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புனிதமாய் தொடங்கிய பயணம்
கள்வரால் கவரமுடியா கல்வி
பள்ளி என்னும் கடைகளில்
சொப்பனமாய் விற்பனைக்கு
பகல் கொள்ளையர்களால் சிலருக்கு எட்டாக் கனியானது
சுகமான கல்வி சுமையானது
இளம்பருவம் போட்டியினால் புதைந்துபோனது
ஆடும் தெய்வம் வகுப்பறையில் சிலையானது
பாடும் தெய்வம் மனப்பாடத்தில்  மூழ்கிப் போனது

Rava Uppuma / Upma / Uppit

The most common and easy to make tiffin variety, comes handy when you have unannounced guests . Uppuma or upma is a tiffin variety made of Broken wheat called rava / sooji, onions, spices and herbs.

In every household, this dish is prepared in different methods using different measures of the ingredients, which gives it an unique taste and texture.

Two important thing to get a perfect looking upma is Roasted Rave and Ratio of water to Rava.

Quantity of water is very important in upma making otherwise it will turn into paste. So right measure will give right consistency. 

Ingridients :-

1. Rava - 1 Cup (roasted)
2. Water - 2.5 cups
3. Salt to taste
4. Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
5. Onions - 1 no.
6. Ginger - 1/2" piece
7. Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp (optional)
8. Green chillies - 2 nos or as per taste
9. Oil - 3 tbsp
10. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
11. Channa dhal - 1/2 tsp

Procedure

• If you are not using roasted rava then Roast 1 cup rava till it lets out a good aroma. spread on a paper and let it cool.
• Chop onions, green chillies, ginger and coriander leaves
• Heat oil in a wok, add  mustard seeds. When they start spluttering, add channa dal and roast till it turns into golden colour.
• Add ginger, green chillies, curry leaves and chopped onion, saute till onion becomes translucent.
• Add coriander leaves, salt to taste and 2.5 cups of water, mix well, cover and cook for 2 minutes.(this is to let the flavour blend with water)

• Now open the lid and slowly add the roasted rava little by little and stirring simultaneously to prevent lumps and let is boil.
• When the water on top has dried and you see only bubbles coming out of holes, put off the flame and keep it covered for 10 minutes.
• Hot and delicious upma is ready! When you scoop you can see each granule is visible & cooked well. Put in your mouth & relish the delicious upma that is cooked perfectly.

PS: Texture of rava is as per one's preference. If you like it to be crumbled and dry then use 2 cups of water.

Misal (Misal Pav)

Misal with pav is a famous Maharashtrian dish which can be had as a breakfast or as a snack or a evening tiffin. The pav bread gives a filled up feeling like pav baji.  Farsan (mixture) is added to the prepared ras (gravy liquid), garnished with coriander leaves & finely chopped onions and served along with a bread called Pav.

I have shared two photos.. One with simple farsan (sev and ghatia mix) with boiled potatoes and the second one is with tempered potato and mix farsan.

The tempered potato and mix farsan version I had tasted good so sharing that version as well with you.

Ingredients :-

1. Dried yellow peas (Vatana) - 1/2 cup
2. Onion (Sliced) - 1 No.
3. Onion (finely chopped) - 1 no. (for garnishing)
4. Tomato (finely chopped) - 1 No.
5. Cloves - 3 Nos.
6. Pepper - 1/2 tsp
7. Red chilli - 4 to 5 Nos. (or as preferred)*
8. Cinnamon - 1" stick
9. Dry coconut grated - 2 tbsp
10. Garlic pods - 2 big
11. Farsan (mixture)- 1 cup
12. Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp
13. Oil
14. Water - 2.5 cups 
15. Salt to taste
16. Kandha Lasun masala powder - 2 tsp (optional)-a spicy masala powder.
17. Pav Bread or plain bread slices

* I used kashmiri chillies along with the normal red chilli to add colour to the ras. Kashmiri chilli powder or deggi mirchi powder can also be used.

Procedure :-

• Soak dried yellow peas (Vatana) overnight or for 6 hours, pressure cook adding little salt & keep ready.
• In a kadai, dry roast the grated dry coconut till golden colour. transfer to a plate and allow it to cool.
• In a blender grind coarsely - garlic,  pepper, cinnamon, cloves and dried red chillies.

• Heat oil, add the crushed masala, saute for 15 seconds. Add sliced onions and saute till onion turns golden brown, let it cool.

• In a blender grind together the fried onion masala mixture + tomato + roasted coconut to a smooth paste. (If required add little water to grind).
• Heat 3 tbsp oil, add the ground masala paste and saute well. Cover & cook with stirring in between, till oil oozes out.
• Now add water, salt, cover and cook till oil floats on top (approx. 5 minutes)

Now the "Ras" is ready!

You can use boiled potato as it is or you can give a tadka of mustard, curry leaves and potato with salt, lightly mashed... and use it while serving.

Now comes the interesting presentation for serving.

with plain boiled potato and simple farsan

with mix farsan and tempeted potato

Making the bowl of Misal:-

• In a small shallow plate or a wide mouthed bowl, first put 2 tbsp of pressure cooked vatana.
• Add a spoon of boiled potato or the tempered potato
• Sprinkle some Farsan (mixture)
• Over that sprinkle the finely chopped onion
• Pour the Ras over it
• Sprinkle the finley chopped coriander leaves (optional).
• On another small bowl pour some Ras for additional helping.

