Sri Rama Navami Wishes

Sri Rama Navami Wishes

 

Rama Navami is the day on which Lord Rama, the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu, incarnated in human  form in the land of Ayodhya. He is the ardha ansh of Vishnu or has half the divinitive qualities of Lord Vishnu. The word “Rama” literally means one who is divinely blissful and who gives joy to others, and one in whom the sages rejoice.

Ram Navami falls on the ninth day of the bright fortnight in the month of Chaitra (March/April) and coincides with Vasant Navratri or Chait Durga Puja. Therefore in some regions, the festival is spread over nine days. This day, marking the birthday of Lord Rama, is also observed as the marriage day of Rama and Sita and thus also referred to as Kalyanotsavam.

For this festival we prepare Panakam(Telugu)/Panaka(Hindi) sweet drink prepared with jaggery and flavored with dry ginger powder, cardamom and black pepper. We also prepare Vada Pappu (yellow moong dal) as naivedyam or prasadam to Lord Sri Rama.

Panakam/Panaka Recipe 

Ingredients:
     2 tbsp grated jaggery
     1 cup water
      1/4 tbsp dry ginger powder
     1 or 2 crushed cardamom
     1/4 tbsp black pepper powder
Preparation:
1. Mix jaggery in water and let it dissolve completely. If required filter mixed water.
2. Add black pepper powder, crushed cardamom, ginger powder and mix well.

Vada pappu is split yellow moong dal (2 tbsp) (pesara pappu) soaked in water for half an hour and strained. Mix 1/2 tbsp jaggery with soaked moong dal.

Fruits Salad Recipe

Fruits Salad Recipe

Fruit salad is a dish consisting of various kinds of fruit, served either in their own juices or a syrup. In different forms fruit salad can be served as an appetizer, a side-salad, or a dessert. When served as an appetizer or as a dessert, a fruit salad is also known as a fruit cocktail.

Fruits salads can be taken as an in-between meal or together with your breakfast. Fruits help digestion because they are rich in fiber, which you need to keep a healthy digestive system.

Amongst the vitamins and mineral that fruit salad gives are:

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Fiber
• Potassium
• Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)
• Folate
• Vitamin B3 (niacin), etc.,

Fighter of diseases: 

The diseases that fruits salad helps prevent or fights are:

• Obesity
• high blood pressure
• joint inflammatin
• Some cancers
• allergies
• heart disease
• stroke
• type 2 diabetes and so on and so on.

Fruit salads have natural sugars:
The difference between fruit sugar and processed sugar, is simple: fruits have natural sugars and nutrient-dense while added sugar in processed food is calorie dense.

However, there are a number of home recipes for fruit salad that contain different kinds of fruit, or that use a different kind of sauce other than the fruit's own juice or syrup.

Here is the Fruit Salad Recipe:

Ingredients
1 Apple
1 Pear
1 Orange
15-20 count seedless Grapes (red and/or green)
1/2 Medium size Cantaloupe
1 Banana
1 1/2 Cups Mango pulp
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup honey
1 cup milk

Preparation:

1. Wash fruits.
 

2. Peel and cut small pieces Apple, Cantaloupe, orange, banana.
 

3. Cut small peices pear, grapes.
 

4. Take a bowl mix all fruits, mango pulp, sugar, honey, milk and mix well.

5. If the fruit salad is going to be serve within an hour of making it, you can put in the banana (add last). Or, put the banana in just before serving it. Otherwise banana will be turn brown.


6. Keep in the refrigerator for an hour.
 

7. You can serve top it up ice cream (or) just have it plain. Choice is yours. Enjoy!!!

Ugadi Wishes - Ugadi Subhakanshalu

Sri Vikrutinama Samvatsara Ugadi Subhakanshalu 

Ugadi is celebrated as New Year Day in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. The name Ugadi is derived from the name "Yuga Adi", which means 'the beginning of a new age'. It is celebrated on the first day of the Hindu month Chaitra, which marks the onset of spring. It is believed that Lord Brahma, the creator according to Hindu mythology, began creation on this day. Preparations begin well ahead of the festival. Houses are given a thorough cleaning, people don new clothes and special dishes are prepared.

Ugadi,  also known as Yugadi, is the Telugu New year and Kannada New year. Ugadi 2010 date is March 16. Ugadi or Yugadi means the beginning of an era. Hindus in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka celebrate their New Year as Ugadi whereas the people of Maharashtra celebrate it as Gudi Padwa. In Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka on Ugadhi day Ugadi Pachadi is prepared and distributed among the people. This festival is also celebrated as Cheti Chand or Sindhi New year.


Ugadi Pachchadi is the special recipe prepared on Ugadi day in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. This recipe signifies the combination of every aspect of life. Ugadi Panchanga Shravanam is done on Ugadi. Astrology predictions and yearly horoscopes are told by Brahmins on this day to common people.

