Satyavaan Saavitri

Saavithri the daughter of King Asvapathi was a very beautiful & intelligent girl.  She was born to the king after his dedicated prayers & devotion to the goddess. Once she set on a pilgrimage. On the way  in a forest she met a young man who lived with his blind parents. The blind father was king Dyumatsena who lost his kingdom and was forced to live in exile in the forest with his wife and son Satyavaan.

Saavitri decided to marry satyavaan seeing his devotion towards his parents. But Devrishi Narad interferes and tells savitri and her parents that Satyavaan was going to die in a year. Saavithri stood by her decision and finally got married to Satyavaan and went to live with him in the forest by supporting him in serving the old parents. Everyday Satyavaan collected wood from the forest, sold it & earned the bread for his family. Saavitri prayed to goddess regularly.Months rolled and the D-day came. Saavitri observed severe fast that day and requested Satyavaan to take her along with him and so both of them went in search of wooden logs.

After sometime, satyavan felt tired and decided to lie down with his head on the lap of his wife savitri. Suddenly, he felt breathlessness and saavitri kept praying to the goddess. She saw yama approaching them.

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Yamaa is the god of dharma. He carried the soul of satyavaan and was about to leave towards his abode, when savitri saluted him and requested him to leave her husband's soul back to his body. But Yamaa being the god of dharmaa said that he was carrying out his duty as assigned to him hence he could not give the soul of satyavan back and carried on his journey. Saavitri followed him. When yama anoitced her coming behind, he said "child, you cannot come with me. as your time has not yet come. go back to your home" but saavitri refused to go back to her parents-in-law's place without her husband and continued following him.

Yamaa got impressed with the speech of saavitri and her dedication in getting her husband's life back, offered to grant a boon to her. to ask anything except the life of satyavaan. So for the first boon, Saavitri requests that her parents-in-law get good eyesight with a healthy life. Yama granted that boon and again carried on with his journey. Saavitri again followed him.

When yamaa turned back, savitri saluted and praised him. Yamaa pleased with her devotion, offered to grant second boon. This time saavitri requested that the kingdom lost by her parents-in-law be restored to them. Yamaa granted that boon, told her not to follow and again carried on. But saavitri, never gave up and again started to follow him.

Yamaa decided to offer her the last & final boon & tell her to ask for anything except satyavaan's life and that she should not follow him after this final boon. Saavitri requested him to bless her 'to have children with long life'. Yamaa granted her the final boon saying 'so be it' thinking that saavitri will now go away. 

But intelligent savitri again followed him. Yamaa turned back and said "child when I granted the final boon, I told you not to follow me anymore" to which Saavitri replied, "Oh the king of Dharmaa, you have granted me a boon to have children. But how can I have children without my husband?". Hearing this Yamaa realised the effect of the boon he had granted, not wanting to go back in his words, he finally impressed by the intelligence of Saavitri, grants the life of Satyavaan back and bless them with long, healthy & happy life and vanish.

The day in which saavitri kept her vrath (fasting) is observed as 'Karadayan Nonbu' during which day, the married women (for the well being of their husbands) and Unmarried girls (to get a good husband) prays to goddess observing fast, preparing special offerings and pooja. 

Satyavaan's soul enters his body back and his love for his beloved wife increased many times. They return to the forest to see their parents who got their vision back. Their kingdom was restored to them and they lived happily ever after with their children.

sharing the sweet and salt adsi neivedhyam. picture

Pulissery

Pulissery is made using buttermilk flavoured with fruits viz., Ripe Mango, Ripe Banana speically the big kerala banana which is also known as 'Nendra pazham'. You can also replace it will normal ripe banana. It is such a lovely toungue tickler tasting slightly sour, sweet, spicy which will leave you crave for more, more and more.............

Here I am sharing the 'Pazha Pulissery'.

