Delicious Delicacies To Celebrate Chitra Pournami At Home

Delicious Delicacies To Celebrate Chitra Pournami At Home

Chitra Pournami is celebrated on the full moon day of the Tamil month of Chithirai. It is dedicated to Chitragupta, the divine accountant who assists Yama, the god of death, in maintaining records of human deeds. Devotees believe that worshipping Chitragupta on this day can absolve them of their sins and grant them a place in heaven. Here are some delicious delicacies to celebrate Chitra Pournami at home :

1.Vellai Pongal

Vellai Pongal is traditionally made without salt specifically for Chitra Pournami. Dry roast equal parts of rice and moong dal until they release a nutty aroma. Wash and cook them together with turmeric water in a pressure cooker for three whistles. In a separate pan, add ghee, cashew nuts, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, ginger, and curry leaves. Fry for about three minutes. Pour this tempering over the cooked mixture. Serve hot with a dollop of ghee on top.

vellai-pongal

2.Vazhaipazham Rava Kesari

Roast semolina (rava) in ghee until it turns golden brown. Gradually add water or milk to form a thick, smooth mixture. Mash ripe bananas and make a coarse puree. Then, add the puree, a generous amount of sugar and continue stirring to avoid sticking to the pan. Next, add crushed cardamom pods and raisins. Garnish with roasted cashews and serve hot.

vazhaipazham-rava-kesari

3.Sweet Pidi Kozhukattai

“Pidi” means “to hold” in Tamil. Pidi Kozhukattai is basically a South Indian steamed dumpling. A dough is made from rice flour, jaggery, ghee, grated coconut flakes, and cardamom powder. Shape the dough by hand into small ovals and pinch to create ridges using your fingers. Steam the dough until it is fully cooked through.

sweet-pidi-kozhukattai

4.Sundal

Sundal is a traditional protein-packed snack made either with chickpeas or black-eyed peas. Soak and boil the legumes until they turn tender. In a pan, saute mustard seeds, curry leaves, grated coconut, and dried red chillies with oil. Add the cooked legumes and stir well for about two minutes.

sundal

5.Medhu Vadai

It is a popular and loved South Indian delicacy. Soak urad dal for several hours and then grind it into a smooth paste. Mix it with finely diced onions, green chilies, curry leaves, and chopped ginger to form a batter. Shape it into patties with a hole in the center. Deep fry in oil until it turns a light golden brown. Drain the excess oil and serve alongside coconut chutney.

medhu-vadai

6.Panagam

Melt some jaggery and dissolve it in water completely. Then, add cardamom powder, dry ginger powder, and salt. You could incorporate fresh lemon juice for an extra tangy taste. Stir the mixture continuously to blend all the flavors. Garnish with tulsi leaves and serve chilled for a refreshing taste.

panagam

7.Murukku

Murukku is a mandatory South Indian snack in every household. It varies in size, shape, and flavor depending on regional preferences and family recipes. The dough comprises rice flour, urad dal flour, salt, water, and cumin seeds. Knead it to the right consistency and shape it into the desired pattern using a murukku press. Deep-fry the shaped dough until it turns golden brown. Drain the excess oil and serve hot.

murukku

8.Mango Pachadi

Peel and chop raw mangoes into small pieces. Cook the mango pieces in hot water until they become tender. Melt jaggery in a little water and strain to remove coarse particles. Add the jaggery syrup along with salt and turmeric powder to the cooked mangoes and mix well. In a separate pan, heat oil and add mustard seeds, dried red chilies, and curry leaves to make a tempering. Pour it over the mango mixture.

mango-pachadi

9.Neer Mor

Whisk the yogurt until creamy, and then dilute it with an equal or greater amount of water. Season with salt, finely chopped ginger, green chilies, and fresh curry leaves. Mix well to incorporate the flavors. Additionally, a tempering of mustard seeds and asafetida could also be added. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve chilled.

neer-mor

10.Thalagam

The dish includes a combination of seasonal vegetables such as pumpkin, sweet potatoes, beans, and eggplant. Saute the vegetables in a tamarind extract. Make a paste from roasted sesame seeds, coconut, coriander, and cumin seeds. Keep stirring until it thickens and the vegetables become soft. Season with mustard seeds, curry leaves, and asafoetida. It is often served hot with rice.

