Sakhannam/ Vegetable Rice - 7th day Navrati Neivedyam

Sakhannam or Mixed Vegetable rice is a very simple and healthy rice which is offered as Neivedyam on the 7th day of Navratri. This rice works really well for lunch boxes too.

Preparation Time : 10 minutes
Cook Time : 20 minutes
Serves : 4-5

Ingredients:

Sona Masori Rice or any similar variety : 2 cups
Carrots : 2 medium diced
Capsicum/Green bell pepper : 3 small diced
Cauliflower (optional) : 1 cup diced
Beans : 10 chopped into 1" pieces
Potato : 4 peeled and diced
Water : 4 cups
Ghee : 3 tablespoons
Garam Masala : 3 tablespoons
Elachi/ cardamom powder : 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste

Method:

Wash and soak rice for 10 minutes.
Heat ghee in a pressure cooker( use an aluminum one), add all the veggies and cook for 4-5 minutes until they are cooked.
Drain the rice and add it to the veggies and fry for 2 minutes.
Add water, salt, elachi powder and garam masala. Close lid and pressure cook for 3 whistles. Turn off the stove.
Serve hot or warm with raita or as is.

Kesari Baath/ Ravva Kesari - 6th day Navaratri Neivedyam

Kesari Baath is a simple yet delicious sweet made with sooji and sugar. This is offered as the 6th day Neivedyam for Navratri.
You can make this desert to finish of a meal any day.
Kids absolutely will love the taste of it as there are nuts and ghee mixed in.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time : 15 minutes 
Serves : 6-8

Ingredients:

Sooji/ Bombai Ravva : 1 cup
Sugar : 1 1/2 cups
Water : 4 cups
Elachi/cardamom powder : 1/4 teaspoon
Food color : 4 drops
Saffron : 5-6 strands
Ghee: 2 tablespoons
Nuts(cashews, pistachio, almonds and raisins) : 2 tablespoons

Method:

Dry roast the sooji in a pan until good aroma comes out of the sooji. (I dry roasted 1/4 kg and it took me 5 minutes)
Heat water in a pan along with food color and saffron. Bring it to a boil and add sooji slowly by mixing it vigorously.
Add 1 tablespoon of ghee, mix well and cook for 4-5 minutes until the mixture starts to leave the sides.
Add sugar and elachi powder, mix well and cook until the kesari leaves the sides of the pan. This should take about 5-6 minutes. Turn off the stove.
Heat 1 tablespoon ghee in a small pan, add all nuts and fry till they are golden. Turn off the stove and add them to the kesari.
Serve hot or at room temperature.

Usirikaya Chutney/Amla Chutney

Usirikaya/Amla/Indian goose berry has lot of nutritional value hence good for ones health. Usirikaya is very sour in taste.
Usirikaya chutney is a really old traditional recipe but almost forgotten now. I just wanted to make it and make kids taste it. They loved the chutney as it's not really a pickle and easy on the tummy.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Serves : 5-6

Ingredients:

Usirikaya/Amla : 1 cup (deseeded and chopped)
Dry Red Chilies : 5 broken in half
Chana Dal/Senagapappu : 1 1/2 teaspoons
Urad dal/Minappapu : 1 1/2 teaspoons
Cumin seeds/ Jeera : 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste

For Tempering:
Chana dal /Senagapappu : 1 teaspoon
Urad dal/ Minappappu : 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds/Aavalu : 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves : 2 sprigs

Method:

Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a pan add Chana Dal, Urad Dal and fry till they turn golden, add dry red chilies and fry for 1 minute. Add cumin seeds and fry for another 30 seconds. Take them out into a plate and let it cool off.

Add the Usirikaya/Amla pieces into the same pan and sauté for 5-6 minutes until the pieces are cooked well. Let them cool off.

In a blender, add the Dal mixture and then add the Amla pieces and blend into a smooth paste.

Heat oil in a pan and all the ingredients listed under for Tempering and fry for 2 minutes or until the seeds splatter. Add the chutney and mix well. Turn off the stove.

Serve with hot rice or with dosa.

Kobbari Annam/Coconut Rice - 3rd day Neivedyam for Navratri

Kobbari Annam/Coconut Rice is the 3rd day Neivedyam for Navratri. This rice super simple to make and works well for lunch boxes and for travel.
Kobbari Annam is very light on your tummy so, no worries in enjoying this flavorful rice.