• Neem Buds/Flowers for bitterness
• Raw Mango for tang
• Tamarind Juice for sourness
• Green Chilli/Pepper for heat
• Jaggery and ripe banana pieces for sweetness
• Pinch of Salt for saltiness

This mixture with all six tastes (షడ్రుచులు) , called Yugadi Pachhadi  (ఉగాది పచ్చడి) in Telugu and Bevu-Bella in Kannada, symbolizes the fact that life is a mixture of different experiences (sadness, happiness, anger, fear, disgust, surprise) , which should be accepted together and with equanimity.

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I hope this Ugadi will bring cheer, prosperity and peace in your life. Let us pray that we gain enough strength to accept the highs and lows of life with equanimity.

- Srilaja Kanth

Carrot Pickle Recipe

Carrot Pickle / Gajar Ka Achaar Recipe

Ingredients
2 Cups Carrot pieces
4 tbsp Red Chilli powder

Salt to taste (or) 2 tbsp Salt

1/4 tbsp turmeric powder

Sufficient Oil (or) 1/2 cup oil

1/4 tbsp Lemon juice

1 tbsp Sliced Garlic (or) Minced Garlic

Roast & Powder

1 tbsp Mustard seeds

1/2 tbsp Methi seeds (or) Fenugreek seeds

Tempering

1/4 tbsp mustard seeds

1/4 cumin seeds

2 red chillis

4/5 curry leaves

Preparation:

1. Peel and wash carrots, cut into small pieces.

2. Roast Mustard and Methi/Fenugreek seeds, make a powder.

3. Mix well carrots, red chilli powder, salt, turmeric powder, garlic, lemon juice, oil and mustard & methi powder.

4. Tempare 1/4 tbsp mustard seeds, 1/4 tbsp cumin seeds, 2 red chillis, 4/5 curry leaves with 1 tbps oil.

5. Mix and keep it aside overnight. Next day put it in Jar and store in Fridge.

Hint: Use dry spoon on jar otherwise Pickle will be bad.

Jalebi Sweet Recipe

Jalebi Sweet Recipe

Ingredients

Jalebi batter

1 cup all purpose flour (maida)

1/3 cup of corn starch

1 tbsp basen powder

sufficient curd

1 tbsp sugar

Pinch of food color

Oil for deep fry

Syrup:

2 cups sugar

1 cup water

1/4 tbsp Cardamom powder

1 tbsp lemon juice

Preparation:

Jalebi batter

1. Mix yogurt, all purpose flour, corn starch, basen powder, sugar to a paste. Keep it overnight to ferment.

2. After fermentation add pinch of food color, pinch of baking soda and mix well.

Syrup

3. Take a bowl 1 cup water add 2 cups sugar, lemon juice mix well. Heat to a boil on medium heat. Keep cooking, you should get a single thread consistency sugar syrup. Add Cardamom powder to syrup.

4. Heat oil on wide pan for deep frying.

5. Take a ketchup bottle or polythene ziplock bag, cut the corner. Put jalebi batter in the bottle/bag. Gradually swirl the batter outward in a circular motion about 2" to 3" round.

6. Deep fry them both sides until they are golden and crisp all over but not brown.

7. Take out from fryer and keep on kitchen paper/towel to remove excess oil.

8. Place Jalebi in the warm syrup 2 or 3 min on both sides.

9. Server on hot.

Pav Bhaji Recipe

Pav Bhaji Recipe

Ingredients

1 Medium size Potato - small pieces

2 Medium size Tomato - small pieces

1 Medium size Carrot - small pieces

2 tbsp Green peas

5 or 6 Green beans - small pieces

2 tbsp chopped onions

3 or 4 Green Chillis - Finely chopped

1 tbsp finely chopped Coriander leaves

Small cube or 2 tbsp Butter

1/4 tbsp of Garam Masala

1 tbsp Pav Bhaji Masala

Salt to taste

1 tbsp Ginger & Garlic paste

1/4 tbsp Red chilli powder

1 tbsp Oil or Ghee

Preparation:

1. Heat Oil or Ghee on Pan/Cooker on medium heat. Fry chopped onions and green chllis till the brown color, add giger & garlic paste, green peas, carrot, green beans and fry 1 min then add potato fry 1 min, then add tomato, red chilli powder, salt mix well on medium heat.

2. If its a cooker, keep for 4 to 5 whistle. if its a Pan, stir and mash for 8 to 10 minutes.

3. Once its done sprinke Garam masala, pav bhaji masala, finely chopped coriander leaves. Mix well and add butter on top.

4. Fry Bun halves with ghee.

5. Server with chopped onions with lemon wedges.

Holi wishes