Ingridients :-

1. Butter Milk - 1 cup
2. Banana roundels - 1 & 1/2  cup
3. Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
4. Green chillies - 3 nos
5. Peppercorns - 1 tsp
6. Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
7. Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
8. Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
9. Salt to taste
10. Sugar - 1 heaped tsp (or to taste)
11. Oil for tempering - 1 & 1/2 tbsp

Tempering :-

1. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
2. Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Procedure :-

• Boil banana pieces adding 2 and 1/2 tea cups of water, salt and turmeric powder. Once cooked, remove 3/4th quantity of banana pieces and let it cool.
• Roast Fenugreek (methi) seeds till they turn light brown in colour, powder it using the grinding stone (or prepare it in large quantity & store in air tight container to use in khadis & other preparations)
• Grind coconut, Cumin seeds, Green Chillies, Peppercorns together adding water to a nice paste.
• Add this paste to the remaining water  with banana pieces.
• Grind the cooled banana pieces to a nice paste and add it to the masala mixture, heat it adding sugar (adjust the sugar as per your taste)
• when it starts boiling, add the buttermilk & cook on low flame
• When foam forms on top, remove from flame and temper with mustard seeds & curry leaves.
• Sprinkle the roasted fenugreek's powder on top, mix well.

Goes well with rice, roti, dosai
I used coconut oil to get that authentic flavour
Grinding the fruit will allow the aroma blend well with the gravy & enhance its flavour.

Enjoy the fruity gravy dish.

Lemon Rice

Another Variety Rice - easy to make, colourful with a lemon flavour.

Ingridients :-

1. Cooked Rice - 1 Cup
2. Oil  - 5 tsp
3. Mustard - 1/2 tsp
4. Urad - 1/2 tsp
5. Channa Dal - 1/2 tsp
6. Asafoetida - 1 pinch (less than 1/4 tsp)
7. Curry Leaves - 1 sprig
8. Green Chillies - 2 Nos. or as preferred - finely chopped
9. Ginger - 1/2" piece - finely chopped
10. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
11. Salt to taste
12. Lemon juice - 1/2 lemon

Procedure :-

Video recipe is available here :- 

• Chop ginger & green chillies finely.
• Heat oil in a wok, add mustard seeds
• When they start spluttering, add the dals. [I usually try to bring variations by using both the dals, or any one of the dals]
• Switch off the gas.
• Now add turmeric power, asafoetida powder.
• After the dal turns golden brow, add the chopped ginger & green chilli and curry leaves.
• Add and salt 
• Now Add the cooked rice and mix gently.
• Squeeze in juice of half a lemon and gently mix.
• Tasty & flavourful Lemon Rice is ready!

Seviyan Kheer / Semia Paayasam

Today made semiya kheer after a long time on my hubby's demand. As both of us prefer to have it with just cardamom flavour, I avoid garnishing with cashews or raisins. 

TIPS : cooking with patience & dedication will enhance the flavour & taste of the food. Kheer is one such thing where milk is boiled and reduced in the traditional way though it requires little labour.

Semiya Paayasam / Seviyan Kheer

Ingridients :-

1. Milk - 1.5 litres
2. Semiya - 1 cup
3. Ghee - 1 tbsp
4. Cardamom - 3 nos.
5. Sugar - 6 laddles

this is the laddle (standard one for serving gravies like sambar)  I used to measure the sugar.

Procedure :-

• powder the cardamom & keep it aside
• Heat a wok, add ghee and roast the semiya till they turn golden colour.
• Add 3/4th cup of water, a pinch of salt, cover and cook till they are done. (I use drying method  & keep them covered for another 10 minutes after I put off the flame).
• Boil milk and reduce it to 3/4th by cooking on slow flame stirring continuously.
• When milk is done, add the boiled semiya and cook for another 5 minutes
• Add the sugar and stir in till it dissolves.
• remove from flame, add the cardamom powder and mix well
• Delicious semiya paaysam is ready

Optional Tips :

1. You can fry cashews and raisin in ghee separately till they turn golden in colur and add it last to the kheer / paayasam
2. To save your time and labour  you can pressure cook the milk for 20 minutes after pressure is built inside,  in low flame by putting a heavy spoon or katori (bowl) inside the milk,and continue with the process of adding semiya, sugar and cardamom powder as above.
3. Use a wooden spatula to stir the milk which will prevent the sound & scratches to the vessel during that process.