Serving :-

• On a plate place plain pav or pav toasted in butter, a bowl of Misal & the additonal serving of ras and serve.

Enjoy the Mumbai's 'home made' street food  :-)

Thiruvaadirai Festival

Thiruvaadirai (Tamizh) or Thiruvaadira (malayalam) festival is celebrated in the Tamizh Month of Maargazhi (Dhanur month of Malayalam calendar) on a full moon day when the 'Thiruvadirai' nakshatram falls. This festival is celebrated with prayers, Pooja and offerings to God Shiva in the form of Nataraja (The divine cosmic dance posture of God Shiva).

This is the day God Shiva blessed Rishi Patanjali and Vyakrapadhar with the sight of his cosmic dance.

A historical info says that on this day once when God Narayana lying on Adisesha, was meditating on Sri Shiva, suddenly his weight increased. Adisesha felt the sudden rise of weight and politely asked Sri. Narayana, the reason for this. Sri. Narayana said that he was experiencing the cosmic dance of shiva and was feeling blissful which was the reason for increase in the weight. Adisesha got curious when Sri. Vishnu described the cosmic dance of Sri. Shiva. Adisesha was mesmerised and requested Sri Vishnu to bless him to see the cosmic dance. on his guidance, adisesha, took avatar in earth as a son to a divine couple and was known as Patanjali. He went to Chidambaram and did penance. Rishi Vyakrapadha also joined him and both of them were blessed with the sight of that divine cosmic dance on this day.

In all shiva shrines in Tamizh Nadu special poojas are conducted very early in the morning and the murti of Lord Nataraja decorated beautifully, taken in procession (Aarudra Darisanam) inside the temple.

Thumba (white colour) flower is very auspicious on this day to Lord Shiva. This flower is also used in Indian Medicines. Very good if taken along with honey. I remember collecting the thumba flower early foggy morning  of Marghazi Month during my teen days to offer to Lord Shiva on thiruvadira day. It will be a nice sight to see these white flowers in a foggy morning.

In Kerala it is celebrated on the full moon day (thiruvadira star) in dhanur masam (month). Kanji (porridge) using Koovai (arrowroot) powder is made & offered to Lord Shiva. Ladies dress in the traditional kasavu or mundu, a lamp is lit (nilavilakku), ladies forms a circle around it and play the 'kai kottu kali'-a beautiful dance moving clockwise and anticlockwise directions uniformly in the circle moving their hands with grace. The  dance, music, chenda etc on the background is a feast to eyes and ears.

A kai koti kali song

and a video showing the graceful  kai kotti kali. thiruvadira dance

It is a ladies festival in Kerala, they get up early in the morning have bath. On thiruvaadira day, they avoid eating rice, hence koova kanji & fruits are taken. It is a fasting (nonbu / vratham).

In Tamizh Nadu, the traditional offerings to god are Kali (sweet) & Kootu (spicy & salty mixed vegetable curry). The making of kali & kootu differs in every household and so are the tastes, the best in their own way.

History of Thiruvadirai Kali Offering :-

once there lived a wood cutter called "Sendhanar" near Chidambaram in Tamizh Nadu.  He was an ardent devotee of God Shiva. Everyday he sold the cut firewood, bought rice, offered food to a shiva devotee only then, he and his wife consumed food for that day.

one day it rained heavily. He couldn't sell his firewood. hence no money to buy rice. but they had broken grains at home. He told his wife to prepare an offering with the available things.

His wife prepared a dish called Kali which is a mix of that broken grain, jaggery and coconut. Also a salty side dish gravy was prepared by her with a mix of native vegetables.  She had also boiled few sweet potatoes and they waited for a shiva devotee to arrive.

God Shiva was moved by their devotion and simplicity. He took the form of a shiva devotee and visited Sendhanar's  residence. the couples happily received him and offered the feast to him. Shiva enjoyed that humble hospitality and the simple yet delicious feast. He asked them to pack the kali for him. They happily did so. Shiva in disguise took that parcel and took leave.

Next morning, when the priests opened the sanctum sanctorum of Chidambaram temple they were surprised to see Kali spilt on the floor near the deity and also saw traces of kali on the lips of the deity. They approached the king and narrated this.

As God Shiva had already narrated to the king in his dream about the feast he had at Sendhanar's place, the king immediately sent people to find and bring Sendhanar.

All of them assembled in the temple and tried to pull the temple chariot as part of a temple celebration.  Due to rains, the path was muddy and the chariot wheels got stuck in the mud, hence didn't move. Everyone tried to pull hard the chariot. The king with his people also joined in chariot pulling but the wheels didn't move even an inch.

Suddenly, a divine voice from the heaven asked Sendhanar to sing verses on God Shiva, only then the chariot will move. Sendhar said he neither  was educated nor  talented to sing even a verse on the God. So the god blessed him with a starting line and told him to continue. with that divine blessings Sendhanar sang 13 verses on God Shiva. The chariot started moving. Everyone present there,  the king, ministers, priests, commons, all bowed to Sendhanar for his devotion.

Hence, this sweet dish called kali is made and offered to God Shiva on Thiruvadirai day remembering this divine history of Sendhanar. 

May Lord Shiva - the destroyer of evil, bless you all with good health & peaceful life and a blissful inner awakening.

Om Namashivaya

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