Preparation Time : 10 minutes
Cook Time : 10 minutes
Serves : 4-5

Ingredients:

Rice : 1 1/2 cups

Water : 2 1/2 cups

Freshly grated coconut: 1 cup
Green chilies: 4 split

Curry leaves : 2 sprigs
Salt to taste

For Tempering:

Ghee : 2 tablespoons
Chana Dal/Senagapappu : 1 tablespoon
Urad Dal/Minappappu : 1 tablespoon
Dry red chilies: 2 broken in half
Mustard seeds/ Aavalu : 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds/ Jeera : 1 teaspoon

Method :

Wash and cook rice with 2 1/2 cups of water. Let it cool a little.
Heat ghee in a pan and add all the ingredients listed under Tempering. Fry them until the seeds splattered and Dal's turn golden.
Add coconut, green chilies and curry leaves and fry for 2 minutes or until the coconut turns golden brown.
Add rice and salt, mix well and turn off the stove.
Serve warm.

Daddojanam/Temple curd rice - 5th day Navaratri Neivedyam

Daddojanam/Temple curd rice is curd rice tempered with dals and mustard seeds. The taste is much different as asafoetida/hing is added to the tempering. This rice is very healthy for everyone as it cools down the body and it also works well for lunch boxes.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes 

Cook Time: 5 minutes 

Serves : 3-4

Ingredients:

Rice : 1 cup 

Water : 2 cups 

Curd /Yogurt : 1 1/2 cups

Salt to taste 

For Tempering:

Chana dal/Senagapappu : 1 teaspoon 

Urad dal/ Minappappu : 1 teaspoon 

Mustard seeds/ Aavalu : 1 teaspoon 

Dry red chilies: 4 broken in half

Asafoetida/hing : 1/4 teaspoon 

Curry leaves: 2 sprigs

Method:

Wash and cook rice with 2 cups of water in a pressure cooker for 3 whistles.

Let it cool off completely.

Add yogurt, salt to the rice and mix well in a bowl.

Heat oil for Tempering, add all ingredients except curry leaves and fry for 2 minutes until the seeds splatter and dals turn golden. Add curry leaves, turn off the stove and add the Tempering to the curd rice. 

Serve at room temperature.

Note: Green chilies, ginger and cilantro can be added to the rice as well but temple curd rice normally doesn't use these ingredients.

Allam Garelu- 4th day Navaratri Neivedyam

Allam Garelu is a traditional Andhra Vada made with the soaked Urad dal is blended to a coarse and deep fried. It's the 4th day Neivedyam for Navratri. 

Garelu makes a good breakfast or evening snack too. Serve with your favorite chutney.

Preparation Time: 4-6 hours to soak the dal

Cook Time: 4-5 minutes per batch

Serves : 4-5

Ingredients: 

Urad dal : 1 cup (240 ml)

Green chilies: 5 large chopped 

Allam/Ginger: 4" piece chopped 

Salt to taste 

Oil

Method:

Wash and Soak the dal for 4-6 hours. 

Wash the dal again, add chilies and ginger pieces and blend it coarsely. Add very little water.

Heat oil for deep frying, make the Garelu shape with a hole in the middle on a paper or plastic cover and slowly drop them into the oil. Do not over crowd the pan. 

Fry until both sides turn golden brown, take them out and place them on a paper towel.

Serve hot with peanut, coconut or coriander chutney.

Katte Pongali/Spicy Pongal - Navratri Day 1 Neivedyam

Katte Pongali is the 1st day of Navaratri Neivedyam for Durga Maata. 

This Pongali is also offered as prasadam in the temples.

It's rich in nutrients so super healthy dish to make for the family. The Pongali is very filling and can be eaten by itself.

Preparation Time : 5 minutes 

Cook Time : 15 minutes 

Serves : 3-4

Ingredients:

Ghee : 2 tablespoons 

Rice : 3/4 cup

Moong Dal / Pesarapappu: 1/4 cup

Jeera/Cumin seeds : 1/2 teaspoon 

Asafoetida/Hing : 1/4 teaspoon 

Black Peppercorns/ Miriyalu: 1 teaspoon 

Green Chilies: 4 slit

Ginger : 1" piece chopped finely 

Curry leaves: 2 sprigs

Salt to taste (I added 1 and 1/4 teaspoon)

Water : 2 1/2 cups

Method:

Wash rice and moong dal together and soak them for 10 minutes.

Heat ghee in a pan, add jeera and fry until they start to splatter. 

Add peppercorns and hing, fry for 30 seconds. Add green chilies, curry leaves and ginger pieces and fry for 1 minute.

Drain the rice and moong dal, add it to the pan and fry for 2 minutes.

Transfer all the ingredients to a vessel, add water and salt. 

Now, pressure cook this until 3 whistles. Simmer and cook for 3 minutes. 

Turn off the stove. Let the pressure go out by itself.

Serve hot.