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. 

Ragi Dosa

Ragi dosa is an instant dosa where the batter doesn't need any fermentation. The process is similar to that of Rava dosa but ragi flour makes these dosas much more healthier.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes 

Cook Time : 2 minutes per dosa

Serves : 2-3

Ingredients:

Ragi Flour : 1 cup

Sooji/bombai rava : 1/4 cup

Rice flour : 1/4 cup 

Onion : 1 medium chopped finely

Green chilies: 3 chopped finely

Ginger : 1" piece chopped finely 

Jeera/cumin seeds : 1 teaspoon 

Yogurt/ curd : 1/4 cup

Salt to taste

Water : 2 cups

Method:

Mix all ingredients really well where the batter should look like rava dosa batter which is watery.

Heat the dosa tawa, rub some oil and pour a large laddle of batter on the tawa, add some oil around the dosa and cook the dosa until it's crisp on the edges and cooked in the middle.

Serve hot with any chutney.

Red Bell Pepper / Red Capsicum Chutney

Red Bell Pepper / Red Capsicum Chutney

Red Bell Pepper Chutney is a simple yet delicious dish that goes well with rice, roti or dose. Red peppers have a little bit of tangy and a variant taste to them which adds to the taste to this chutney. 

Initially I only used these red peppers in Italian cuisine in my kitchen but I was just running out of ideas to make Chutney that goes well with rice and I tried this chutney which surprisingly became a hot favourite in my family.

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

Ingredients:
Red bell Peppers : 3 Large deseeded and chopped
Green Chilies : 8-10 medium chopped
cumin seeds/jeera : 1 teaspoon
Tamarind Extract : 1 teaspoon / size of a small lemon
Turmeric : 1/2 teaspoon
Garlic Cloves : 4 peeled 

Oil : 1 teaspoon 
Salt to taste

For Tempering:

Chana Dal/ Senagapappu : 1/2 teaspoon
Urad dal/Minappappu : 1/2 teaspoon
Mustard Seeds/ Aavalu : 1/2 teaspoon
Curry leaves : 1 sprig

Method:

Heat oil in a pan add chopped red pepper pieces, green chilies, turmeric, cumin seeds and salt.

Sauté for 8-10 minutes on high until the pieces are cooked well but they still need to be crisp.

Let it cool off, add this mixture, tamarind and garlic cloves to a blender. Pulse it for couple of times. The chutney cannot be really soft, let it be a little coarse.

Heat oil in a small pan and add all the ingredients listed under for tempering and fry them for 2 minutes until the seeds are splattered.

Add this tempering to the chutney. Mix well.

Serve with rice, Roti or dosa.

Kothimera rasam/Coriander Rasam

I love rasam with rice or just to drink as soup. So, I keep trying out different ingredients to make the rasam interesting.

I have a lot of cilantro/ coriander leaves on hand, so the idea of making this rasam came into my mind. It turned out well and kids loved it.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes 

Cook Time: 20 minutes 

Serves : 4-5

Ingredients:

Cumin Seeds / Jeera : 1 teaspoon 

Dry Red chilies : 2 broken in half

Coriander powder : 1 teaspoon 

Garlic : 10 cloves crushed

Tomatoes: 3 small chopped
Asafoetida/ hing : 1/2 teaspoon
Tamarind Extract : 2 teaspoons or a small lemon size
Chili powder : 1 teaspoon
Fresh ground pepper : 1 teaspoon
Sugar : 1 teaspoon
Turmeric : 1/2 teaspoon
Water : 4 cups (250 ml each)
Oil : 1 tablespoon
Curry leaves : 1 sprig
Cilantro/Coriander Leaves : 1 small bunch chopped

Salt to taste

Method:

Take the Garlic cloves, peel the skins off and crush them in a mortar pestle.

Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, dry red chilies and hing. Fry until the seeds splatter, about 45 seconds. add coriander powder and crushed garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.

add chopped tomatoes and cook until they turn mushy. Add water, tamarind extract, turmeric, curry leaves, salt, pepper, chili powder and sugar. Bring it to a boil and let the rasam boil for 3-4 minutes. Add cilantro/coriander leaves and turn off the stove.

Serve hot with rice.