 



Seeing his daughter's willpower and faith, even Himvan agreed to get Parvati married to Lord Shiva. So, since all this was achieved by the help of Parvati's female friend, girls and women(known as suvasini's) fast all day long on this day and then do pooja together of idols of Shiva and Parvati made of sand. The fast is then broken the next day as the Suvasini's stay awake all night long playing games such as Jhimma, Phugdi, Tiprya etc.

This day also celebrates the friendship among female friends. Having a friend to tell your secrets to, and one whom you can count on in moments of need is a part of life. So lets say cheers to all our women friends as they are our true support and let us decide on this day, to cherish the relationship for lifetime. 



Unfortunately i don't have any recipe of Modak on my blog yet, so i am going to make some tomorrow for Ganesh Chaturthi and post one. Meanwhile, if you don't want to go traditional and enjoy some other lip-smacking sweets, here are some ideas :

1. Gulkand Chocolates : http://cookininpajamas.blogspot.in/2013/11/gulkand-chocolates.html



2. Coconut ladoos : http://cookininpajamas.blogspot.in/2013/10/coconut-ladoos.html



3. Pajama "Pop in the mouth" Ladoos : http://cookininpajamas.blogspot.in/2014/02/pajama-pop-in-mouth-ladoos-rose-day.html



4. Naaralachya Vadya : http://cookininpajamas.blogspot.in/2014/10/dusshera-special-naralyachya-vadya.html


Happy cooking and wish you all a Happy Ganesh Chaturthi :) Let us all say, "Ganpati Bappa Morya" :)