For the RCI event on Tamizh festivals, started by Lakshmi and hosted this month by Viji, I am planning to cover all the festivals, in a few posts.
The first Tamizh festival of the year is Varusha Pirappu or Tamizh new year.Tamizh New Year falls on 14th April every year.People visit temples to offer prayers for a prosperous year ahead!
An elaborate lunch is prepared for the Varusha pirappu!The main dishes specially prepared for this festival are Boli and Mango Neem flower pachadi.
Menu for Varusha Pirappu (colloquially “Varsha Paruppu” )
- More Kuzhambu (Coconut flavoured Curd Gravy)
- Kadambam (Country Vegetables in Lentils) – recipe below
- Vazhaikai Kariamudu (colloquially “Vazhakka Karamedu”) (Green Plaintain Curry) – recipe below
- Elumichi saathamudu (Coconut flavoured Lemon Rasam or Soup)
- Thayir vadai (Curd Urad Dal Nuggets)
- Boli (or Poli) (Sweet Tawa Bread) – recipe below
- Veepampoo manga pachadi (Neem flower and Mango Raita) – recipe below
- Urulai kizhangu pachadi (Potato Raita)
- Kalkandu Pongal (A Rice-Lentil Dish flavoured with Sugar Candy)
I’ll update the post with their photos as I prepare them.
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Veepampoo manga pachadi
We must note that the preparations use the produce that is available during that season. Fresh neem flowers and raw mango are used with jaggery for this pachadi. I am unable to post pictures as neem flowers are not available right now.
Ingredients
- Raw mango – 1 medium sized
- Fresh neem flowers – 2 table spoons.
- Jaggery – 1/2 cup
- Cardamom – 1 no
- Ghee – 1 teaspoon
- Mustard seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
Method
- Peel the skin and slice the mango into thin rough pieces.
- Add 2 cups water and cook on a medium flame till the mangoes are soft.
- Add the neem flowers, jaggery and cardamom powder.
- Cook for 2 more minutes and put off the flame. Season with mustard seeds fried in 1 teaspoon ghee.
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Kadambam is a mixed vegetable preparation between Kootu and kuzhambu. It tastes great with nattu kaikarigal (Vegetables grown in locally in villages of South India). Traditionally the vegetables used are Avaraikkai (Green and white flat beans), plantain, Ash Gourd, Yellow Pumpkin, Colocasia, Senai kizhangu (elephant yam), Ladies finger, Snake gourd etc.
Ingredients
- An assortment of Avaraikkai (Green and white flat beans), plantain, Ash Gourd, Yellow Pumpkin, Colocasia, Senai kizhangu (elephant yam), Ladies finger, Snake gourd cut into 1 inch pieces – 3 cups
- Tamarind – lemon sized ball
- Toor dal – 3/4 cup
- Ground nut – 2 table spoons
- Turmeric powder – 1/2 teaspoon
- Hing – a pinch
- Salt to taste.
For the seasoning
- Curry leaves – 1 twig
- Ghee – 2 teaspoons
- Mustard seeds – 1 teaspoon
For the paste
- Coriander seeds – 1 table spoon
- Channa dal – 1 table spoon
- Urad dal – 1 teaspoon
- Red chillies – 3 nos
- Methi seeds – 1 teaspoon
- Hing – a small piece
- Grated coconut 3 table spoons
- Oil – 2 teaspoons
Method
- Wash and pressure cook the toor dal adding 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder. Mash well.
- Colocasia and groundnut should also be pressure cooked. Peel and dice colacasia into big pieces.
- Soak tamarind in warm water and Squeeze out the pulp adding 2 cups water.
- Wash and cut all the vegetables into 1 inch pieces and place in a heavy bottomed pan.
- Add 1 cup tamarind pulp,1 cup water,1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon turmeric and a pinch of hing to the cut vegetables and cook on a medium flame.
- Heat oil in a kadai and fry all ingredients except coconut, till golden.
- Take off the flame, add coconut and grind to a paste.
- Once the vegetables are soft,add the remaining tamarind water, mashed dal, Cooked colocasia, groundnut and required amount of salt and simmer for 3 minutes.
- Add the ground paste and mix well. Simmer for 3 more minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl.
- Season with mustard seeds and curry leaves fried in ghee.
Kadambham makes a great side dish.
