Onam aashamsakal!

Tomorrow is Onam.A festival of great significance to Malayalis.A festival that symbolizes fervour &enthusiasm.A festival about dancing,feasting,merry-making.A festival that signifies happiness,prosperity &togetherness.A festival I look forward to celebrating every year.

Onam,like I have mentioned in my earlier post,falls in Chingam,the first month of the Malayalam calendar.More information about the festival is available here
If you have read my earlier mentioned post,you would also have read about the virtual ona sadya that many of us offered to serve you all today.

A sadya comprises of Rice, Sambhar, Erisseri, Kalan, Olan, Aviyal, Thoran, Koottukari, Pachadi, Inji-puli, Pickles, Upperi/chips & Payasam(dessert).And it is particularly lip-smacking when devoured in a banana-leaf! I’m sharing recipes of two dishes here,which I’ll surely be making tomorrow.For the rest of the recipes ,do visit my mother’s page,‘AMBROSIA’.

SAMBHAR

Ingredients:
a)Vegetables(Drumstick,Ladies Finger,Brinjals cleaned&sliced into long pieces) – 1 cup
b)Sambhar Dal(Red Gram Dal) – 1 cup
c)Turmeric powder – 1 teaspoon
d)Tamarind juice – 3 tablespoons
e)Coriander Powder – 1 tablespoon
f)Grated Coconut – 2 tablespoons
g)Fenugreek seeds -1 teaspoon
h)Asafoetida powder – 1 tea spoon
i)Mustard Seeds – 1/2 tea spoon
j)Whole Red chillies – 3-4 for masala and 2-3 for seasoning
k)Curry Leaves – 2-3 sprigs
l)Salt -2 teaspoons/as per taste
m)Vegetale oil – 1tablespoon for the masala and 2 teaspoon for seasoning

Sambhar made @ Deeps' on Onam(02-09-2009)

Method:
1. Wash the dal.
2. Pressure cook it with 3cups of water,turmeric powder & salt,till tender.
3. Boil & cook separately all the vegetables except ladies-finger

4. For masala,
* heat oil in a frying pan.
* splutter fenugreek seeds
* add red chillies&coriander powder
* when turned brown,add grated coconut and fry till the raw smell is replaced by an aroma.
* add asafoetida powder,sauté for a few seconds and turn off the heat.
* once the mix cools down,grind it to a smooth paste.

5. Add the vegetables(including ladies finger) to the dal and bring it to a boil.
6. Add the tamarind juice and stir all the mix together
7. Now add the ground paste and keep boiling for another minute.
8. Turn off the heat.

9. For seasoning
* heat oil in a pan
* splutter mustard seeds
* add red chillies & curry leaves
* saute for a second

10.Season it onto the curry.

The Sambhar is ready to be served!

ERISSERI with Pumpkin

Ingredients:
a)Ripe Pumpkin(cut into cubes) – 1cup
b)Turmeric powder – 1/2 teaspoon
c)Grated coconut – 1 cup
d)Cumin seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
e)Chilli powder – 1/2 teaspoon
f)Mustard seeds – 1 teaspoon
g)Whole red chillies – 3-4
h)Curry leaves – 2-3 sprigs
i)Coconut Oil – 2 tablespoons for the paste and 2teaspoons for seasoning
j)Salt – 2teaspoons/as per taste

Erisseri made @ Deeps' on Onam(02-09-2009)

Method:
1. Cook pumpkin after adding just about enough water(the water-level should be at par with the pumpkin),with turmeric powder & salt

2. For the paste
* Heat oil in a pan
* Splutter cumin seeds
*Add grated coconut & chilli powder
* Fry till brown.
* Once the mix cools down,grind it to a smooth paste.

3. Add the paste to the vegetable and boil and mix well.

4. For seasoning
* Heat oil in a pan
* Splutter mustard seeds
* Add red chillies & curry leaves
* Add a few coconut-scrapes
* Saute for a second

5. Season it over the Erisseri and serve!

This is how an authentic Ona-sadya** looks like

Hope you enjoyed the spread(especially you,Hitchy! 🙂 )

And yes,if and when any of you post recipes on the occasion of Ona-sadya,please do let me know so that I can hop by and book a place for my share and drool!

On that note,to all my fellow Malayalis “എന്റെ ഹൃദയം നിറഞ്ഞ ഓണം ആശംസകള്‍”!
And to others,here’s wishing  a very happy & prosperous Onam 🙂

PS: **Image courtesy Google Images

EDITED TO ADD:Thank you once again for the loving wishes and making this day even more special.I’m sorry I’ve not had the time to visit many of you.I intend to make it up by resuming my blog-hopping soon 🙂
We had a wonderful Onam today.I made Erisseri and Sambhar proof of which I’ve uploaded above 😀 ! Namnam & I had the perfect company in our good friends,another mom-daughter duo,J & O to decorate a pookalam.Here are two images of our creation 🙂

Pookalam

Happy Onam 🙂