Happy Sri Rama Navami - Panakam-Vadapappu- Chalimidi

Happy Sri Rama Navami

Sri Rama Navami is a Hindu festival, celebrating of the birth of Lord Rama, falls on the Navami, ninth day of the Chaitra month of Hindu lunar year in 'Shukla paksha' or waxing moon, thus named Chaitra Masa Suklapaksha Navami, and marks the end of nine-day Chaitra-Navratri celebrations.The festival commemorates the birth of Rama who is remembered for his prosperous and righteous reign.

Hindus normally perform Kalyanotsavam (marriage celebration) with small murtis of Rama and Sita in their houses, and at the end of the day the deity is taken to a procession on the streets. This day also marks the end of the nine-day utsavam called Chaitra Navaratri (Maharashtra) or Vasanthothsava (Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh & Tamil Nadu) (festival of Spring), which starts with Gudi Padwa (Maharashtra)

Panakam, Vadapappu-chalimidi are the special items we prepare for this festival.

Panakam Ingredients

3 Cups Water
2 Tbsps Jaggery (adjust to your taste)
1 crushed cardamom
1/2 tsp dry ginger powder or 1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp crushed pepper corns

Method

Mix water and Jaggery and let the Jaggery dissolve in water. Filter the water and add crushed cardamom, dry ginger powder and crushed pepper corns

Vada Pappu(Soaked Split yellow moong dal)

Ingredients

1 cup split yello moong dal
2-3 Tbsp grated coconut
Salt to taste.
Fresh chopped coriander/cilantro for garnish.
1 chushed green chilli
1 Tbsp lemon juice

Method

Soak the Moong Dal in water for half an hour, drain the water. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.

This is not cooked and eaten raw with Chalimidi

Chalimidi

Ingredients

1 rice flour (Soak 1 cup raw rice in warm water for 3 to 4 hrs, drain and dry the rice in a dry cloth until it is completely dried and make a coarse powder)

½ cup grated jaggery or sugar.
½ tsp coarsly crushed cardamom.
2-3 Tbsp grated coconut (optional)
Water to make dough

Method

Mix the rice flour, Jaggery and crushed cardamom by adding 1 to 2 tsp water to make a soft dough.

Alternatively you can make a cooked chalimidi and this is what my mom makes at home.

Make a warm syrup of jaggery (or sugar) and add the rice flour in low heat and mix to form a soft dough. Add cardamom and coconut at the end and mix well.

Notes: You can use readymade rice flour also to make the rice flour making process easy.