PEERKANGAI/BEERAKAI/RIDGE GOURD CURRY

This curry I learnt from my telugu friend when I was a student.

This is a favourite side dish for all of us in my family.

I am posting this for the benefit of my brother,staying

in New zealand who recalled our early days when we used to have this together.

It also had an interesting episode when my sister's friend visited

our home and had this dish she liked it so much that she keeps

telling it should be done only by me and one should have it.

I am sure my brother will get this ridgegourd/peerkangai in New Zealand.

It is very simple to make with very less ingredients.

INGREDIENTS

PEERKANGAI 1/2 KG

JEERA POWDER 2 TSP

MIRCHI POWDER 2 TSP

SALT TO TASTE

METHOD

PEEL AND CUT THE VEGETABLE. CHECK FOR BITTERNESS AND DISCARD.

HEAT 2 TSP OIL IN A PAN ADD CUT VEGETABLE SAUTE AND COVER

THE LID. COOK TILL DONE ON MEDIUM FLAME.MIX JEERA POWDER,

MIRCHI POWDER AND SALT TOGETHER AND ADD TO CURRY.

MIX WELL AND SAUTE. KEEP THE STOVE ON LOW FLAME AND COOK

TILL THE MOISTURE OBSORBS.THE CURRY THUS PREPARED WILL

BE VERY LESS IN QUANTITY AS IT SHRINKS WHEN COOKED.

BUT CAN BE HAD IN LESS QUANTITY FOR MIXING COOKED RICE.

TASTES TOO GOOD WITH HOT RICE. THE CHILLI POWDER MEASURE

CAN BE ADJUSTED AS PER TASTE.THE PEERKANAGAI HAS A SWEET

TASTE BY NATURE AND REQUIRES VERY LESS INGREDIENTS.

TENDER VEGETABLE IS PREFERED.CAN USE MORE QUANTITY OF VEGETABLE

AS IT REDUCES WHEN COOKED.

CAN USE KASHMIRI CHILLI POWDER OR BEDEGE(BANGALORE) DRY CHILLIES

TO GET RED COLOR AND NEED NOT FEAR FOR HOT TASTE.

DEEPAVALI LEHYAM

INGREDIENTS

OMAM/AJWAIN                          1CUP

JEERA/CUMMIN SEEDS            3 TABLESPOONS

PEPPER                                         3 TABLESPOONS

(GANDU) THIPILI                       10 TO 12

CORIANDER SEEDS/DANIA        4 TABLESPOONS

POWDERED CARDAMOM/ELACHI
 POWDER                                                    1 TSP

POWDERED DRY GINGER/SAUNT
 POWDER                                                   1 TEASPOON

JAGREE                                                      1 CUP

GHEE                                                         4 TABLESPOON

METHOD

HEAT KADAI/PAN AND ROAST DANIA, JEERA,PEPPER AND THIPPILI( ON MEDIUM FLAME )SLIGHTLY.

MAKE POWDER IN MIXIE AND THEN ADD ELACHI POWDER AND DRY GINGER POWDER AND KEEP.

HEAT LITTLE WATER ADD SCRAPED JAGREE AND MELT. STRAIN TO REMOVE DIRT IF ANY AND KEEP.

IN A PAN HEAT WATER ADD THE POWDER KEPT READY AND ALLOW TO BOIL. WHEN WATER EVOPORATES ADD JAGREE WATER. MIX AND KEEP STIRING ON LOW FLAME TILL 'LEHYAM' CONSISTENCY IS GOT.

ADD GHEE.

IT SHOULD BE KEPT IN MIND THAT AJWAIN/OMAM MEASURE SHOULD BE MORE THAN DANIA.
 AND JEERA  SHOULD BE LESS THAN DANIA, AND PEPPER LITTLE LESS THAN JEERA.

JAGREE SHOULD BE EQUAL TO THE POWDER MADE.

NAVRATHIRI DEVI PUJA

Happy and ready to celebrate festival of lights DIWALI.Though there is not much of preparation in Kitchen for

Diwali,the Diwali MARUNDHU also called as diwali lehiyam

is a must to be had in the early

morning on the CHATURDASI day and that needs some prior preparation.

It is made only once in a year.We get ready-made powder in Chennai.

But it can be made at home with little effort.

I remember my mother making with ginger alone after taking the

pulp of ginger and cooking with jagree.

I noted down an authentic easy diwali lehyam which i will post.

Now that the Navrathiri festival is over it is nice to recall

the past two years experience when i was in U.S. during 2007

and in Dar-es-salaam during 2008. Both the years are momorable

as i was with my daughter during the earlier year and with my

sister the later year.

This year back home in Hyderabad i celebrated the festival

for nine days with full satisfaction by arranging Golu,

and performed Puja specially with the flowers available

and making prasadams each day as per thithi, star and day

for Godess Durga,laxmi and saraswathi.I made a ready reckoner

type chart for the facility of refering it in advance and

keep things ready for the next day.Every year we circulate this chart

among our relatives and friends who are interested in celeberating

in the same way.

I wish this chart will be of use to all other friends too if

this is in blog for coming Navrathiris.Some alterations take place

in the order of the day of celebration as each year the dates differ.

I only doubt if all the items will be available

in all the countries.The information is gathered from the

book DEVI BAGAWADAM.I also welcome any information which my

friends have to share to include in the navrathiri

DEVI PUJA.

I wish all my friends and relatives Happy Diwali in advance and to

celebrate with kids taking due safety measures while bursting crackers.

The Lehyam and navarathiri chart is given below.

I will also suggest my friends to make the oil warm which we use

on naraka chaturdasi day for bathing (GANGA SNANAM) by adding

ajwain/omam,rice,ginger piece and beetle leaf.Please also take

care while doing this in hot oil by not being close to the stove.

NAVRATHIRI PUJA AND PRASADAM CHART is in JPEG format which can be opened

with the help of power point. After downloading, right click to bring the image to readable

position.