Iyer Aathu Vathakuzhambu and Iyengar Aathu puliyodharai are very famous for their taste and flavour. I was doing my office work since saturday afternoon which stretched till sunday afternoon, this stressed me out and wanted some kinda relaxation.
Amma was asking me what i wanted for lunch. It just stuck what if i have Vathakuzhambu & Suttaplam rather than some complicated cooking. I also wanted some stress buster. I informed Amma that i will prepare Vathakuzhambu & Suttaplam for lunch. My decision was very much welcomed by her and she immediately rushed out of the kitchen.
Cooking has always been my favorite time-pass. My friend and I used to cook sumptuous meals when we were in Bangalore. I would consist of proper Iyer aathu recipe starting from a poriyal, Sambar, Rasam, Thayir (curd) and pickle. And not to boast people say the Rasam prepared by him and Vathakuzhambu prepared by me tastes very good.
The best counterpart for Vathakuzhambu is suttapplam ie it will not be fried in oil but will just be heated over flame.
It goes very well with hot rice with ghee or Sesame Oil. Also one of the best side dish for curd rice.
This is how i prepared it..........
Ingredients used:
Manathakali & Sundakai Vathal
kadalai parupu
Vendhiyam
kadugu
perungayam
Sesame oil
sambar powder & salt
Jaggery
rice flour
Karuvepilai
turmeric powder
Red chillies
Before this the main requirement is the tamarind water. I use 200ml of for tamarind water for 1 person. we were two of us so 400ml of tamarind water.
Preparation Method:
Take a vaanali and fry the vendhiyam till golden brown. (the aroma u get wud make u feel good)
Now put kadugu, red chillies, Karuvepilai, kadalai parupu and perungayam and use Sesame oil for thalichifying
it. when the thalipu
is ready pour the tamarind water, roasted vendhiyam
and allow it to boil for a few mins
.
Add Sambar powder and salt as required, you can also add salt later so that you can store it for future use.
while it boils add a pinch of jaggery so that it will make it even tastier.
Allow the contents to boil well and the quantity gets reduced... we call it sunda vidradhu.... Add rice flour mixed with water so that the kuzhambu thickens.. Rice flour acts as a thickening agent..
Now pour 3 to 5 spoons of Sesame oil to the boiling kuzhambu and just leave it on sim for few mins.
Vathakuzhambu is ready now. Serve it with rice and Suttapplam. This is one of the best combos you have from the Iyer kitchen.
Suttapalam
Vathakuzhambu
Karthigai Deepam - Festival of Lights, an extension of Deepavali, Agnisthlam Thiruvannamalai is very famous for this day. Its celebrated on the pournami(full moon) of Karthikai masam and Kruthikai Nakshathram day. So many significances are related to this day. An auspicious day for Lord Shiva, his so called son Lord Muruga. (we can call it a family occasion... :D)
The Myth behind the Thiruvanamalai deepam as per my understanding goes like this, Shiva asks Vishnu and Brahma to find his head and toe, but both are unable to. one more story that is related to this says why Thazhampoo (Screwpine flower) is not used. Brahma on the quest to find the head of Shiva encounters this flower and asks it to be a false witness. Finally Vishnu and Brahma accept their failure and pray to Shiva to be a Tejo Lingam as he takes the form of light(Jyothiswaroopam) on the hills of Annamalai.
Parvathi combined all the six baby forms of Muruga from Saravana poigai on this day into one and he gets those six faces (apo six packs?). So its a special occasion for this reason as well. (oru kozhandiya vechi valakardhe kashtam idhula aara... Parvathi would have felt "sappa ipove kanna katudhe" and then would have comined all into one, aaruku onu better)
ok enough of all the myths and get to the reality part... Kathigai deepam is a very nice time to have a get2gether with family.... a lively festival with AGALs lit in every house and also GALS [:D].
Pithalai vilakku (Brass lamps) well cleaned and made to shine are lit at the entrance of every house. Maa kolams are drawn and sweets and savories are made. Small agals are lit all around the house and these days agals are being replaced with candles [:(]. Also people burst crackers as well.
Mukiyamana mattere andha pori urundai dhan.... there are two variations in the pori urundais.... one is aval pori and the other nell pori urundais respectively. Appam and Vadai are other counterparts for Pori urundais. Vella paagu kindi adhula pori kotti nalla kelaranum. Sooda irukum podhe urundai pudicha dhan shape irukum else it will fall off.
Festivals are such beautiful times filled with food,fun and frolic; especially the food part. Namma vaai vakkana yaarukum varadhu.
Its been 4 years since i've been with family for karthigai deepam, it was a feel good factor this time. Helped mom in cleaning the house, lamps, pori urundais etc. Felt Good!!!!
The other day i had been to my sister's place and suddenly my niece came up to me and asked whats your address. I gave my address 45,......, Chennai - 33. She said "Ayio, Mee Inti address kaadhu, Mee BLOG address" (Not your house address, your Blog address). I was like "what address?"... the reply was "Blog...BLOG...."BLOG ADDRESS". I said i used to have one but i do not have any now. She said here take my blog address and read it regularly. I was surprised. I could not believe she is just 8yrs old and has a blog... the best part is she had started it when she was 6yrs old.
I was thinking about starting a blog for almost 1 year and after this incident i made up my mind "enna aanalum seri epdiyavadhu oru blog aarambikanumnu" and finally it happend today.
i hope to keep writing which once used to be a field of interest. now i can boast to her "Naanum Blog Vechiruken....Naanum Blog Vechiruken.... Naangalum Blogger dhan" (Read it in Naai Sekar Style)....