thalagam

11.Sakkarai Pongal

Roast moong dal and rice together until it emits a nutty aroma. Then, cook them in water until soft. In a separate pan, melt jaggery using a little water to form a syrup. Add the syrup to the cooked mixture. Then, add ghee, cardamom powder, toasted cashews, and raisins to this. Continue cooking until the mixture achieves a consistency similar to pudding.

sakkarai-pongal

12.Lemon Rice

Cook rice first in the pressure cooker. Make a tempering by heating oil and adding mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal, dried red chilies, green chilies, curry leaves, and asafoetida. Pour this seasoning onto the rice. Extract freshly squeezed lemon juice and add it to the rice. Mix well so that it gets coated evenly. Garnish with toasted peanuts and serve with pickles.

lemon-rice

13.Kadambam Sadham

Saute mustard seeds, curry leaves, coriander seeds, and dry red chilies in hot oil to create a base. Then, add various vegetables like carrots, beans, peas, and potatoes, along with soaked toor dal. Cook on low flame until it turns mushy. Create a spice blend comprising coriander powder, turmeric, cumin, and grated coconut. Fold in the cooked rice and spice blend into the vegetables. Stir well to blend all flavors.

kadambam-sadham

14.Tamarind Rice

Cook the rice separately first. In a pan, heat oil and add mustard seeds, dried red chilies, chana dal, urad dal, peanuts, and curry leaves. Once the mustard seeds pop, add tamarind extract, turmeric, asafoetida, salt, and a bit of jaggery. Keep stirring until the mixture thickens. Then, add the cooked rice and mix well. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

tamarind-rice

15.Adhirasam

It is a typical South Indian sweet made during festivals like Diwali. The dough comprises rice flour, jaggery, and cardamom seeds. Shape them into flat palm-size circles and deep-fry them until they turn a golden brown, developing a crispy exterior while maintaining a tender, fall-apart interior. Let it cool before serving.

adhirasam

16.Urulai Kizhangu Poriyal

Peel, dice, and parboil the potatoes until they are slightly tender. In a hot pan,saute mustard seeds, urad dal, and curry leaves. Then, add sliced onions and cook till they caramelize. Next, parboiled potatoes are added, along with turmeric powder, red chili powder, and salt. The mixture is stir-fried until the potatoes are coated with the spices and turn crispy on the edges.

urulai-kizhangu-poriyal

17.Coconut Rice

Rinse the rice and then combine it in a pot with coconut milk, water, and salt. Add curry leaves, urad dal, cashews, mustard seeds, and toasted coconut. Bring the mixture to a boil and cover and cook until the rice has fully absorbed the milk. This process usually takes around twenty minutes. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves on top.

coconut-rice

18.Paruppu Payasam

Cook split channa dal in water until tender. In a separate pan, combine coconut milk and jaggery, mixing well. Then, incorporate the cooked dal and stir thoroughly to blend. Simmer for four minutes until it thickens. Optionally, add a pinch of cardamom powder for flavor enhancement. Garnish with dry fruits and nuts roasted in ghee.

paruppu-payasam

19.Puli Aviyal

Cut a variety of mixed vegetables such as carrots, beans, drumsticks, plantains, and eggplants, into uniform pieces and cook until soft. A paste of fresh grated coconut, cumin seeds, green chilies, and turmeric is then added to the vegetables along with a generous amount of tamarind extract. Simmer this mixture for about five minutes. Temper it with mustard seeds, dried red chilies, and curry leaves in coconut oil.

puli-aviyal

20.Curd Rice

You can utilize freshly cooked or leftover rice and let it cool to room temperature. Add plain yogurt to the rice and mix well until the rice is evenly coated. For seasoning, heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, urad dal, finely chopped green chilies, ginger, and curry leaves. Pour this tempering over the rice, and mix. Optionally, garnish with chopped coriander leaves, pomegranate seeds, or shredded carrots.

curd-rice