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Vazhakkai karamedu
This plantain curry is called Ennai vazhakai (Cooked in oil), though only 2 teaspoons of oil is required. This curry is prepared for Ammavasya and Maasa pirappu(1 st day of the tamizh month.
Ingredients
- Plantain(Vazhaikai) – 2 nos
- Turmeric powder – 1/4 teaspoon
- Tamarind – 2 inch piece
- Hing – 2 pinches
- Curry leaves – 1 twig
- Red chillies – 2 nos
- Grated coconut – 3 table spoons
- Oil – 2 teaspoons
- Mustard seeds – 1 teaspoon
- Urad dal- 2 teaspoons
- Salt to taste
Cut Plaintain Pieces
Method
- Soak the tamarind in warm water and take out the pulp addind 3/4 cup water.
- Peel the skin of plantain and cut into two halves length wise. Now slice into thin pieces as shown in the picture.
- In a heavy bottomed pan add tamarind water, salt, hing and turmeric powder to the cut vegetable.
- Cook on a medium flame till the vazhaikai is soft. By now all the water would have evaporated. In case any water is left, drain it.
- Heat oil in a kadai,add mustardseeds, when it crackles add urad dal and red chillies. Fry till golden
- Add grated coconut and curry leaves. Fry for a minute and add the cooked plantain. Stir continously and mix well. Saute for a minute.
- Serve hot as a part of festival food.
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Boli (Ubbattu)
Boli is prepared on three festival days. Tamizh new year, Saraswathi pujai and Bhogi Pandigai. You can prepare using Kadalai paruppu (channa dal) , Toor dal or a combination of both. I have used Toor dal.
Ingredients
- Toor dal – 1 cup
- Jaggery – 1 cup
- Cardamom – 2 nos
- Grated coconut – 2 table spoons
- Maida – 1 cup
- Oil – 1 table spoon
Method
- Wash and cook toor dal on a medium flame adding 2 cups water.
- Cook till all the water evaporates, stirring occasionally to avoid burning.
- Allow to cool for 5 minutes and grind to a fine paste adding jaggery, cardamom powder and grated coconut.
- Do not add water. You will get a smooth ball. Place this in a MW safe dish and MW high for 1 minute. You can also cook on a heavy bottomed pan in the gas stove. Divide this Poornam to 2 inch balls.
- Add oil to maida and knead to a tight dough using enough water.
- Take out 1 inch balls from the dough, roll to a small round, place a lemon sized ball of poornam in the center.
- Close and roll to a thin 10 inch round, using a little flour.
- On a tawa, cook both sides on a medium flame till brown spots appear.
- Serve with ghee. Will stay for two days with out refrigerating.
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Potato Pachadi
Click here for the Recipe which has been posted earlier
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Thayir Vadai
Click here for the Recipe which has been posted earlier
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More Kuzhambu
Click here for the Recipe which has been posted earlier
– Latha
WOW!! I loved the recipes.I have to save the whole post now!
I loved the way you spell Tamizh, very authentic!:))
Thanks Asha dear!:)) When you write Hugs I can really feel your touchdear!:))latha.
Those Thayir Vadais look yummy, almost like Kadhi to me. And Mango Neem flower in a dish, that too is very new.
I loved your last post BTW 🙂
Thanks sandeepa! Thayir vadai is like soaking vadai in a kadhi!:) Mango, neem pachadi is heavenly! do try!:)) latha.
This is not fair Lathaamma.. covering all the recipies of all Tamil festivals… u shud leave some recipes for us to make… hehe.. just kidding amma… Loved ur post and the way u listed the recipes to .. looking forward for other too… a bookmark of this post is definite..:)
I have already covered a few festivals from aadi to Ganesh chaturthi! Just only need to make a mention of these festivals. Festival cooking is my favourite topic and can’t help!:))latha.
ur blog is my wikipedia for tamil festival menu latha. i really appreciate u doing this series by covering all main festivals.
Oh! I am flattered!:D Thanks Sia! :)) latha.
Akka you somehow knew I wanted to post mango pachadi 🙂 Now I’ve to think of some other dish… haaa haaa
I love the kadambam and thayir vadai recipes… mouth watering.
Thanks latha! Hope you have settled in your new home!:)) latha.
wow…lathamma…thats one excellent menu…you are simply rocking with all classic dishes
Thanks Sri!:)) I always cook these things dear!:)) Nothing classic about them as far as I know!:))
What a mouth-watering menu that is. I like everything on it.
latha…my mouth is watering…gosh i wish i could eat all that 😦
what wonderful recipes. thanks for sharing them.
wow!!! my hubby fav bholi…my fav thayirvada…ohhh lathamma,ur simply rocking…nijjammma!!! lots of authentic tamil dishes…..really very helpful for beginners in cooking like me….
Great recipes. Looks mouth watering.
Amazing and mouth watering spread! Looking forward to more posts on Tamizh nadu festivals 🙂
Dear Latha mam,
So many traditional recipies..,Potato pachadi is new to me..I will try….
My MIL and mother will make veepampoo rasam also..:))
Great entry for the event…!
Such delicious mouth watering dishes. That is it!, I am packing my bags and heading right to your home Latha 🙂
Hey, you change your theme too right?
Latha ma,
super o super. It reminds me of my grandma’s cooking. Plantain karamedu looks so good. will try it for sure. Thanks for sharing all these great recipes.
Oh! A full brunch LathaN! Very nice and authentic. Thank you for the entry. If possible send me the full spread photo. Or else any sweet will do, I will cover everything in writeup. Look forward to see your other entries too. Viji
Woaaaw!!Thatz a real feast!!Great work of summimg up so that everything falls under a single post!!Just like shopping under one roof 😉
The new template looks Awe awe awesome!!!
How are you parents doing now by the way? 😕
Mango veepa poovu pachadi is what we make for Ugadi, I guess!
All your tamizh dishes are so authentic and gives a sense of satisfaction to me while browsing your blog… Thanks for that traditional touch you always have in y our posts
Padma
this is a very informative post Latha. a good reference post!
Aaah… Manga pachidi already taken.. Can you suggest some recipes that I can submit to this event?
wow….What a post…..Filled with delectables 🙂
And day by day u are rapidly beautifying ur blog :-)))
Looking nice dears 🙂
I see what you mean :). My mom makes poli with chana dal. Toor dal is probably yet another variation am yet to learn. Thank you for the tip. This is why we need Elder’s supervision 😀
Sri seri suganya…Tips enna free ya….Amma kku madras varumbithu Dollars le payment koduthidunge enna???Lakshmi kitte than kodukkanumnnu illa…nan kooda than irukken ;)…
Laksmi, I stay 350 kms away from chennai!
[…] Menu for Varuda Pirappu […]
Hi Latha…I would prefer to address as Latha maami.
How are you parents ? Are they OK now ?
It is really hard to take such a pain at this age.
My prayers.
BTW the new look of the blog is very nice.
How many recipes??!!! Excellent. Loved your boli. Will try it sometime.
Good to know that you tried Amla pickle. Hope you liked it.
Take care
hi latha
i am here with an unusual request
i was looking forward to viji’s tamil festival series round up. in the mean time we relocated from US to india and i could not check anything until today and when i tried to check viji’s blog it said it is for invited readers only. i do not know how to reach her to request for just viewing the round up.
if u can help me in this regard it would be grt’
thanks
shanti
[…] / made a nice post about Festivals of Tamizh Nadu – Varuda Pirappu The yum’ blogSome information about it […]
You know the first place I came the minute I the D day came! 🙂
Happy New Year dearest Lathamma and Laks…Wishes of course for the rest of the family too 🙂
Latha Maami, Lakshmi et al,
Puthaandu Nal Vazhthukal to all!
May the New Year bring peace, prosperity, health and happiness to everyone! 🙂
-Vedavalli
[…] Boli […]
Dear Mrs. Latha
I must say you have a fantastic blog:) superb:) All tamil recepies under one roof… its seems too good to be true 🙂 My sister got married recently and moved to the US. We made a small recepie book for her… we then came across your blog and sent her the link… she is finding it very useful
Kudos on the good effort! Wish you all the best
Best Wishes
Rupa
[…] August 17, 2008 by lathanarasimhan Tamizh Varuda Pirappu – 13th April […]
Hi Latha
I tried your vazhakka karamedu and More Kozhambu recipe today. it has come out well.
Thanks for the recipe.. ur recipes are bliss for bachelors like us 🙂
Woaaaw!!Thatz a real feast!!Great work of summimg up so that everything falls under a single post!
super recipes. will try vazhakai poriyal and tell you how it is. looks delicious, as it is. hope the taste is super.
Everything looks wonderful
[…] Tamizh Varuda Pirappu -14th April […]